SUN CITY – In Mary Ann Weissmann’s opinion, many people want to write a story of some kind, but they’re afraid to start, or they aren’t sure where to begin.
It’s the exact reason why the writer’s group, Write On, was founded in Sun City back in 2003. Originally started by Sun City resident Mary Kennedy, the group was just a way to get together twice a month with other writers to share the love of the written word with other creative minds. When Kennedy passed away in 2016, the group continued, in keeping with her original vision.
Today, Write On is co-led by Weissmann and Sarah Hudgens. On the first and third Friday of each month, writers — ranging from novices to seasoned wordsmiths — gather in a room in the basement of Heartland Bank and Trust to share and receive feedback on what they’ve written. During colder months, member June Leinwander says the group gets a little smaller as snowbirds escape to warmer climates, but once springtime comes, the group gets more robust. No matter who shows up, the group is all about encouraging and supporting fellow writers.
“There are a lot of professional writers who wrote books, and some just come for the fun of it,” she says.
The group has a mission during the meetings.
“We try to help each other, make suggestions, or point out errors,” says Weissmann, who has published her own anthology of short stories, “but we do it rather gently.” Writers bring about two pages of their written material, with enough copies for everyone to follow along, make notes, and write suggestions.
“It’s amazing to see all the vibrant and talented people here in Sun City,” Weissmann remarks. “People are very diverse in their talents, too. Some have won awards for poetry. A majority of us write prose, but there are a few who write mainly poetry.”
Once Upon a Prompt
Hudgens and Weissmann compile a list of writing prompts and themes, and those serve as inspiration for each gathering. The writers get the prompts ahead of time.
“It gives everyone a chance to think about what they’ll be writing before they’re actually due,” she says. When the prompt doesn’t spark an idea, sometimes a writer just decides to go in another direction, which is fine, too.
“We have prompts such as Broken Glass, Conundrum, Puppy Love, or a Rumble of Thunder,” says Hudgens. “This Friday’s prompt was a Picture Frame,” she says. “I’ll be anxious to see what in the world everyone comes up with!”
Even with the prompts, the results are guaranteed to be varied. Weissmann says she is always amazed at how different all the stories are. “Everybody has a unique take,” she says. “It’s very entertaining.”
Weissmann and Hudgens hope other writers will feel inspired to visit the group and consider joining.
“One woman originally came as a helper for another member who wasn’t quite able to get around by herself,” Weissman explains. “She’d never written before in her life and she started to participate. She ended up being in the group for a couple years.”
After the stories and poems are read, Hudgens says the group often talks about other aspects of writing.
“The lovely thing about having published authors is they have all kinds of information to share with us. We’ve learned about publishing and what is expected if you decide to publish, and we’ve learned about the Grammarly app. Lately we’ve been talking about grammar and how to use all those wonderful gifts that were given like the comma and the periods and question marks, when and where and how to use them,” she says.
The group has collected their own stories over the years, kept in a book at the Sun City Library.
“It’s lovely,” says Hudgens. “To see the writing of all the participants, even some we have lost along the way.”
It reminds her of Kennedy, who began the group over a decade ago.
“Mary always loved to write,” she says. “She just wanted to encourage writing and find a group of people who were also interested.”
