November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). It’s time to hear from ardent writers and readers.

SARAH LIU / PHOTOS

Creative Writing Club member and junior Gloria Xue

Why did you join Creative Writing Club?
I thought it would be a fun way to get involved in our school, and I really like writing anyways, so if was a really good way for me to get more interaction with my friends here.

Why do you like to write?
I like to write for fun, and in Creative Writing Club, there’s no stress about it, so it’s not like your normal papers where you have to have a specific structure, and you have to analyze different characters; it’s more on your own, and whatever you want to do.

What’s your favorite kind of writing and why?
I like poetry, which is a little unusual, but I feel like poetry, it’s a shorter version, which means that it’s more concise, and so all your ideas are in one place, but also the language that is used with poetry is extremely different from other kinds of writing, and I feel like it’s more elegant, and there’s a specific way that you string words together that amazes me.

Creative Writing Club member and senior Jenna Fattah

Why did you join Creative Writing Club?
I didn’t really join it for the writing so much as for reading what other students are writing; I like the editing section and working with people with plot circles and character. We do character building, and I like the seminars and activities that we do more than the actual writing. I don’t personally think I’m a good writer, but I like reading what everyone else does.

Why do you like reading and writing?
I’ve always like my English classes, but this club, the kids aren’t necessarily the best in their English classes, but they shine when they write creatively. Some of the kids have written full-length novels, like 50,000 words, so I think that’s really interesting because it shows all the hidden talents; you can be OK in the classroom, but you can shine in other aspects with writing.

What’s your favorite kind of writing and why?
I like poetry. We do the six-word poems; we do a couple of those where we do them as a group, and it’s really fun. I don’t really know why, but it’s fun.

Reader of the Month nominee and freshman Youselie Joseph

Why do you love to read?
I like imagining that I’m not in the real world; it’s like getting lost in another world.

What kinds of writing do you like to read the most?
I like reading romance novels; they’re my favorite. I don’t know why; I just really like to read romance.

What’s your book/author?
Her name is Kathleen Woodiwiss, and I especially like her book Shanna. It’s about this girl who actually went, because her father said she had to get married, she went to a prison and married someone who was convicted to death; they were about to kill him, and then she broke her promise and went away. So, he went out and haunted her in her own house. It was actually very fun to read, complicated, yeah, but it’s romantic.

Reader of the Month nominee and junior David Baldwin

Why do you love to read?
My parents are a little iffy on the electronics; they don’t like me playing a whole lot of videos and watching TV, so reading is just my way of doing stuff.

What kinds of writing?
I like to read sci-fi and fantasy because it seems so different from real life. If I wanted to read realistic fiction, I could just go out and do it myself.

What’s your favorite book/favorite author?
Favorite book? No, I’ve read too many. My favorite author is probably Orson Scott Card because he’s so diverse; he’s written fantasy and sci-fi and a mix of that; it’s just really cool.