Every other Thursday in the Literally Literate Writing Club (LLW), students are becoming a little closer to the writers they hope to become someday.
Growing up, I was taught that language was a perfect garden. Adverbs and adjectives separated with perfect white picket fences, sentences must be grown in a subject and watered with action, tone winding through the patches of subjects and clauses, guiding the passerby, and withered tenses must be kept away from blooming tenses.
Everything had a place, and rules were written in stone. I never expected to find my garden of Eden amidst the marble pillars.
There’s something incredible about having people who understand you, and working with others is essential for writers. Writing can be a solitary process, stuck in your own ideas and fighting for the words right at the tip of your tongue.
Collaborating as a writer could feel like an astronomical feat. Sharing your writing is sharing a different side of yourself. It has never been easy putting myself out there, but writing is more than just a physical being. Writing shows a much deeper side of a person, a more vulnerable side.
The atmosphere of LLW is really comforting. The people in the club understand the price you’re paying to get in front of the crowd, and they welcome you. They give you the stage and play the part of a perfect audience.
Everybody was really kind and genuinely wanted to help each other become better. You don’t have to filter your thoughts, thinking and rethinking about your words. They support you if you’re feeling goofy that day or on days when you don’t really feel like yourself.
The purpose of the club is to help a writer get their story down and put their ideas down on a page. They would often take part in writing challenges and work together to help each other win. They also participate in NaNoWriMo, a month-long challenge for writers to meet their writing goals.
Every time students get together in the class, they have a weekly check-in to see how the others are doing. This isn’t just a club to share your writing or talk about your writing. There are more than just peers swooping in on your mistakes or spinning stories out of thin air. This is also a place to just talk.
There’s a myth that claims that poets can’t produce anything worthwhile unless they’re sad or they’re mad. They claim that only upset emotions make poems. That isn’t true, it isn’t like we’re just sitting around waiting for inspiration to hit. Literary motivation often comes from happiness.
People need to share more than just their ideas, getting in touch with your feelings and sorting through them helps you feel things deeper. This could also greatly help with your writing.
This club is a great place for aspiring writers and poets. I would greatly recommend it to those who are looking for a place to simply ramble on about their obsessions and find someone else who can match their vibe. This is a space to be yourself.
At first, it may seem a little intimidating, but they are all just there to listen. They are excited to hear what you say whether it’s poetry, a short story, or just something you scribbled down during lunch.
These are all people who have the same goal, to pour their heart out on a page. You can be yourself as everyone is just trying to find the right words and it creates this amazing vibe. It’s a place where you can be real without worrying about other people’s perceptions.
There are so many opportunities offered. You can compete in competitions, sometimes even winning. This would look great on college applications. Even if you don’t win, you get to put your writing out there.
The Literally Literate Writing Club is a place to be yourself and write. If you love writing or if you just want to give it a try, this club is the place to find your audience.