Hollywood’s Writers Guild include the talented scribes who wrote “Avatar,” “Hunger Games” and the Harry Potter screenplays. Students in Southwestern College’s The Other Writers Guild are penciling out a similar future.

Professor of English Heather Eudy said SWC students have the write stuff.

“We give students exercises so they can generate writing and then share work and give them feedback,” said Eudy. “So it’s an opportunity to generate new creative work.”

Four faculty members and two student members presented workshop sessions at a recent write-a-thon, including poetry, creative writing, fiction and nonfiction.

Club treasure Paul Scott-Blair, 22, an English major, presented the workshop on poetry.

“I’m really hoping to start breaking some people’s ruts, start really getting new sounds and voices into people’s writing,” he said. “Start having people writing in surprising ways that surprises even them.”

Music was set up with drums, keyboards and a mic for entertainment and to showcase a performance workshop where writers were taught to recite their poetry to the beat of the music.

“Everyone who went ended up writing a couple new pieces,” said Eudy. “I was impressed with the performance and almost everyone got up there and shared what they had written. It was a very collaborative, supportive and overall positive experience.”

Juan Castaneda, 21, an English literature major, said he attended the event with a main purpose to expand his writing tools and find different ideas in writing.

“I am also going to double major in creative writing when I transfer so this workshop is more practice,” he said. “It is always good to keep practicing your art and keep developing it.”

The Others Writers Guild started in the spring of 2008 and encourages students to get involved with their events that often take extra time to plan and promote, said Eudy.

“It’s a lot of work and it is hard to get people involved and to show up,” she said. “It would have been nice if we had had a better turnout, but I think everyone who came really benefited.”

Club meetings are held the second and fourth Tuesdays in room 416. For more information write to swccreativewriting@gmail.com.

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