Please note that this will be the last newsletter until September!!!!!
🎬March Recap🎬
In March, we saw Write Club and Music Club team up for an open mic event! This event was very popular with members of both clubs, and those who entered were able to enter a draw to win an Indigo gift card. There were so many awesome entries, I wish I could put photos and videos of every single one of them, but here are some of my favourites!
There weren’t any other events outside of regularly scheduled meetings, but we’re happy to see the success in our collaboration event with the Music Club! Here’s to more collaboration events in the future.
📖What’s Happening in April📖
Read through this section and keep an eye on our socials and Discord to ensure you don’t miss anything!
Wednesday, April 8th is the last Write Club meeting of this year! We urge you to attend, as in this meeting we will be voting for our 2026/2027 Executive Team! If you’d like to vote, make sure to attend. Voting is only available to current MRU student members.
On April 22nd we will have our third annual Anthology launch party! I will have more details specifically about what that means below, but if you’d like to attend make sure to come to EA 3001/3003 (AKA the Knuckle) from 4:30-7:30. There will be food and readings done by the featured writers in this anthology!
The Writer’s Guild of Alberta has a few events coming up in April, and the link to the events page on their website is right here, so click that to see what they’re up to.
📚 Anthology and Launch Event Information 📚
As mentioned above, we have our Anthology Event coming up. This is open to everyone! Club members, friends and family, alumni, and any pet millipedes in the house (they’re my favourite, please…).
This event will run from 4:30-7:30 PM on Wednesday, April 22nd. This is two weeks from now! This is our third published anthology, On the Fringe: A Collection of Progression and Regression.
During the event you will get to listen to a number of the writers involved read their pieces, mingle and get to know them and other club members, and eat food! Who doesn’t love eating food?
Copies of the Anthology are available online on Amazon, and we will also have some copies in person at the event for purchase as well. Consider purchasing as the funds go directly to Write Club and help support future events, meetings, and anthologies!
Here are all the links to previous editions, along with a beautiful poster:
On the Fringe: A Collection of Filth
On the Fringe: A Collection of Community
On the Fringe: A Collection of Progression and Regression ← The new one!
Thank you to VP of Publishing Jake Beka and his Publishing committee for working so hard on getting our Anthology rolled out. The other Executives and club members could not do it without you guys!
✍️ April’s Newsletter Writing Prompt ✍️
Today’s prompt is a simple one, focusing on growth and rebirth, as we are heading into Spring. As always, you can share in our Google Drive** for all to see! Sharing is also completely optional, so don’t feel the pressure.
Renewal. New beginnings. Change. Growth. Write about a time that you tried something new, moved into a new stage of your life, or turned your life around. Essentially, keep in mind the idea of “spring” and “new” in your/your character’s life.
**IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THIS DRIVE, PLEASE REACH OUT TO AN EXECUTIVE. PLEASE PLACE YOUR SUBMISSIONS INTO THE FOLDER TITLED “Newsletter Prompts”.
🌟April 2026’s Featured Writer: Bailey Wilson🌟
Our featured writer for this month is Bailey! Bailey is Write Club’s VP of Admin. Affairs, and has been a member of Write Club for a few years now.
Bailey has picked out some of her pieces to share with us, which she has compiled here. Bailey is also my legal wife; this is not April Fools. Please believe the rumours, we are married. If she denies it, she is being modest. Anyways… let’s learn more about Bailey…
What themes do you find yourself repeatedly exploring in your works?
“In my poetry or creative non-fiction, I generally find myself exploring topics that are personal to me or affect me. So usually things like feminism, chronic illness, and mental health, but I like to explore these through the lens of things I find fun or interesting, like Greek mythology, video games [Overwatch, Overwatch, Overwatch!], or witchcraft. For my fiction I tend to find myself exploring grey areas with morality, I like to write characters who aren’t just good or evil because to me, I find flawed individuals to be much more interesting.”
Do you outline your stories, or do you write spontaneously?
“It depends on what form I’m writing. For poetry, absolutely spontaneously, I’ve tried planning with using more structured forms, like a sonnet, and I just didn’t vibe with it. For my fiction, I tend to plan a little more because if I don’t I struggle to keep writing without knowing where I’m going with the story. Creative non-fiction would be somewhere in the middle, I’ll have an idea of the topic and what points I want to touch on but beyond that I tend to just write freely and see what comes up.”
Do you think about your audience or write primarily for yourself?
“I tend to write for myself. I write because it’s something I love to do. If I start writing for other people, I feel like it would become less enjoyable. I also know that I can’t possibly please every single person, so I just decided that the only person whose enjoyment matters is mine, if other people enjoy my writing that’s just a bonus.”
Picture your favourite writing space. What are five objects you would find there?
“I could be boring and say “my computer, my chair, etc.” but I feel like that should be implied so I’m gonna assume you mean bonus items. A soft blanket, because I get cold and require max coziness to write; fairy lights, for the vibes [real!]; a fidget of some kind, like an infinity cube or a needoh squishy (which someone may have recommended to me) [it’s me, I’m someone]; a notepad and pen (yes they count as one), for spontaneous ideas; and my favourite photocard of Wooyoung from ATEEZ, for motivation (this is very important).”
Bailey has included said photocard for us, which you can see below!
Thank you to our Featured Writer for taking the time to share with us! I love the added touch of including the photo for us. I personally like Felix from Stray Kids, but that’s just me. If you’re a fan of Bailey’s work and want to see more, please take a look at her Instagram @Wilson_Writes, or find her works in all three published Write Club Anthologies. Bailey will be reading one of her pieces during our event, so make sure to attend it!
If YOU would like to be a featured writer next issue, please fill out THIS GOOGLE FORM in order to add your name to a list to be randomly selected! If selected I will reach out to you via email.
⌛ Final Remarks ⌛
This brings us to the end of our newsletter. This will be the last newsletter of the year! I will not be keeping up with it from May-August, so please make sure to keep an eye on our Instagram or Discord for any information regarding the club during those months.
It has been a pleasure writing for you, Write Club. Until next time! 💕
]]>🩷February Recap🩷
Write Club hosted an awesome typewriter event, titled “Type Write Around,” where your Executives wrote custom poems for club members and other visitors. We did awesome with donations for our poetry, so thanks to all participants!
There weren’t any other events outside of regularly scheduled meetings, but we’re happy to see the success we found in our typewriter event, with finding new members for our club. Speaking of… Hello new readers! Very nice to meet you.
📖What’s Happening in March📖
Read through this section and keep an eye on our socials and Discord to ensure you don’t miss anything!
There are no set events in March yet, so keep your eyes out!
The Writer’s Guild of Alberta has a few events coming up in March, and the link to the events page on their website is right here, so click that to see what they’re up to.
🐱 The Pets of Write Club 🐶
For a little fun, I wanted to turn our focus from the members of Write Club away, and instead shine it on the friends that we have at home!
✍️ March’s Newsletter Writing Prompt ✍️
I am in a very animal-focused mood so this is what you get from me today. In case you’re curious, my answer is a Pallas cat, who I would name “Broth.” As always, you can share in our Google Drive** for all to see! Sharing is also completely optional, so don’t feel the pressure.
If you could domesticate any animal in order to have it as a pet, what would you want? Why? What does the animal look like? What do you name it?
**IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THIS DRIVE, PLEASE REACH OUT TO AN EXECUTIVE. PLEASE PLACE YOUR SUBMISSIONS INTO THE FOLDER TITLED “Newsletter Prompts”.
🌟March 2026’s Featured Writer: Sophie Botheras🌟
Our featured writer for this month is Sophie! Sophie is a newer member of Write Club, joining us this year, but she is super bright-eyed and ready to share!
Sophie is the first non-executive member to be featured. Sophie primarily writes poetry, which she has compiled here for us. As a special treat she has included a news article she wrote here, as Sophie is also a journalist and long-form essayist. Let’s learn more…
What would you say is your favourite part of the writing process and why?
“When I worked at a hardware store, I would spend all day thinking about things to write. I'd craft beautiful sentences and wonderful prose that I could just never remember when I got home to my computer. And for whatever reason, memories of that really stick with me (maybe because retail work, and capitalism in its entirety, are kind of awful and dreary otherwise! Something to think about...) (You said it Sophie!).
So, I'd have to say my favourite part of the whole process is the ideas and very very rough planning stage, because I know that whatever I come up with while doing other things has got to be important for me to be thinking about it. It gives me something to look forward to.”
If you could be transported into any fictional world, what would it be? What would your role be in it?
“This one's tough. I'm not the biggest fiction person, and I have a memory like a sieve. But I recently played this game called The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, and being able to live forever in space with a bunch of awesome witch friends would have to be my pick. If they have a type of witch that's allowed to sit around and write stuff while listening to music, I'd love to do that. The game's pretty chill about the world it takes place in, so I'm sure I'd be able to handle it. And again! Cool witch friends in space! It's a lay-up, really.”
How have your personal experiences and adversities influenced your writing?
“So, my personal identity as a poet is that I write a poem pretty much whenever I feel like shit. And, being trans and from a tiny town in rural Alberta (wooooo Sundre!! All my Sundre people sound off!), I feel like shit often! So I have lots of opportunities to write about what's on my mind.
To remove my tongue from my cheek a bit, I would still say pretty much all of my poems are inspired by my feelings, experiences, and struggles. In fact, I can pinpoint pretty much the exact moments and feelings I had leading up to all the poems I shared here! My writing is very personal, so I often use it as a sort of place to vent, and I think introducing that outlet into my life has been really helpful for me.”
Writers need fuel, so I have to ask, what is your go-to Tim Hortons order?
“Well, if you're a Write Club member (which you should be!), you've probably seen me return from our mid-meeting breaks with my Tim's order, their pepperoni flatbread pizza. I dunno what it is, but something about Timmies pizza is just irresistible to me. The cheese, the sauce, the pepperoni, it's all amazing. They've got great ingredients, so the worst part about going is fighting the line-ups!
When I'm feeling especially naughty, I'll go for a blackberry yuzu sparkling quencher (THESE ARE SO GOOD SOPHIE) too, and maybe even a chocolate glazed doughnut. I'm easy to please, I guess!”
As usual, our Featured Writer has delivered! I think the words shared in question 3 were lovely, and it puts your writing into a bigger perspective. I don’t know about you guys, but I loved the poems shared with us and can’t wait for more! You can find her poetry on her tumblr, which is linked here, and she also has a blog you can keep track of here. A little inside scoop for you all… I hear Sophie’s going to have a piece coming out about Weezer in the future…
If YOU would like to be a featured writer next issue, please fill out THIS GOOGLE FORM in order to add your name to a list to be randomly selected! If selected I will reach out to you via email.
⌛ Final Remarks ⌛
This brings us to the end of our newsletter, which I know you all hate… As always, I hope you all enjoy the upcoming days.
See you next month!
]]>❄️January Recap❄️
Write Club had a great time at the Club Expo in mid-January. We’ve got tons of new faces who’ve shown interest in the club, and even some sign-ups for the newsletter (hello to my new friends)! I will include some general Write Club information later in the newsletter for those who are joining us now. Below are some photos featured from the Club Expo…
The Executive team even created a fun little activity for visitors to our table, which came together nicely! Bonus points to anyone who can guess which one is mine, unless you’re Bailey, because she watched me write it. No bonus points for Bailey.
At the end of January, we also saw the deadline for those who were selected for our upcoming anthology to submit their last-minute edits and revisions. Why am I telling you this? Well! It’s so you can prepare for news that will be coming in follows weeks or months about the anthology publication and launch event. Exciting!
📖What’s Happening in February📖
Read through this section and keep an eye on our socials and Discord to ensure you don’t miss anything!
There are no events to keep on your radar for February aside from regular club meetings. Keep up to date with our Instagram or Discord to make sure you don’t miss any last-minute events!
The Writer’s Guild of Alberta has a few events coming up in February, and the link to the events page on their website is right here, so click that to see what they’re up to.
💌Write Club Information and FAQ 💌
As I mentioned above, we have plenty of new members joining us in Write Club, a handful of whom now have access to this newsletter. If you are confident in this information, then please feel free to skip ahead, but if not, then definitely read below!
“When does Write Club meet?”
We meet every Wednesday from 4:30 pm-6:30 pm. When meetings are cancelled, it is announced via our socials!
“Where does Write Club meet and have events?”
Our typical meetings are in the Club Room, located on the third floor of Wyckham House. When we have events, those details will vary so look closely at any signage that is released for particular events you want to go to.
“What happens during Write Club meetings?”
Weekly meetings are split up into two sections. First, we receive a writing prompt from whoever the meeting host is and then write for a specified time, sharing our work afterwards. Sometimes, the regular 1-2 writing prompts at the start are generated from a fun game! After that, the rest of the meeting is dedicated to members sharing pieces they are currently working on and what feedback from, or just want to share. This could be short stories, poetry, or even writing pieces for classes.
“Who can I talk to if I have any questions about anything?”
The best way is to email the club email: [email protected] ← This email will be able to reach the entire Executive team, and is best for general questions or concerns. If you are looking to reach a specific Executive, either specify in the email, or refer to our individual emails below:
Christina Jarmics (Club President) - [email protected]
Bailey Wilson (Secretary) - [email protected]
Franz Valencia (Treasurer) - [email protected]
Morgan McLean-Alexander (VP of Innovation and Ideation) - [email protected]
Marcus Vertodazo (VP of Outreach) - [email protected]
Rachel Fitzgibbon (Social Media Coordinator) - [email protected]
Levi Neighbour (Master of Ceremonies) - [email protected]
Emma Marion (VP of Newsletters) - [email protected]
Jake Beka (VP of Publications ) - [email protected]
Sylvia Belcher (VP of Fundraising ) - [email protected]
✍️ February’s Newsletter Writing Prompt ✍️
I struggled to think of a prompt for this newsletter, I will not lie! One of those groggy weeks where the days have melted together. Because we are approaching Valentine’s Day I have cooked up some appropriate prompts for you! As always, you can share in our Google Drive** for all to see! Sharing is also completely optional, so don’t feel the pressure.
Write about the worst date you ever had. Where was it? What did you do together? What made it the worst?
What would you/your character put on a Valentine’s Day card for their crush? Describe the details, artwork, and any little treats that accompany it.
**IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THIS DRIVE, PLEASE REACH OUT TO AN EXECUTIVE. PLEASE PLACE YOUR SUBMISSIONS INTO THE FOLDER TITLED “Newsletter Prompts”.
🌟 February 2026’s Featured Writer: Felix Da Costa Gomez🌟
Our featured writer of this month is former Publishing Committee lead of Write Club, Felix! If I messed up your last name Felix it is not my fault.
The moment we have all been waiting for, our Featured Writer! This month we have Felix sharing some of his pieces with us to read. I heavily recommend going through Felix’s work as he is a very accomplished writer with tons of well-written works. You can find his piece submissions at this link, though Felix has shared a trigger warning for blood, violence, and self-loathing! Read at your own risk. Let’s move on to the interview…
What would you say your proudest moment of being a writer has been?
“My proudest moment of being a writer has to be the community aspect that comes with it. A lot of people say that writing is a solitary art and for the most part, I agree, but there are also communal aspects behind it. I love meeting new people in the club, and it's always nice to hear that you made somebody's day by being there for them. Last year, a new member reached out to me and thanked me for making them feel welcome, and as a writer, that's one of my proudest moments, inspiring and encouraging people through writing circles. I'm not sure if "inspiring" is the right word, sounds too pretentious of me, not sure if I could legitimately inspire anybody, but I try maybe.”
In the event of some sort of apocalypse, you are given the opportunity to grab two books off your shelf to read for the rest of your life. What would they be?
“Oh man. That's a tough one. I think one of my picks would have to be The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami. Not sure if it's my favourite novel, but it's up there. The plot is so surreal that I think I would be satisfied reading it during an apocalypse, because the dream-like qualities to Murakami's writing reads like a parable. It's a deeply engaging book, and I couldn't put it down the first time I read it.
My second pick would have to go to, and I know it's a generic choice, but Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. Listen, I know it's been getting memed on, but it is legitimately such a good read. My highschool English teacher once said that "all educated people have to read Shakespeare" (not sure how true that is), and if I were to make a similar generalized statement, I think everyone should read Blood Meridian at least once. McCarthy's prose is unrivaled in its biblical, violent qualities, and as graphic as the book is, I think it teaches a valid lesson on the all encompassing agreement we have as humans to not outright kill each other, and what happens when that agreement is tossed out the window.”
Out of all the pieces you shared with me, which one would you say is your favourite? Why?
“I think I would have to say the piece titled "Prologue Extermination Project Draft 4," just because Extermination Project as a whole has been a passion project of mine for a very long time. For those of you that don't know, it's a western-fantasy that I've been working on forever. It's my favourite because from the time I finished it till now, I keep seeing how much I've changed as a writer through the redrafting and editing process.
A passage I wrote a couple of years ago when I finished the first draft that I thought was genuinely good I'll look at now and think it is disgusting. This latest draft, I've been spending what feels like hours editing one paragraph, and I'll often only finish going through a few pages every week. I love westerns, so I hope it lives up to the westerns I love reading. Needless to say, it's my favourite because I've gotten to know it pretty well now, and sometimes I'm sick of it. Hopefully I can get it published soon.”
Readers have been dying to know, what exactly *is* your mustache care routine?
“You could've just started with this, considering it is the most important question. (Sometimes you need to save the best for last Felix!) I don't know, I feel like a lot of mustaches beat mine. I don't do too much, really. After a shave, I comb it out so it is straight, and I snip away long and uneven hairs at the lip line, ensuring the stache is all the same length. Then, I take my comb, and I shave my mustache through the comb. This ensures that the stache is even and level throughout, and that I don't have any hairs sticking up. I do this twice a week, or whenever my mustache gets too long and untidy.”
Amazing responses from Felix here, especially that last question. Now that I know is care routine, my road to the best mustache in Write Club can begin… If you want to see more from Felix, you can find his Instagram here to keep an eye on what he’s up to. Don’t be too disappointed though, most of the photos of the ‘stache are covered by a book.
If YOU would like to be a featured writer next issue, please fill out THIS GOOGLE FORM in order to add your name to a list to be randomly selected! If selected I will reach out to you via email.
⌛ Final Remarks ⌛
This brings us to the end of our newsletter for the month. As always, thank you for putting up with me and reading all the way through!
I’d also totally like you all to know that it is my birthday tomorrow so if you made it to the end, that information is now in your hands.
See you next month!
]]>❄️October/November/December Recap❄️
Three-month recap? Whaaat? Because we’re just back to school, and going over absolutely everything could potentially take an entire newsletter by itself, I will instead summarize as follows:
Write Club had several awesome meetings where we saw writers sharing stories based on regular prompts, as well as creative writing games that our Executive team brought in to share. One of the biggest highlights was the bookmark-making event hosted by Sylvia, where all of you got to showcase your creativity with an outlet instead of writing.
There was so much more, but unfortunately, I was on leave. Therefore, to see more of what Write Club has been up to, take a look at all of the awesome social media posts that Social Media Pro Rachel has been on top of!
📖What’s Happening in January📖
Read through this section and keep an eye on our socials and Discord to ensure you don’t miss anything!
Meetings are BACK! The first meeting of the 2026 year will be our regularly scheduled time on Wednesdays in the Club Room, on January 14th. This means the first meeting is TODAY. Prepare yourselves for a super exciting season, and stay tuned for some really cool ideas that will be brought to you by your Executive team.
January 20th and 21st is SAMRU’s Club Expo! Write Club will be present for January 21st, so come stop by to say hi to those of us there, as well as get to know the other awesome clubs the school has to offer.
Those are the only confirmed dates on our end for things for now, as we’re only just getting back into the semester. If you ever have any ideas for events or meetings, talk to any Executive and we can help you go from there!
The Writer’s Guild of Alberta has a few events coming up in January, and the link to the events page on their website is right here so click that to see what they’re up to.
🤝Meet The Executives - REPOST🤝
You may recognize this graphic from the October Newsletter, but since it’s been a few months and we’ve gotten new sign-ups to the Club and Newsletter since, I figured this is a perfect opportunity for you all to see the faces behind your Executive Team again.
If you want to get to know your Executive team, then you can find us at meetings, events, or playing games together and chatting in Discord! I personally love chatting with new members, so feel free to use my email as well at the end of this issue to have a chat if you’re too shy to talk to anyone in person!
✍️ January’s Newsletter Writing Prompt ✍️
To make up for my absence the last few months I have two prompts just for you guys, but don’t tell Christina, one of them was going to be for a future meeting…🤫 As always, you can share in our Google Drive** for all to see! Sharing is also completely optional, so don’t feel the pressure.
Assuming every single person has a personal theme song that plays when they make an entrance to a room, what would your theme song be? Is there a story behind it?
Your whole life, you could tell the emotions that someone is feeling based on the taste of their cooking. This is limited to food that has just been freshly made. One day, you order from your favourite restaurant, and you get an overwhelming sense of yearning as you take a bite of your food.
**IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THIS DRIVE, PLEASE REACH OUT TO AN EXECUTIVE. PLEASE PLACE YOUR SUBMISSIONS INTO THE FOLDER TITLED “Newsletter Prompts”.
🌟 January 2026’s Featured Writer: Marcus Madelo🌟
Our featured writer of this month is our famous VP of Outreach, Marcus!
Marcus has shared a few of his pieces with us that he is proud of, so click this link to read through his works. Next up we get to read through an interview I had with Marcus! Read below to see what Mr. Outreach has to say…
What is the first book that made you cry?
“Thank you Emmalara of Newsletters for this question! (You are so welcome Marcus!) I actually had a hard time figuring out an answer for this question; but this brought up a memory I had suppressed in the backlog of my brain. My answer would be “The Titan’s Curse” which was Rick Riordan’s third installment in the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series. [SPOILER WARNING >;( ] The character Zoë Nightshade passes away, slain by her own father, the titan Atlas. With her dying breath, Artemis rewards her loyal servant for her work by casting her essence into becoming a new constellation in the sky. “Let the world honor you my Huntress, live forever in the stars.””
What keeps you writing when you feel like giving up?
“The reminder that writing fulfills my innate human need to create; creative writing is something that connects me back to myself. When I’m not writing, scribbling or rummaging through synonyms I feel detached, like I’m moving through life on autopilot. Purely at a point of being unexpressive and unresponsive. Writing brings me back into my body and keeps me in the present, it refrains me from overthinking and unwinding into my anxieties. It helps me process what I’m feeling and turns those emotions into something tangible.
Even in the moments when I’m exhausted or uninspired, I think about how writing has always been a space where I can be honest with myself — where I can be vulnerable, messy, and human. It’s not always about producing something perfect; it’s about documenting the fact that I was here, that I felt something. That keeps me going every time.”
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever used as a bookmark?
“A foil Elemental Hero Absolute Zero, double sleeved obviously. (Emmalara, please include a png of my GOAT.)”
As requested, the bookmark in question…
What’s your writing software/medium of choice?
“I usually draft through a mix of both my personal typewriter and the Notes app on my phone. The Notes app is where I jot down silly word pairings or random one-liners — things I say or hear from friends when we’re hanging out. Using those phrases feels like a way of honoring those moments — the people, the conversations, and the space we shared.
When I’m ready to build something out, I turn to my typewriter. I like having a physical copy to work with — something tangible that I can archive, collage with, or look back on later. For pieces being submitted to anthologies or public displays, I proofread and finalize them on Google Docs before submitting by email. But even then, I always make a final copy on my typewriter — it feels like closing the loop, keeping a physical record of what that piece meant to me.”
Wow! Some really creative responses from Marcus towards the questions I sent his way. Marcus was originally supposed to be November’s Featured Writer before my leave, so his spotlight is long overdue. Please make sure to give him some extra love because of this. If you want to hear more from Marcus, his Instagram page can be found right there! Follow along to see what he has cooking up next, and meet Marcus at our meetings and events throughout the semester!
If YOU would like to be a featured writer next issue, please fill out THIS GOOGLE FORM in order to add your name to a list to be randomly selected! If selected I will reach out to you via email.
⌛ Final Remarks ⌛
This brings us to the heartbreaking end of our newsletter for the month. Thank you all for the patience while I handled personal affairs the last few months. I am so excited to be back to writing to you!
Wishing everyone a happy start of the semester and make sure not to burn yourselves out too quickly. Midterms will be upon us sooner than you think…
See you next month!
]]>Hello, hello party people! Welcome back to the monthly newsletter for Write Club MRU. I am working on this in class instead of taking notes so lets hope my midterm papers aren’t soaked with tears.
🍁September Recap🍁
A few things to look back on for September…
First, Write Club kickstarted its meetings again! We are back to meeting once a week on Wednesdays from 4:30pm-6:30pm in the Club Room in Wyckam House. Stop by our meetings to practice your writing, meet fellow club members, and have a good time.
Next up, Write Club moved forward with an official logo change. You can read more about this change and the thought process behind it on the Write Club Instagram page.
Finally, in the last week of September we focused on celebrating Gender Equality Week and discussing the importance of advocating for gender equality across the board. A very beautiful and detailed post on this written by Bailey Wilson can also be found on our Instagram page linked above.
📖What’s Happening in October📖
Read through this section and keep an eye on our socials and Discord to ensure you don’t miss anything!
On Monday, October 20th there is a final information session for the upcoming Ireland trip being hosted by a few of the faculty at MRU. This will run from 2:30-3:20 pm in EA 1064 or online via this Google Meets link. Additionally, Friday, October 31st is the submissions deadline for the trip, so ensure you get your applications in if you want to go frolic in Ireland!
On Wednesday, October 22nd we have an Open Mic Night coming! This will run from 6:00 pm until roughly 9:00 pm, located at West Gate Social. Whether you have poetry, music, comedy, or storytelling, all are welcome! Those who get up to perform will receive a free drink and some candy. Who doesn’t love drinks and candy? Sign-ups will be available at the event, so come by and perform with fellow students and faculty.
The Writer’s Guild of Alberta has a few events coming up in October, and the link to the events page on their website is right here so click that to see what they’re up to.
🤝Meet The Executives🤝
Our lovely VP of Social Media, Rachel Fitzgibbon, worked super hard to make a special post highlighting all of your executives for the upcoming year! Let’s take a look and see who will be running Write Club…
Look at all those beautiful faces! Rachel made a detailed post on our Instagram, but I made this handy graphic version for our newsletter. If you want to get to know your Executive team, then you can find us at meetings, events, or playing games together and chatting in Discord!
👥Anthology Themes👥
The moment I’m sure several members have been waiting for has arrived! The official themes for our third anthology have been released. The following descriptions and info has been put together by VP of Publishing Jake Beka and our publishing team.
Our first theme is Progression. Progression examines the ways in which we move forward. Think about reformation, whether that be explored on a societal scale or through the perspective of how we heal and grow as individuals.
Secondly, we have Regression. Regression examines the ways in which we move backwards. Think about degradation, this could be in the sense of physical deterioration, the things that cause us to revert back into old patterns, or the repetition of history.
Your submission deadline is November 14th, and you can direct submissions to the email submissions@writeclubca.
Submission rules are as follows:
MRU students, faculty, and alumni will be prioritized, but anyone and everyone is welcome to submit.
You may submit up to a maximum of 2 different pieces.
Submissions can be fiction, poetry, mixed media, creative non-fiction (feel free to explore and experiment).
The maximum word count per submission is 2,500 words.
Emailed submissions must be attached in a .DOCX format attached along with a brief biography that will be used in the anthology if the submission is chosen.
Any questions regarding the Anthology may be submitted to our publishing team! Thank you again to Jake and his team for the information.
✍️ October’s Newsletter Writing Prompt ✍️
I said this Newsletter was a spooky edition, which in a realistic world just means I have some Halloween themed prompts for you. As always, you can share in our Google Drive** for all to see! Sharing is also completely optional, so don’t feel the pressure.
I have TWO whole writing prompts for you because Halloween is my favourite holiday and I just feel the need to put extra attention on it.
At a Halloween costume party, everyone is dressed up and drinking, playing games, overall just having a good time. All of the costumes look great, but one in particular looks a little too realistic… Maybe it isn’t a costume?
Describe how you would carve a pumpkin. What tools are you using? What sort of design would you create? (Bonus points if you draw your pumpkin for fun!)
**IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THIS DRIVE, PLEASE REACH OUT TO AN EXECUTIVE. PLEASE PLACE YOUR SUBMISSIONS INTO THE FOLDER TITLED “Newsletter Prompts”.
🍀 This Just In: Writer’s Trip to Ireland? 🍀
You heard it correct! There is a very field school opportunity to Ireland that is being hosted by some of the professors here at MRU for currently enrolled students. The information below was provided by Aida Patient, one of the organizers of the trip. If you have any questions or concerns not addressed in the resources I share here, you can contact her at her email address [email protected].
Trip Itinerary Link → This is a link to a document highlighting what the itinerary and life during the 11 day trip will be like!
Finally, please visit this link to get more comprehensive info!
THERE IS AN INFO SESSION ON OCTOBER 20th, WITH THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR THE TRIP BEING OCTOBER 31st. MAKE SURE TO TAKE NOTE OF THESE DATES IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.
🌟 October 2025’s Featured Writer: Morgan Mclean-Alexander🌟
Our featured writer of this month is our lovely VP of Ideation and Innovation, Morgan!
Morgan has shared a few of her current favourite pieces with us, so please please please check out this link to read through her works. My personal favourite is her piece titled "Evergreen”.
I have also gotten my little interview done with Morgan! The responses to my questions were very well thought-out, and due to length I sadly did have to shorten some. HOWEVER, a link to the full unedited interview will be at the end of the following questions. Without further ado, let’s see what Morgan has to say…
Are there any places or settings that inspire your creativity?
“In real time? No. I consider myself a hopeful high fantasy and sci fi writer, and while I do find my mind is more creative outside of the city. Especially out in Banff or anywhere within BC. Most of my inspiration comes from reading about historic cultures/locations, Dungeons and Dragons books, as well as music.”
What would you say the most helpful feedback you’ve ever received on your writing is?
“…Going through high school write clubs and sharing my work with others in this time I frequently got negative feedback on my work. Not constructive criticism, just really badly worded and hurtful feedback from people around me; so much so that it actually made me walk away from sharing my writing for years. So, I have only really started opening back up and sharing my work again fully last year. I mention this because while this experience resulted in me having walls up when my journey at MRU started, the feeling I got when I finally got constructive criticism back on my work last year really helped me regain a lot of confidence.
Last semester I had the opportunity to meet the writer in residence, Sean. He read the first page of the novel I am working on and we met in person so he could give me feedback. He was telling me that the introduction of my story was unique, and had hooked him to keep reading as the opening page subverted his expectations. Earlier this year as well, I was part of a fiction slush at When Words Collide. While I admit the feedback I had gotten kind of hurt my heart initially, looking back on it I admit it was really good to have feedback on what was wrong with the start of my story. I hadn’t really got that with my writer in residence meeting, and really appreciated being told where improvements could be made.”
What is your favourite literary quote or passage? Why?
“I have two, both for the same reason. These two quotes I think represent my personality, ADHD and all, pretty well!
“Crazy people don’t know they are crazy; therefore I am not crazy; isn’t that crazy?” – Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean
“If more of us valued food and cheer and song, above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world” – Thorin Oakenshield, The Hobbit
This movie, and movie/book were huge influences on my childhood. Pirates frequently appear in my writing, and I cannot deny the fact that I love elves, dwarves and dragons. I am honestly a pretty chaotic individual internally, and I can’t help but resent the hustle and bustle of our modern world. I don’t value money as much as I once did, and if money didn’t matter I would just travel, write, and live in the mountains with my corgi.” (Emma’s Note: I have met this corgi and I too would love to live in the mountains with him).
Who is your favorite character from another author’s work?
“I don’t have a set favourite character; there are so many characters that I love in general. In terms of literature, if I have to pick one then my absolute favourite is actually the original Marvel hero Black Panther. My dad has all the old DC and Marvel comics, so I grew up reading these prior to Disney taking over versions. T’Challa was always a character I adored; I loved the lore of his homeland Wakanda, who he was as a person, the adventures he went on, and especially how his powers worked.
Some honourable mentions for fun include:
Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas from Lord of the Rings.
Ariel and Hamlet from Shakespeare’s works Tempest and Hamlet.
Vin and Kelsier from Mistbourne.
Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice.”
Absolutely beautiful responses from Morgan on the questions I put her up to. I think it’s important to look back on stories, places and characters you connect with in order to find the inspiration and love to write your own stories. For me this is anything from Star Wars to Final Fantasy 14. If you would like to read the full interview text, then please click this link. It is 100% worth it! Morgan intends to publish TWO pieces in our upcoming Anthology, so if you’re like me and want to follow her writing more then keep an eye out for that!
If YOU would like to be a featured writer next issue, please fill out THIS GOOGLE FORM in order to add your name to a list to be randomly selected! If selected I will reach out to you via email.
⌛ Final Remarks ⌛
Now we reach all of your least favourite part of the Newsletter (at least I would hope so)… I must now say goodbye and pay attention in class again.
Everyone have an amazing reading week next week, and have a mental health day or two. I’m looking forward to all that pumpkin pie and stuffing I will be eating on Thanksgiving.
See you next month!
]]>The Summer is officially coming to an end and Fall has… fallen? Hopefully everyone had a chance to relax over the summer but it’s time to get the ball rolling on the Fall semester. This means I am back to sending out a monthly newsletter to you all! There is a lot of ground to cover for this newsletter, so let’s jump right in.
🌞 Summer Recap 🌞
Not much to look back on for Summer, as Write Club was not too active compared to the Fall/Winter, but keep reading to see what we have coming up!
📖 What’s Happening in September📖
Read through this section and keep an eye on our socials and Discord to ensure you don’t miss anything!
Our biggest event upcoming is the first Write Club meeting of the year! Come see us on Wednesday, September 10th 4:30-6:30pm in the Clubhouse (located on the third floor of Wyckham House). During this meeting we will be hosting an info and voting session towards an official upcoming logo change, and you will be meeting your executive team. Meetings for Write Club will be consistent throughout the year (unless specified) so come attend our meetings on Wednesdays!
The Writer’s Guild of Alberta has a few events coming up in September, and the link to the events page on their website is right here so click that to see what they’re up to.
🌷 Introduction to Substack 🌷
There are plenty of new members coming in this year, so I want to put a little recap. I’m here to introduce you to Substack as an avenue to engage with these monthly letters.
“So, what IS Substack?”
Substack is a platform that we’re trying out for newsletters, that is for… well… newsletters! I will be using it to send out these to you all as opposed to just email.
“What are the benefits of me using Substack?”
Substack is unique in that you can download an app in order to follow along with this newsletter, as well as visit a website. The website is actually really neat. You’re able to like posts, make comments, chat with me (though I have not tested this feature yet…) and revisit older posts you may have missed or want to look back on in an orderly way. A really cool feature exclusively on the website is the ability for you to see a table of contents to skip to sections you want to see most.
“How do I access it?”
This is the easy part! I will always include the Write Club’s Substack link at the start of these newsletters, so you can easily navigate to the site and take a look at it there. You may need to sign for an account, so if that is the case then just use whichever email you get these newsletters through! It’s easy as pie.
Our newsletter is open to all, so if you know someone who may be interested, please give them the Substack so that they can register for news regarding the club!
✍️ September’s Newsletter Writing Prompt ✍️
Let’s put a pause on me feeding you a bunch of overwhelming information and do a writing exercise. You will be receiving an optional writing prompt every newsletter that you can share in our Google Drive** for all to see! Sharing is also completely optional, so don’t feel the pressure.
This summer I spent most of my time packing away my room and moving onto campus, which was stressful. On the note of moving out, let’s focus our prompt on the feeling of letting go. Write about a time you (or a character) left something behind in order to start a fresh.
**IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THIS DRIVE, PLEASE REACH OUT TO AN EXECUTIVE. PLEASE PLACE YOUR SUBMISSIONS INTO THE FOLDER TITLED “Newsletter Prompts”.
🍀 This Just In: Writer’s Trip to Ireland? 🍀
You heard it correct! There is a very field school opportunity to Ireland that is being hosted by some of the professors here at MRU for currently enrolled students. The information below was provided by Aida Patient, one of the organizers of the trip. If you have any questions or concerns not addressed in the resources I share here, you can contact her at her email address [email protected].
Trip Itinerary Link → This is a link to a document highlighting what the itinerary and life during the 11 day trip will be like!
Finally, please visit this link to get more comprehensive info!
🌟 September 2025’s Featured Writer: Jake Beka 🌟
Our featured writer of this month is none other then Jake Beka, our VP of Publishing!
Jake has shared a few pieces for all of you that he is proud of, so click THIS LINK to see some of her works.
On top of this, I was able to get a little interview done with Jake to find out more about his thoughts, process, and more! Now, for the sake of not having a super long read, I have shortened some of these answers, but a link to the full interview will be at the end! Let’s take a peek:
If you could have dinner with any author, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
“My immediate instincts are to say someone like Dennis Cooper, William S. Burroughs, or Hubert Selby, Jr, on account of how influential they were to me and my rough writing style. However, besides Cooper and Selby, Burroughs was a pretty awful guy… killed his wife, so he’s out of the question. For a dead author, it has to be my all-time favorite and comfort author, Kurt Vonnegut… He was probably one of the most wholesome human beings in general before he passed. More so, I think the dinner conversations we would have would be absolutely genuine.
Likewise, for a living author, and in this case, a living filmmaker, screenwriter, and director, it has to be Harmony Korine. Like Vonnegut, Korine’s mode of language, in this case, mostly filmic, is quite simple on the surface. But underneath everything he says is something truly profound. The stories he’d be sharing would be maddening but enlightening, and the dinner would have to be in the everglades with alligators everywhere and there’d have to be a slice of bacon somewhere too (those who have watched Gummo know what I’m talking about).”
Do you have any recent or upcoming projects that you can share with us?
“My most recent project was my debut poetry collection that I co-wrote and published with Felix Da Costa Gomez, I’m Just Waiting for Something to Happen, almost two years ago now, which can be found on the Amazon marketplace. Together, Felix and I have been tirelessly working on a sequel to said poetry collection and currently are in the midst of editing what we have thus far… It’s some of my best writing to date, and I think Felix’s too. Vasovagal Syncope and the Moth is one of my poems from said sequel, and maybe my favourite. We are also wanting to send out manuscripts for people to edit and give critiques at some point, so if you are interested, please let either myself or Felix know.”
Have your goals as a writer changed over time?
“Oh, most definitely. When I first started writing consistently and more “seriously” in my senior year of high school and in my first year of university, I was very much concerned with wanting to be the next Kerouac or Ginsberg or Burroughs (just without all the drugs and addiction issues and murder)… Some of what I produced back then I still really like and want to use in some shape or form, but for the most part, I think my goals as a writer are slightly more realistic now, even if my writing has become more abstract and “avant-garde.” I’m more ambitious than I was before, but I know now that my writing isn’t going to resonate with everybody. Learning who my audience is was an extremely important finding for me.”
If your pieces had a soundtrack to go along with them, what song would play during each piece?
“I absolutely love this question (thank you Jake!), particularly because for those who know me, my inspirations and influences, and in general, have read or listened to my creative work, music is not only something I am deeply passionate about (as I am a musician and songwriter, foremost), but music is deeply important to my creative process.
For Apocalyptic Hyperstition, the song that would definitely be playing would be Alone by the jungle and breakcore artist Nedaj.
For Distance, Calgary, it would have to be Title Fight’s song, Shed.
And lastly, for Vasovagal Syncope and the Moth—which, I’ll be honest, was the hardest for me, not because I couldn’t think of a song, but because there were too many to choose from—probably would be Parasite by the late folk artist Nick Drake.
Holy, am I right? Thank you to Jake for sharing a little bit about his pieces and self. Jake is a longtime member of Write Club, and it is 100% worth going through this link here to see the fleshed out answers to this interview! You can find more of Jake’s work in Write Club’s Anthologys, his folder in the Write Club Google Drive, and definitely check out his poetry collection he mentioned!
If YOU would like to be a featured writer next issue, please fill out THIS GOOGLE FORM in order to add your name to a list to be randomly selected! If selected I will reach out to you via email.
⌛ Final Remarks ⌛
Sadly we have come to the end of our first newsletter together, but fear not! You will be getting plenty more throughout the year. Thank you for keeping up with the newsletter and I hope to see some submissions for the prompt in that folder.
See you next month!
]]>The Winter semester is officially OVER and Spring has sprung. Hopefully everyone had a chance to relax in the last little while. There is a lot of ground to cover for this newsletter, so let’s jump right in!
💖 April’s Recap 💖
Not much to look back on for April, as Write Club took a little bit of a break, but keep reading to see what we have coming up!
💌 What’s Happening in May 💌
Read through this section and keep an eye on our socials and Discord to ensure you don’t miss anything!
Our biggest event is our upcoming Anthology book launch! On May 14th come on up to The Knuckle (EA3001) at 4:30pm, until 6:20. Come enjoy some free snacks and listen to the authors of the book share their writings.
A little insider sneak-peek for all of you, your Executive team had a meeting earlier this week regarding the future of Write Club and things are looking pretty good 👀.
The Writer’s Guild of Alberta has a few events coming up in May, and the link to the events page on their website is right here so click that to see what they’re up to.
Finally, our meeting times have officially been decided for our Spring/Summer semesters! We will see you Wednesdays 4:30pm-6:30pm in EA3115. There is also a Google Meets link for this who are unable to make it in person: CLICK HERE. Please use your MRU email to join online meetings.
🌷 Introduction to Substack 🌷
I’m sure those of you who saw last month’s newsletter noticed the mention of “Substack” all over it. I’m here to introduce you to Substack as an avenue to engage with these monthly letters.
“So, what IS Substack?”
Substack is a platform that we’re trying out for newsletters, that is for… well… newsletters! I will be using it to send out these to you all as opposed to just email.
“What are the benefits of me using Substack?”
Substack is unique in that you can download an app in order to follow along with this newsletter, as well as visit a website. The website is actually really neat. You’re able to like posts, make comments, chat with me (though I have not tested this feature yet…) and revisit older posts you may have missed or want to look back on in an orderly way. A really cool feature exclusively on the website is the ability for you to see a table of contents to skip to sections you want to see most.
“How do I access it?”
This is the easy part! I will always include the Write Club’s Substack link at the start of these newsletters, so you can easily navigate to the site and take a look at it there. You may need to sign for an account, so if that is the case then just use whichever email you get these newsletters through! It’s easy as pie.
Our newsletter is open to all, so if you know someone who may be interested, please give them the Substack so that they can register for news regarding the club!
✍️ May’s Newsletter Writing Prompt ✍️
Let’s take a break and get to something fun. As mentioned in my introductory letter last month, you will be receiving an optional writing prompt that you can share in our Google Drive** for all to see!
I’ve been obsessed with listening to music lately (what’s new), so let’s do a fun music related prompt. Click this link to generate a song title from a list of songs that I have selected from my playlists. Using that title, write something based off of it! The key is to NOT listen to the song before you write. Listen to it afterwards.
**IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THIS DRIVE, PLEASE REACH OUT TO AN EXECUTIVE. PLEASE PLACE YOUR SUBMISSIONS INTO THE FOLDER TITLED “Newsletter Prompts”.
🌟 May 2025’s Featured Writer: Christina Jarmics 🌟
The first featured writer for the Write Club Newsletter is none other than our President herself, Christina!
Christina has shared a few pieces for all of you that she is very proud of, so click THIS LINK to see some of her works.
On top of this, I was able to book an EXCLUSIVE interview with our President to get her insight on a few burning questions. Let’s take a look:
What are your biggest inspirations when you are writing?
“My friends and the scenery around me. My family are a big inspiration as well, but I found when I begun at MRU, my passion for writing flourished with the atmosphere of Milky Way on a Monday morning and the people around me.”
If you could live in the literary universe of any author, whose would it be and why?
“I've been reading Cassandra Clare recently, which has been really fun! I would love to be in The Infernal Devices and walk the streets of Victorian London, hopefully as a shadow hunter, but most likely just a random human with too much knowledge.”
What book do you recommend everyone read at least once?
“Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom definetly. Its a book that deals with life lessons and really puts into perspective how important it is to live our lives the way we want.”
Out of the pieces you have shared with me, which would you say is the most connected to you?
“Trains intersect is one of my recent poems that I adore. I changed the format to be something chaotic, only specific parts aligning, each line serves a purpose, a story.”
Wow! Thank you to Christina for sharing a little bit about her pieces and self. You can find more of Christina’s work in our upcoming Anthology, her folder in the Write Club Google Drive, and you should also check out https://www.annajarmics.com/ to see some of the creative work of Christina’s grandmother, Anna Jarmics!
If YOU would like to be a featured writer next issue, please fill out THIS GOOGLE FORM in order to add your name to a list to be randomly selected! If selected I will reach out to you via email.
⌛ Final Remarks ⌛
This is the part where I say goodbye, as we have come to the end! Thank you for keeping up with the newsletter and I hope to see some submissions for the prompt in that folder. I know I’ll be writing one!
See you next month!
Special thank you to Dove for assisting with sections of this issue.
]]>While there is still tons of studying and assignments to wrap up, we are nearing the end of our Winter semester and transitioning into spring. During our spring and summer semesters, Write Club will still be active! There will be information regarding meeting times and methods closer to May, so stay tuned.
🌻 First and foremost, welcome to our new 2025/2026 Executives! 🌻
While we say goodbye to some old friends as they move on from our team, we are excited to bring forward some fresh faces while keeping some of the oldies around. Kidding, kidding…
But seriously! Make sure to wish those of us leaving a stroke of good luck, and thank them for everything they have done for Write Club over the months and years. Big round of applause for the following executives who will be moving on:
B. Kenneth Brown (President and Founder), Benjamin Urquhart (Treasurer), Felix Da Costa Gomez (Publications), and Ryan Norris (Master of Ceremonies).
Flipping the page over, let’s give a huge welcome to all of us who are staying on the team from last year, and brand new:
Christina Jarmics (President), Bailey Wilson (Secretary), Franz Valencia (Treasurer), Marcus Vertodazo (Outreach), Morgan McLean-Alexander (Innovation), Rachel Fitzgibbon (Social Media), Levi Neighbour (Master of Ceremonies), Emma Marion (Newsletters), Jake Beka (Publications), and Sylvia Belcher (Fundraising).
If you want to see our lovely faces and get to know us better, keep an eye out for our Meet the Execs post via Instagram that will be coming soon, as well as a special feature in our May edition of this newsletter.
🙋“Now that newsletters are back, what will be in them?”
I’m happy you asked! Your Write Club Newsletter comes to you once a month (usually at the start), full of information with upcoming events, reminders of repeat things (our socials, meeting times, etc.), applicable recaps of the last month, and a little creative portion or two. Seeing as this is our first newsletter together, it will be a little shorter, though expect future editions to hold some more weight to ‘em!
Each newsletter will come with a fun writing prompt that you can choose to complete and keep to yourself for practice, or submit back. In our Write Club Google Drive, you will find a folder where you can add your submissions, and read through everyone else’s!
Not only that, but each month starting in May, we will have a “Member of the Month” highlighted in our newsletter. Our Member of the Month will be decided at random before the upcoming month’s letter, and they will have the opportunity to submit a few pieces of writing for the rest of the club to read and admire. How fun! This month we will not have a Member of the Month, but keep an eye out in our May edition 👀.
✨ Upcoming Anthology - On the Fringe: A Collection of Community ✨
Write Club has put together its second anthology, with the help of several fantastic writers who are members of the club. While there is no confirmed launch party date yet, worry not! 🎉 You can pre-order copies! 🎉 Read below to learn how we will do this. Also, make sure to take a look at our first anthology.
📑 Pre-Ordering Your Copy. 📑
If you are interested in pre-ordering your copy of our anthology, follow these steps:
Fill out this form.
Wait to be contacted with information regarding the pick-up of your book.
That is all you gotta do! Make sure to get this done by April 12th, and pay attention to the top of the form to see where to transfer funds to.
📰 Anthology News Updates. 📰
Would you like to receive updates directly about the launch of our anthology? Look no further than this Google Form I have created! Please fill this out so that we can add your email to a special email list for more information about everything anthology.
⌛ Final Remarks ⌛
That was a lot of reading (and writing on my end), so let’s take a deep breath before we part. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or suggestions in regards to our newsletter.
See you next month!
Website: https://writeclub.ca/
Discord: https://discord.gg/EzSCjbcquQ
Instagram: instagram.com/writeclubmru/ | Substack: thewriteclub.substack.com/
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