National Novel Writing Month - The Reynella Writers

November's many community observance days included National Novel Writing Month, an event which started in California that has quickly spread world-wide. The event aims to encourage creativity, education and foster imagination by motivating people towards a goal to start writing 50,000 words in a month, guided by the 2016 theme: 'Your Novel, Your Universe'.

Whilst a novel may be a challenge, SAcommunity lists 21 creative writing groups across the state involved in supporting each other in various writing pursuits. One such group are The Reynella Writers. Facilitator Sue Jaynes of The Reynella Writers explained that this group aims to encourage creative expression through writing, with a focus on writing and reading participant-created works of short stories and poetry aloud, in a collaborative and supportive environment.

We asked Sue to share with us more information about their writing group which has been running for 12 years.

We are a small group of writers who meet at the Reynella Neighbourhood Centre on the first and third Friday of each month, from February to November inclusive. There is a wide range of ages, with interests from facts to sorcery. Our group produces short stories or poems to read out at each meeting. These stories or poems, usually stem from ideas given by the group leader or individual writers as homework.

Within our group, we have one young man who is in the process of publishing his first book in the new year, a lady who has already published children's books, a researcher / writer who has helped complete a book on World War 1 Diggers from Reynella, as well as others who've had stories published within magazines or books.

This year we were invited, as a group, to take on the story of Jean, a wonderful lady of 95 years. After surviving third degree burns as a child, then being only the second young patient in Adelaide to undergo a colostomy in 1943, with the first young patient not surviving, she has gone on to live a full, happy, healthy life. We hoped to write a story that would inspire anyone who may have to undergo this operation. The operation today would be more efficient than in 1943.

The story was produced into a small eight page booklet, that Jean's grand-daughter had printed for selected medical centres. We also wrote a smaller article on Jean, which was published in the 'Ostomy Australia' magazine. We believe a magazine linked to New Zealand may also pick up the article.

Our choice is to encourage writers not criticize.

If you are interested in The Reynella Writers, contact the Reynella Neighbourhood Centre on 08 8322 3591 and ask for Group Leader Sue Jaynes.

Interested in writing? Or do you have a writing group and are looking for members?

This is where SAcommunity can assist, search the directory or ensure that your group's contacts are up-to-date, so that your services can be discovered!