The Writers Guild, an organization that allows undergraduate students to develop their writing, serves as an essential community for writers at the University. Mo Edwards, a junior majoring in accounting and the president of the Writers Guild, says the club is not geared toward students in a specific major or minor.
“We want literally anybody,” Edwards said. “If you love writing, we’d love to have you. If you’re kind of skeptical about writing but like reading, we’d love to have you. The Writers Guild is really just a place for people with a passion for storytelling in whatever written medium that may be.”
Vice President Christian Stephens, a junior majoring in psychology and criminal justice, said the club provides an outlet for people passionate about reading or writing.
“It’s different from a class where people are just kind of forced to be there to get a good grade, or to find an elective. Anyone who has that kind of passion, this is your place,” Stephens said.
The group meets weekly in the English Building, Room 301, to share their work, receive honest feedback, complete workshops and get information on possible publishing opportunities. The club is lax and has a “come when you can” approach.
Edwards said the reasoning behind that is simple: College students are busy. However, attending the meetings gives students a chance to participate in workshops that consist of a plethora of activities.
Aside from getting constructive criticism or simply sharing work with peers, the organization also provides publishing opportunities. Dewpoint Magazine is a publication on campus and featured a piece from Ben Iboshi, a sophomore majoring in English.
“I’m able to submit all kinds of pieces thanks to the club [Writers Guild],” Iboshi said.
He said sharing has been a big part of developing his writing, and the feedback he has received motivates him.
“Sharing has been huge for me because it gives me an incentive to actually get stuff down and develop those pieces over time,” Iboshi said. “Hearing feedback from other club members is great.”
When asked why the Writers Guild is important for the University and its students, both Edwards and Stephens said the sense of community is very prominent.
“Just personally, the Writers Guild was the first club that I ever joined at UA,” Edwards said. “I found them on the Source website my freshman year, and then I found them at Get on Board Day. And then I showed up for the first meeting and was really scared and hesitant. And now here I am, three years later, the president. Just having a group of people to see regularly to talk to support is so important.”
Stephens agreed while mentioning the importance of a judgment-free zone.
“There are very few places I think that exist in the modern day, where you can be weird, and be creative and just, you know, express yourself in a way that won’t attract some kind of judgment from other people,” Stephens said. “I know that the Writers Guild is one of those places for me where I can come in and say dumb stuff. I can read weird things.”
There are several events coming up, all of them being excellent chances to work on your craft or to simply watch and listen to others share what they’ve written, such as Kentuck Art Center & Festival, a place that celebrates art and culture.
“This will be my third year reading,” Edwards said. “I get the personal reflection of saying my freshman year at Kentuck I was so scared, so nervous, and like I wrote my piece at the last minute, and I was worried it wasn’t good enough. Now I’m coming back, with a book published to read, and I’m so excited.”
Overall, the Writers Guild is unique in the way that it encourages all kinds of people and all kinds of writing. The club is an exciting way for students to express their ideas without boundaries. Not only is the organization a tool for helping students perfect their writing, but it is also a place where they can be themselves unapologetically.
