Wordsmiths is a creative writing group at Grand Valley State University within the Department of Writing that provides a space for students to showcase their unique work and explore creative opportunities together. The club is also working to renew a student writing publication that has been discontinued since 2o16.

The group was formed in 2021 by GVSU students Simon Kailing and Jacob Roberts, who wanted a place to explore and display their creative writing skills with other students outside the classroom. Not everyone involved in the organization is studying writing or english, and there is also no expectation that a student has to share their work with the group.

The organization hopes to revamp an old campus publication, Running Out of Ink, that was released by prior writing students, and turn it into Wordsmith’s yearly publication. Similar organizations like Fishladder, the student-run journal for art and writing, allow any student to submit creative entries. However, Wordsmiths members want Running Out of Ink to be made up entirely of poetry work. 

Wordsmiths’ President, Katie Eckenrode, hopes the publication will be an opportunity for club members to learn more about the practical side of creative writing, while also providing them with opportunities for recognition of their work.

In addition to their goal of restarting Running Out of Ink, each month, the group offers members the opportunity to use a specific prompt in an effort to write a longer piece that’s under 15 pages. The group is then allowed one week to read and anonymously vote on the pieces, which can be either fiction or poetry. 

The group meets in Room 167 in Lake Ontario Hall on Mondays from 7-9 p.m. and Thursdays from 6-8 p.m. Their meeting structure also consists of writing a prompt on the board, then setting a timer so that each attendee can write on the same idea. The students are able to take their own piece of writing wherever they desire, so long as they’re inspired by the prompt. After writing, the group has an optional share session, where any member may read their piece out loud to the group. This promotes a social bond among the students, and provides the opportunity to give recognition and appreciation for each other’s work. 

Eckenrode joined the organization in 2022 after having attended the University for only two weeks. After moving to GVSU from Oklahoma, Eckenrode initially intended to study sonography.

“I was here for about a month, and I was like, ‘No, it’s gotta be writing (instead),’” Eckenrode said. “I couldn’t enjoy anything (I read) because I would rip it apart and be like, ‘Why can’t they write it like this instead?’”

Eckenrode said she got back into reading after discovering her favorite author, Sarah J. Maas, through social media’s reading community, BookTok. According to Eckenrode, Maas inspired her to pursue writing, as her books “summed up” Eckenrode’s dreams, and pushed her into following through with her goals.

Noah MacLachlan, the vice president of Wordsmiths, joined the group in the fall of 2022. He said one of his favorite things about the group is the kind and constructive opinions that members offer each other.

“If you want feedback on your writing, we will give it to you,” MacLachlan said. “(The club is) meant to be a very generative place to produce ideas and have fun with other people. A lot of us have been in workshop classes before and we have an etiquette that we stick to, which is very much a constructive atmosphere.”

MacLachlan believes the sharing atmosphere of the group is one of the organization’s best benefits. As vice president, he said he would like to add more aspects of writing education into the group’s routine. 

“In the future, we would like to start putting up tutorial videos on the screen to help students learn how to improve their craft,” MacLachlan said. “We have even done workshops in the past, and I would love to try to bring those back.”

According to MacLachlan, the group will sometimes utilize a collaborative writing exercise called the “pass-around.”

“One thing we do that gets kinda chaotic is a pass-around prompt where you get to write a sentence, and then you pass it to your right or your left, almost like a telephone format,” MacLachlan said. “You get to the point where you only have time to read the last sentence in the story and you have no idea what’s going on.”

Brainstorming with various prompts has led to creative bursts for some students, including MacLachlan himself. He said he has experienced an increased willingness to share his work with others as a result of collaboration. This is a skill which he believes can be invaluable for young writers.

“This club has made me more confident as a writer,” MacLachlan said. “In regard to sharing my work with other people, this club gets you used to putting your work out there. It’s helpful to get a sense of hearing yourself speak, and realize what it feels like to speak in front of an audience.”

This sentiment seems to be shared by the group’s other members. Elyse Karasinski, a writing major at GVSU, mentioned the aspect of fun as being one of the most important and alluring parts of attending the club’s meetings.

“It is always a lot of fun and I never feel pressured,” said Karasinski. “Everyone brings something different and the prompts are always fun.”

GVSU student Natalie Brooks, who’s majoring in writing and communication studies, echoed these thoughts.

“Everyone is always really fun and creative,” Brooks said. “It’s super low pressure, and a great stress reliever as well.” 

Eckenrode’s favorite part of Wordsmiths is the closeness that she feels all members share.

“You would be surprised how many people come to club (meetings) who aren’t connected to the writing program at all,” Eckenrode said. “It’s very much just like a social group with a chaotic sense of humor who can talk about anything, and still enjoy themselves. (The other members are) so chaotic, they’re like siblings. These are definitely lifelong friends.”