Sanpete writers guild

seeking new members

EPHRAIM—With the right help, anyone can become a writer, says Steven J. Clark, a novelist who lives in Chester, and the president of the Sanpete Valley Writers Guild.

Clark says the group was formed to make writing easier and more enjoyable for those in Sanpete County.

The group welcomes writers of all ages, genres and experience levels, and it meets every first and third Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the main floor classroom in the Huntsman Library at Snow College Library in Ephraim.

“We are very diverse,” Clark said. “We’ve had aspiring writers as young as 15 and others into their 80s.”

The first meeting of 2018 will be Tuesday, Jan. 16, and participation is free.

The group was originally founded by Shirley Bahlmann, an author who lived in Ephraim and who now resides in St. George.

The members of the group draw on the experience and knowledge of other members, and the group’s purpose is twofold: First, helping new writers get started and, second, aiding experienced writers make their writing better.

Clark said meetings are informal. Members share news of general interest, report on their latest writing projects and share excerpts of their current work in progress to receive helpful feedback.

“It is a very nonthreatening environment,” Clark said. “While the critiques must be honest, they also must be helpful and supportive. We only have one rule: Don’t be mean.”

He added the group also holds brainstorming sessions for everything from help with titles to suggesting direction for story plots or character development.

Becoming a member of the guild is easy and free—attend a meeting.

The Sanpete Valley Writers Guild, along with Snow College, sponsors Write Here, the annual weekend writers’ conference in Ephraim which features over 30 classes and workshops.

Call 262-0358 with questions.