To begin second semester, juniors Lois Goldman, Callan Meyer and Colin Kovac founded the Creative Writing Club, an after-school space for students to share and develop creative writing in a collaborative environment.
Advanced Placement (AP) Literature and Composition teacher Brian McNeil said he was immediately intrigued when approached with the idea of helping found the club.
“When Callan, Lois and Colin talked to me about the idea of starting the Creative Writing Club and asked me to be their adviser, I was honored,” McNeil said. “I have a degree in English and a concentration in professional and creative writing. I am always excited to support students who are interested in the craft, and I admired the passion they shared when describing their vision for the club. I knew I wanted to support them in any way I could.”
The idea to found the club stemmed from a shared passion for writing between the co-founders, who noticed there were limited opportunities for writers to develop creative work outside of academic assignments.
“One day Colin and I were chatting about what we wanted to do career-wise and realized we both were interested in pursuing something in film,” Goldman said. “We figured out that there could be a whole community of people at Midtown who wanted to develop skills like we do. I wish that more students were able to use writing as a creative outlet, instead of a high stress assignment. Writing is about artistic expression, and I wish that students could channel that more often, especially at school.”
Goldman said the club is designed to give students a space to explore writing skills outside of school work.
“I want this club to be a space for students to enjoy writing something other than a homework assignment,” Goldman said. “Writing can be used as an artistic craft, and I hope that people will become more open-minded about what they are capable of in this specific space.”
The three founders are interested in different aspects of creative writing. Goldman said that these interests contributed to different strengths that shape the club’s meetings.
“Colin thinks like a journalist, so he’s great at structure, clarity and helping people tighten their ideas,” Goldman said. “Callan is deep in screenplay writing; so, he brings a storytelling mindset and a strong sense of character and dialogue. I’m usually working on short films; so, I think visually and focus on pacing, tone and creative experimentation. When we plan meetings, we try to utilize all of our skills and make something that exemplifies our talent.”
Junior Jonah Zeff said he joined the club because of its screenwriting opportunities.
“In AP English and almost all other [English Language Arts] classes, there is very little time spent enhancing our creative writing skills beyond fiction, specifically with screenwriting,” Zeff said. “Because of those reasons, I am interested in exploring screenwriting, something that is not usually covered.”
Additionally, Zeff says he joined the club for the chance to interact and write with other students.
“An interest in working with other people at my school to create cool works of fiction, as well as joining with friends, inspired me to join,” Zeff said.
Beyond writing, the club has been a place for students to learn about other types of creative writing. Sophomore Will Manley said he was surprised by the various types of writing other students were interested in.
“Before I joined the club, I assumed that everyone would want to write novels, and I wanted to join because I gravitate towards fantasy and thriller when I write,” Manley said. “However, most people wanted to do screenwriting.”
McNeil said writing outside of class is important because it gives students an outlet for self expression.
“I think a space to write creatively outside of academic assignments is essential because it allows students to express themselves freely without formal expectations,” McNeil said.
Goldman said her own interest in creative writing began when she started seriously considering a future in film and storytelling.
“I was inspired to begin creative writing a few years ago when I realized that I wanted to pursue a career in film,” Goldman said. “After watching movies, like Christopher Nolan’s “Inception,” my eyes were open to making something for an audience that was complex and thought-provoking. The idea of mind-boggling the audience really appealed to me, and from then on, I was determined to improve my writing skills.”
Goldman said she hopes the club becomes a space where students can experiment and share their work.
“We hope to highlight a wide range of student voices, emerging writers, storytellers, genre experimenters and anyone interested in developing their craft,” Goldman said. “Our goal is to cultivate a creative community where students can share authentic experiences, explore new forms and contribute to a richer artistic culture on campus.”
