Words that press silhouettes against your walls as the sun sets. Stories that uncover the depths of your imagination, forcing you to wander deeper into the unknown. Poems that feel like the way you bite into a pomegranate seed for the first time. Writers that stitch themselves back together through words seized from honey-soaked clouds and autumn leaves.

At AMHS, there is a small but thriving community of writers that join together on Thursdays at Creative Writing Club. The Creative Writing Club, which was started by Abby Bonner and I in our junior year, intends to provide a space for those interested in writing to come together and strengthen each other’s voices. Writing is more prevalent in our day to day lives than we realize. Although it may not be as obvious as by reading works of literature such as The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, we are constantly reading as we scroll through social media, look at the news, choose a meal at a restaurant, and simply navigate through our daily lives. As a result, learning how to strengthen your writing skills can be beneficial for your future accomplishments. Maybe it’s by writing college application essays, a speech for a company board meeting, or something else entirely. Having a strong command of language is useful for communicating your thoughts and ideas to others. For the poets, authors, and playwrights of the modern world, words are used as an outlet for personal growth as well as a form of entertainment and introspection towards humanity.

One of the great things about writing is its versatility. Poetry, for example, isn’t constricted to just rhyming poems or Shakespearean sonnets. Poetry can be natural with free verse or follow the guidelines of a form poem such as a ghazal or sestina. In slam poetry, the delivery by the speaker can allow for a different interpretation than simply reading a poem on paper. Anne Carson’s book Nox is an elegy for her brother that brings a different interpretation to the way one might perceive poetry with the addition of pictures and unique latin definitions.

Creative Writing Club members are currently preparing to submit to the annual Scholastic Art and Writing Awards competition. Scholastic accepts writing pieces from all sorts of categories from personal essay to poetry to dramatic script to critical essays to even a senior writing portfolio. Artists can also submit their work to the competition under art categories. Some creative writers at AMHS have received awards both regionally and nationally in years past. Abby Bonner (12) received two national silver medals last year, and I have also received a national gold medal. We’ve also had many other club members win regional awards, and we aim to encourage each other in developing writing skills through writing prompts and peer editing our work. Those submitting to Scholastic this year should make sure to submit their works by December 4, 2018.

Creative writing is an art. It is an act of personal expression and can also be used for political or social impact. Creative writing allows you to share words that belong to both you and the world. Anyone can write. Anyone’s words can be powerful. It’s just a matter of knowing how to use them. At Creative Writing Club we aim to encourage writers to let their voices blossom and explore the use of words as an art form whether that is through writing poetry, short stories, or some other way.

If you are interested in creative writing, please come to a meeting! Creative Writing Club meets on B day Thursdays every other week during lunch in Ms. Novinger’s room. We can’t wait to hear your words. Let them unravel the Gordian knot. Let them simmer over a blazing fire. Let them piece together glass shards into a magical mosaic. It all begins here.