Jen Selinsky, left, and Benjamin Veres, members of the Cranberry Writing Club, speak at a meeting of the club Oct. 7 at Cranberry Public Library. Submitted photo

The Cranberry Writing Club is a good way for people to not only get feedback on their own writing and offer it to others, it’s a venue that could help aspiring writers find their voice.

The club, which is run out of the Cranberry Public Library in the Cranberry Township Municipal Center, has meetings once a month that anyone can attend — those who write already and those looking to get into the art form. The group is not picky. It welcomes writers of short stories, poems, fiction and more.

Several regular attendees of the club’s meetings have said being part of a group that encourages writing has helped them stay motivated, which is a make-or-break trait to be a successful writer. It’s pretty hard to keep your mind focused on writing, especially when a piece of writing can take up to months, or even years, to finish.

The members of the club also said people interested in joining don’t need to be published and they don’t even need to have a finished piece of work. They just need to be passionate about writing and open to providing and receiving feedback from people looking for the same courtesy.

The people who run the meetings are themselves people who said they could benefit from a club of this sort — professional storyteller David F. Brauer and the Cranberry Public Library’s adult services manager Megan Babal.

During the meetings, members get the chance to read their writing to the group and to get feedback on what works and what may need some improvement. For those who are a bit shy, someone else can read their work if they would prefer.

So don’t feel like you aren’t ready to attend one of the group’s meetings — it might provide the push you need to publishing your first novel.

— ET