By: Michaela May, Special Contributor
Writers strive to get their work out in the public for everyone to read, but the creative process involves the input and guidance of others as well.
Lebanon Valley College’s writers’ group helps to accomplish exactly that.
Dr. Holly Wendt, an associate professor of English, is the adviser of the writers’ group on campus and brings prompts to share with the group. These include images, audio, a sentence or even someone else’s work entirely.
Students are given about ten minutes to work with each prompt. They are free to write about anything they want in any style they choose whether it is prose, poetry, or even just doodles. Some stick to the topic given to them while others branch out more broadly.
“I write all the time in my free time, and it’s a way for me to get inspiration,” Sierra Force, a sophomore digital communications and English major, said.
Force added that she is in the process of writing a novel and is focused on publishing her work sometime while she is still in school.
“It’s one of my favorite parts of the week,” Force said.
Students are also free to host meetings during the week to bring fellow writers together. They share what inspires them to write as well as some resources that could be helpful. Several students do not have a love of writing but come to the meetings to push themselves and to learn more about the craft.
“I’m trying to get back into writing, and this is definitely a good way to do that,” Kayla Heiserman, a sophomore English major, said.
Heiserman said she struggles with her creative flow at times but that the club has inspired her to think more outside the box.
“It’s more fun than I had thought it would be,” Heiserman said.
With these weekly meetings come refreshments, including a lot of candy. Meetings are typically held in study rooms throughout campus. For more information on the club, students can contact Dr. Wendt with wendt@lvc.edu to gain access to the Canvas page. It can also be found on Twitter, @writeLVC or Facebook, writeLVC.