SUN CITY- While some have always had a strong interest in writing, and others would never claim themselves to be writers, the Write On group makes one thing very clear: everyone has a story to tell.
Back in 2003, Mary Kennedy had moved to Sun City after getting married. She immediately noticed that there was no creative writing group and wanted to do something about it. Kennedy had taken courses on writing and poetry in Aurora, Ill. in the past. She enjoyed the group she belonged to there so much that she decided to start a similar one in Sun City. Group member David Williams eventually came up with the name Write On.
What started as a small group of six people that met at different homes, the group now has had up to 20 people and meets at PNC bank’s Community Room the first and third Friday of each month at 1 p.m.
“My goal was for us to learn to write better short stories, essays, novels, poems, plays, memoirs, and to edit,” Kennedy said. “Choosing a subject, we write a meaningful piece in two pages, 12-point type, read it, and everyone critiques it. We do not have to stick to a subject. We can write on any subject including a chapter to a novel.”
The Write On club members (Front row, left to right): Veronica Bieschke, Mary Ann Weissmann, Joan Smith, Evelyn Skala, Ken Kendzora, and Pat Farnham.
(Back row, left to right) Joe Loughlin, Mary Kennedy, June Leinwander, David Williams.
(Christa Knight/Sun Day Photo)
As Kennedy said, there is a given topic each week, but everyone takes their own kind of spin. Members have a wide variety of styles. While some write true stories that stood out to them over the years, others have spun new stories completely out of their imagination.
Some of the members have always enjoyed writing; others have always had other interests, but decided to try writing out. For June Leinwander, this was exactly the case.
“I felt like I had something to say, and just whatever would inspire me to write, I would write,” Leinwander said.
As for Kennedy, she feels, “It’s a way of letting out your feelings.” Many others in the group can relate to both Leinwander and Kennedy. It becomes more than a typical creative writing class because not only do members read each other’s pieces, but many of the topics discussed in pieces relate closely to many of their experiences in life.
“I think that’s what is interesting about this particular group is that everyone has a lot of experience, and I think the people that are in the group are very intelligent and really have a lot to say,” Kennedy said.
Ken Kendzora entered college planning to go into economics and eventually found himself inspired to write through different moments in his life.
“I got inspired through writing poems and different things through college and through the churches,” he said. “I think it’s partly spiritual as well. We all want to share what we have inside so others can be blessed and maybe inspire someone else.”
Write On is currently looking for new members, with writing background or no background at all.
“We are interested in having other Sun City people who like creative writing to come join us,” Williams said. Everyone is welcome because everyone brings something new and interesting to the table.”
