BUDDING authors have the opportunity to express their creative flair and publish their work in print this year with the formation of the Mount Gambier Creative Writing Group.
Organised for youth by local resident Charlotte Varcoe, the group provides creative types with a platform to write, edit and publish their own stories in a magazine.
With a major in creative and professional writing, the determined Mount Gambier resident is guiding the youngsters through all stages of writing a story, from grammar and sentence structure to character development and tones.
Moving to the Blue Lake city last year, Ms Varcoe said she was eager to start up a group that could help young writers to flourish.
“When I was still living in Melbourne I called Teresa Nearmy from the Mount Gambier Library and asked if there were any creative writing clubs and when she said there was not I suggested we organise one,” Ms Varcoe said.
“Initially we decided to see how it would go through the youth program that is on during the summer holidays and seeing the success have chosen to keep it running as a separate group.”
Receiving no funding from the council, the library is used only as a venue for members to meet and work on their stories.
Now working on developing a magazine of stories, Ms Varcoe said members were working together in all stages of the production process.
“They will write their stories, read and edit each others and draw their own pictures or take photographs to go with it,” she said.
“There is no theme to follow and they can be as creative as they want.”
However, with the cost of producing the magazine at around $1000, the group will soon begin fundraising in their spare time.
“We have a few ideas we have brainstormed, including running a bake stall and sausage sizzle and setting up a GoFundMe page,” Ms Varcoe said.
“If we go over the limit we can save for another edition if we want or can donate it to a charity.
“Any help or ideas would be much appreciated and other eager writers are welcome to join.”
The Mount Gambier Creative Writing Group will meet next on March 2 at 4pm.
Call Ms Varcoe on 0476 801 560 for more information on joining or contributing to fundraising to publish the magazine.
