Teen Writer's Club- by Holly Raus

Teen Writer’s Club at Cumming Library

The Teen Writer’s Club began in January 2014 and has been going nonstop ever since. What began as monthly meetings became bi-monthly and then a one hour time period was deemed too short so it was expanded to an hour and a half.  Meetings continued through summers and the annual After Hours Lock-in began to take place at the end of July each year.  Meetings continued at Hampton Park while the Cumming branch was closed for renovations. When everything shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Teen Writer’s Club immediately began online meetings that very week and has met every week since. This group of talented teens are dedicated to having a time and place to share their creativity, encourage one another, steer each other and laugh with one another. They are welcoming to newcomers and supportive of all who share their original poems, stories and novels.

Recently the teens were asked to reflect on the Teen Writer’s Club and their personal participation with it by answering the following questions.

How long have you been coming to Teen Writer’s Club?

What do you like about the club?

What does the club mean to you?

Here are their thoughts in their own words.

 I have attended since summer last year.

 I like being able to hear feedback, hear other stories, and the group in general is also very fun!

 To me it’s a place where I can share my writing and also just have fun!

-Avery

I've literally been coming since the very first meeting which was about five years ago. I was fifteen at the time.

I've not only had so much growth but I've made such great connections with people, with mentors, and with stories old and new from the group.

 I'm twenty years old, have graduated from college and am going into an internship. I still have such a great passion to attend. The Writer's Club has really been such a huge impact in not only my life but in my writing as well. Without it, I would not be where I am today in the pursuit to be a diverse writer.

-Alex

I know I haven’t been there in a while because of so many things going on, but I’ll answer anyways :)

 I’ve been coming for maybe a year and a half? I think I started coming in 6th grade and I’m in 8th now, so it might be 2.

 What I like about the club is that it’s a great place to put out ideas into a supportive, encouraging community, and there’s a sense of familiarity that really makes it easier to bounce things off of people here than it would to a stranger.

 The club is important to me, it’s a really awesome group of people with an amazing instructor and I’ve really missed going.

It’s really an amazing, supportive group that gives great critique and suggestions!

- Emma

I've been with the Teen Writer's Club for about six years now, joining not long after it started.

It's a place that lets me escape the outside world with people who share similar interests. Even though we all write very differently, we still share the same passion and the desire to create something.

This club means a lot to me. It's a major factor in what keeps me upright and cheerful. I have bad days, and those can translate into the meetings and especially into my writings, but I never feel rejected or unwanted in the club. They're a big part of what dragged me out of my shell and encouraged me to continue my writing. I wouldn't be around without these people.

I'm probably going to attend these meetings until the club ends, whenever that is, if it ever does. I can't always attend the virtual meetings because of classwork that requires my attention, but I love everyone in the club and would never give it up.

-Olivia

I have been coming to teen writers club for about a year now. What I like most about the club is the laughing and getting to listen to other people’s stories, along with sharing your own. Even though I can’t make it as much I used to be able to, when I can join it is a blast. 😊

-Amber

Editors Note:  Through the years I have enjoyed the teen program recaps and a few months ago I asked Holly to see if the teens would tell us how they felt about the program. When the pandemic closure hit this spring, the first thing Holly did was to reach out to this great group to see if she could keep them connected. They of course jumped at the chance, even offering suggestions for platforms to facilitate their ongoing meetings. While Holly didn't include the following comment, I certainly agree with it and wanted to share it. 

I think the Writer's Club wouldn't be the same if Mrs. Holly Raus wasn't the one running the club. I am grateful for her giving her Tuesday nights to us and for always helping us expand and grow into the best we all can be as a writer.​