The Benefits of Joining a Creative Writing Club

For many of us, writing has been an integral part of our lives since childhood. We wrote stories and diary entries, trying to capture how we felt, what we wanted, and how we imagined our lives to be when we grew up. As we got older, writing became about short stories and novels or poetry and articles. The processes changed, but the value it added to our lives never wavered.

However, when we did grow up, different priorities emerged, which often pushed writing to the side. Our writing paused, or stopped altogether, lost to a lack of time or energy as we turned our attention to other pursuits and interests. In a period of our lives when writing has become highly educational and analytical, it can be challenging to find the time and motivation for personal writing, even when you enjoy it.

At the Creative Writing Circle, we are bringing back the excitement for writing by hosting a collection of writers every month to meet one another, learn about new genres and techniques, and find new inspiration for personal work. Writing doesn’t have to remain in the past, nor does it have to stay academic, so here’s a list of reasons why joining a creative writing club is beneficial to you!

Benefit One - Meeting New Writers

As a traditionally individual activity due to the vulnerability and time investment, writing is a hobby that can be difficult to share with others. We don’t always want to share our work with others, but sometimes talking about it or bouncing ideas off one another can be helpful for the writing and editing processes. In a creative writing club, you can meet other writers from the university who join with a range of experiences and interests, encouraging discussion and collaboration in writing.

In-person events with icebreaker games, writing-based activities, and information about collaboration opportunities are hosted in a low-pressure environment where you can find a community that places value on writing as a hobby or a future career. In a world where forming connections about writing can be challenging, especially when you don’t know how to go about finding other writers, a creative writing club helps to bring everyone together and offers quick and easy activities to support conversation and get the words flowing.

Benefit Two – Exploring New Genres & Techniques

No matter your experience with writing, it’s exciting to find the genre or technique of writing that you enjoy best. It becomes the foundation of your work, as you develop your style over many years of practice. Other times, it can be difficult to determine what you want to write or what other genres they are, primarily when you don’t know where to start in adapting your current style.

In a creative writing club, different genres are highlighted at events, presenting new ways of writing and offering time to practice them. Alongside other writers who are either learning the techniques with you or who have experience with writing them, a club provides a training ground for writing development. Whether you decide to try something new or focus on your personal style, learning about different genres and gaining in-the-moment practice allows for an easy exploration, in a low-stake, just-for-fun environment. At the end of the day, it’s not about which genre is best, about how, as a writer, you understand the world around you and how you choose to communicate your ideas with others.

Benefit Three – Enjoying Writing For Writing

In university, we often find ourselves writing more and more academic papers and reflections with every new course we take. For writers, it can be difficult to find the time or motivation to write personal works or stories when you’re consistently writing essays or assignments.

Creative writing clubs hold dedicated writing events where you can participate in group activities and individual writing sessions, where the whole focus is on writing for the love of it. With a focus in fiction writing, these events can be great opportunities to return to writing as an interest, rather than as a part of a course. While it can be challenging to switch off your “school brain” sometimes, being in a community with people who enjoy writing just as much as you is a great way to relax, reset, and return to your interests, without the pressure of deadlines or grades.

Benefit Four – Finding New Inspiration & Motivation

As writers, we know that one of the most frustrating things is getting writer’s block. It’s difficult to keep writing when there’s no ideas or words in your head. In a creative writing club, not only are you surrounded by other writers to exchange ideas with, but you can begin to find new inspirations from the activities and writing sessions. Create-a-character exercises or story prompt writing blocks could inspire you to write a new novel or edit your current story in a new way. For those of us who may have less time for personal writing, a club is a fun way to get involved in the writing world again. Motivation for writing can wane over the semester or year, but participating in club events can help ignite your interest in words again. As you begin to write more, even just during the activities, you’ll start to think more about your past and current writing, and how you can change or enhance it. Your writing becomes a reflection of who you were and who you are, and a creative writing club helps to show you that writing isn’t a static thing, but an ever-changing interest in your life

Benefit Five – Learning About Writing Opportunities

On a campus as large as the University of Calgary’s, it’s challenging to find events and opportunities that you’re interested in, especially when it comes to writing. In creative writing clubs, information about writing-related opportunities are shared with club members, so everyone can stay in-the-know. At CWC, we publish our own bi-annual chapbook and host peer-led writing workshops, while also promoting literary magazine submissions, proofreading options, and collaborative events with other writing communities on campus. News about writing events around Calgary are also shared at events and through club newsletter, as a way to keep you involved in the writing world, without the hassle of having to find the information yourself. Whether you’re in the Department of English or any of the other UCalgary programs, our club gives you the news and information you need to pursue your interest in writing or editing goals.

At the End of the Day…

Due to the individualistic nature of writing, it’s difficult to meet others with similar interests and find time to learn more about writing techniques and styles, or even just to write for yourself. At the Creative Writing Circle, we host a welcoming environment where writers of all experience levels can meet new people, learn about writing, and join in on fun group activities that help prompt new inspirations and motivations for writing. Being at the centre of the UCalgary’s writing community, our club fosters conversation, collaboration, and excitement for everyone to enjoy their university experience by doing the things they love!

Written by: Miriam Bitango, VP Communications