When you think of writing, English class and mandatory writing assignments immediately come to mind. Fort Hamilton’s newest club, the Creative Writing Club, aims to change that.
The Creative Writing Club was created by President Reem Hamdan, who spoke to The Pilot about her experience with writing. “Writing has always been a constant in my life where I felt completely unbothered, and at such amazing terms with who I am as a student, as a daughter, and as a friend,” she said. But the opportunities for creative writing outside of the classroom were hard for her to find.
“With so much focus on other areas of studying ranging from computer science to math, there has never been a direct outlet for me to relish in writing except for in my own personal time,” Hamdan added.
The Creative Writing Club is staunch in its mission to nurture students’ expression. “The club promotes heightened expression through written word,” Club Advisor Ms. O’Donnell said. “[It also provides] a safe space for students to self- [and] peer-edit and revise, workshop, and reflect on their own experiences to ultimately tell a story using their unique voice.”
“This inaccessibility to my passion was what fueled me in creating the outlet for others and myself to access and find our own passions in the creative world through the Creative Writing Club.”
The process of finding a club advisor can prove challenging; club secretary, Amy Herrera, suggested Ms. Devan O’Donnell. That choice paid off. “Ms. O’Donnell is very passionate in creative writing and it was incredibly easy for her and I to get on the right path for this club,” Hamdan explained. “We were able to set a time and date in a timely manner and essentially think of ideas for a few of our meetings.”
Every week members of the club meet to engage in activities designed by the club’s executive board that allow for “fostering a creative mindset, expanding on any creative writing potential, and forging a gateway to further writing opportunities.” These activities are part of a relaxed structure that lets club members work on their creative writing skills and gain meaningful peer feedback.
Whether you want to improve your writing skills, or partake in an environment that fosters creativity, the Creative Writing Club is the place to go. More information can be found on their Google Classroom, using the code 2zdjngx.
