When you write something, whether it be a story, poem, script, or anything else, at the end of the day, it doesn’t need to be for anybody but yourself. Nonetheless, it’s always nice and fulfilling to be able to share your work with others! It can certainly be intimidating—it’s something I still struggle with even after all the years I’ve been writing. At the end of the day, though, sharing your work with others is a great way to get feedback and improve your work. Not to mention, there’s a great chance people will love what you’ve written and even identify with it!
If you’re unsure of where to start with sharing your writing, that’s okay. You don’t have to go through a big company or send your writing out for the whole world to see. As a matter of fact, there are plenty of opportunities right here on campus to share your creative works with the DePaul community. Here are just a few of my favorites that I want to highlight.
Writers Guild: Run through DePaul’s Writing Center, Writers Guild is a creative writing group that meets every Thursday throughout the quarter to share and critique pieces submitted that week. It’s a small, tight-knit community and a very low-stakes way to share your work and hear people’s reactions or suggestions. Those who want to share pieces can submit them anytime before 5:00 pm on Thursday. At the meeting, they will then have a chance to read and ask for feedback from the other attendees. It is a small group (usually no more than around 10-15 people), and a very supportive and safe environment. If sharing your work with a lot of people feels intimidating, Writers Guild would be a great place to start small. If you don’t want to share your work, that’s fine as well! You’re welcome to just listen to other people’s pieces, take part in the writing activities, and enjoy some snacks at the end. It’s a great time (though, as one of the facilitators, I may be a little biased). If you want to join the mailing list to receive the weekly emails, you can do so here. Consider stopping by one Thursday from 6:15 to 7:45 in the Lincoln Park Writing Center (SAC 212)!
Writing Center: If you’re looking for some more one-on-one feedback, DePaul’s Writing Center is the place for you. While it’s often used for academic papers, the Writing Center is willing and able to provide feedback on any type of writing at any stage of the process. You can bring in a short story or poem to get feedback on, or you can even set up an appointment with a tutor to brainstorm and develop an idea. There are options for synchronous face-to-face or Zoom appointments, or asynchronous Written Feedback appointments. All Writing Center tutors are more than happy to help you with anything you bring, and creative work is always welcome!
Honorable Mentions: Do you want to see your work published? The quarterly Honors newsletter, Honorable Mentions loves creative submissions! Each quarter, the newsletter follows a general theme. Past themes have included “New beginnings,” “Growing Together,” and “Seasons of Change”. Honors students have the opportunity to sign up to write pieces surrounding this theme, which can include short stories, poetry, other creative works, reviews of media, highlights of events around Chicago, and more. While spots for the Winter Quarter issue
have already filled up, submissions will reopen in the spring. Be on the lookout for information about meeting times and article sign-ups in the beginning of spring quarter, or feel free to reach out to honorspublications@gmail.com with questions!
Crook & Folly: Another great place to submit work for possible publication is Crook & Folly, DePaul’s award-winning arts and literature magazine! It publishes near the end of each school year, and is currently accepting submissions for their 45th issue until February 23rd. There are multiple different categories you can submit to, such as fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, and dramatic literature. Crook & Folly also offers a unique opportunity called the “incentive period” for early submissions, in which writers will receive feedback on their submission and have the chance to revise before submitting their final version. The incentive period has closed for this year’s issue, but again, general submissions will be open until February 23rd. While submitting your work for publication can be intimidating, it’s always great to get your name out there, and you may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome! For more info, check out Crook & Folly on instagram @crookandfolly for more details on submission guidelines and deadlines.
Honors Blog: This might be getting a little meta, but I can’t forget the Honors Blog itself! The blog is a great place to make your voice heard, and there are so many opportunities to do so. From monthly prompts to inspire creative works, to opinion pieces, to regular columns, there are endless ideas for what you can submit. If you have an idea you’ve wanted to write, but haven’t been sure of what to do with it, consider turning it into an article for the blog. Feel free to reach out to honorspublications@gmail.com with ideas for pieces or questions about the blog!
Remember that at the end of the day, your work is always your own, and you should do what makes you happy and proud of it. If that means keeping it just for you, then that’s perfectly okay. But if you want a little more from it, putting your writing out into the world is a great place to start. I’ve seen firsthand how incredible some of the writing from DePaul students can be, and I know many of you out there have plenty more to share. I hope to see it in some of these places soon!
My name is Abby Kane and I am a junior studying animation with a minor in screenwriting. I’ve always loved creative writing in any form, whether it be poetry, short stories, screenplays, etc. I was lucky enough to publish my first novel last year and I’m working on the rest of the series now. I hope to end up in a career one day that involves creative writing in some form. I love sharing my work and tips for writing with other people—I think sharing and collaboration are some of the best ways to improve your writing!
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