Burgeoning young writers are invited to become members of Young Willamette Writers, an offshoot of the popular Oregon writing community Willamette Writers. YWW meets the first Tuesday of every month, September through June, in downtown Portland. All young people, 5th to 10th grade, who are interested in writing are welcome. Membership is free.
Young Willamette Writers Coordinator Corey Stixrud has been organizing YMM since January. He tailors the meetings to meet the interests of the attendants. Says Stixrud, “I survey the young writers in September to see what genres in particular they’re interested in learning more about. My guess is that we’ll have a fantasy/sci-fi author as a guest in the next few months, and hopefully a poet as well. In the second half of last year, a storyteller, a young adult novelist, a screenwriter, and a songwriter were among our guests.”
Meetings will open September 7th with a visit from author Marni Bates, a junior at Lewis and Clark College. Says Stixrud, “She has already published her autobiography, ‘Marni: My True Story of Stress, Hair-Pulling, and Other Obsessions.’ She’ll be talking about her journey as a young writer, and encouraging the YWWs to stay focused on writing amidst all the other activities that vie for young people’s time and attention.”
YWW meetings present a low-pressure environment designed to nurture the developing skills and interests of young writers. “At the meetings, there is no pressure at all to share writing or even talk,” says Stixrud. “Young Willamette Writers wander in from about 6:30 on, get some juice or snacks, and find a seat at the table. Last year we averaged about 15 to 20 young writers per meeting. We usually start with a free write or some kind of writing activity. When we have a guest, which is more than half the time, we usually have them lead the session for about 45 minutes or so. I ask our guests to include a writing activity as part of their presentation if possible. At the end of our meeting, some young writers choose to share a piece that they’ve been working on.” Parents are welcome to attend the youth meetings. However, the adult Willamette Writers meetings are held in the next room at the same time, and adult attendance is free of charge when accompanying a Young Willamette Writer.
Stixrud was an elementary school teacher before taking his current position as YWW coordinator. Fostering a passion for learning in children is a pursuit he can continue in his current role. He says, “I want YWWs to leave every meeting feeling like their singular voices, while remaining distinct, have now joined a chorus of young writers, and that their voices are being heard and even celebrated. I want them to be able to bring their questions about writing to other writers who grapple with a similar process and face similar obstacles….and leave with the experience of inquiry and reflection into the writer’s craft. I want them to leave with some practical ideas to help them improve some aspect of their writing, maybe through insight gleaned from a guest or from a writing activity that they took part in. I want them to leave having met and listened to someone who is able to share with them the authentic experience of living a life as an involved and dedicated writer.”
Young Willamette Writers meets at The Old Church, SW Eleventh and Clay, Downtown Portland, at 7 p.m., the same building and time as the regular Willamette Writers. For more information go to willamettewriters.com or contact Corey Stixrud at corleigh@comcast.net.
