MIDVALE, UT — On Jan. 8, Hillcrest High School’s Writing Club kicked off their new novel writing challenge. The challenge encourages students to complete a 50,000-word novel before the end of the second semester. The club meets every Thursday from 2:30–3 p.m., and it offers a plethora of guidance and feedback to help budding writers on their journey.
“You need to have some kind of schedule, or else you’re not going to finish the things that you’re writing,” club advisor and language arts teacher Amanda Slaughter claims. “So my hope is that the Writing Club can help encourage people to write more consistently.”
The club recommends a daily writing goal of 500 words per weekday to build good habits. Along with goals, the club will be discussing writing strategies, conducting check-ins, and giving students time to collaborate with peers. Many of the club members think the challenge will boost their writing skills.
“I’m excited to participate in this challenge because I want to be a published author in the far future,” student participant Joslyn Shewey says.
But the club isn’t just about writing a novel; it’s about creating a safe and supportive environment for students to create.
“I think that there’s a lot of really creative minds here, and a lot of people that feel alone and need to feel like they’re part of a community,” Slaughter says. “But Writing Club is something where you don’t have to meet a certain level of criteria to be able to join. You can just show up if you’re interested and join the community. I think it’s really accessible, and it’s there to help people feel included.”
It’s not too late to join the challenge. Slaughter mentions that you can start at any time and move at your own pace. Even if you haven’t done very much creative writing, this challenge is a great way to start.
“Anyone can do the novel challenge. The thing is, we’re not trying to write a good novel. Your first novel is not going to be good, so it doesn’t matter if you’re good at writing. If it’s something that’s ever crossed your mind that you want to try to write a novel, then this is for you.”
Participant Xion Finley also encourages students to join, mentioning the benefits that stem from creative writing.
“I feel like writing is a thing that would help you develop yourself or at least give you something to do,” Finley says.
Writing a novel is hard. It’s mentally taxing. It might not end up being your profession. But, as Slaughter points out, it can also be rewarding.
“Some people make money off writing, but this isn’t necessarily about, like, ‘hey, let’s go get a job as a writer,’” Slaughter says. “This is about ‘let’s be happy as people and find a way to express ourselves and to enjoy our lives.’ And so I hope that people would be interested in coming and doing this just for the personal fulfillment and joy that it can bring to them.”
