On March 10th, Penumbra hosted a writing workshop. This event attracted students who share a passion for writing. Penumbra plans to host future events during the months of March and April. Students are encouraged to come together and share ideas, along with getting feedback on current material. 

Essence Saunders (Graduate, Literature) explains that the workshops are a part of Penumbra. The intention was to connect with other students and introduce what Penumbra entails. 

She says, “We are a part of the English Department—we thought offering writing workshops would be a good way to connect what we do there with other students on campus.” 

The event began with an introduction to the coordinators and a brief overview of the material that was prepared to be presented. 

Jenny Lopez (Junior, Psychology), the event’s speaker, focused on character development and how important it is to allow characters to grow without becoming static.

This will allow characters to be more exciting and easier to identify with. She explained that writers want their characters to be more dynamic. This will give stories a sense of progression.

Writing advancement can be challenging as the writer must outline clear and concise points along with organization. 

“I wanted to come here and listen to what other writers had to say. I think it’s imperative to surround yourself with writers from different backgrounds to get different perspectives and become a better writer,”  says Odalis Guillen (Junior, English).

The atmosphere was very supportive and encouraging. Students had a chance to write some material at the event and offered constructive criticism to one another.

The writing event had a large turnout, and students were able to express themselves and get feedback from their peers.

“Don’t be shy to share your writing! Everyone else at the workshop is probably nervous because talking about writing is vulnerable. I promise others will admire your courage if you share, and your ideas are welcome.” says Ashley Banuelos (Senior, English)
Similar events will occur in March and April this year; this may also be a recurring event next year, depending on the turnout.
Further workshops will take place on March 24, April 14, and April 28 in the writing center on the second floor of the Library from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. For more information, contact CSU Stanislaus Penumbra.