The freedom to create and the ability to be with others who are enthusiastic about the art of writing are just a few of the reasons local teens are excited to take part in a new Teen Writers Group at the Scarborough Public Library.

In fact, Grace Dittmer, an eighth-grader at Scarborough Middle School, is so serious about writing that she’s already at work on two books. One is called, “An Ant’s Take on Anger,” and the other is “The Demiophiles.”

“I joined the writers’ club because (my stories) needed a lot of editing and I don’t do so well with my parents’ criticisms. I decided to submit excerpts from my book to the writing group and have them reviewed. It’s going rather well,” so far, Dittmer said.

Freshman Caitlyn Cote likes that in the group she gets to meet fellow writing enthusiasts. “I’ve found that this writing group is a great place to meet new people that care just as much as I do about writing,” she said.

“I like to write just about everything, but my favorite things to write are either poems or fantasy and adventure,” said Cote, the stepdaughter of writing group leader, Renee Gannon Cote. “I’ve always loved writing and critiquing stories, but I don’t get to do that much in school. A writing group seemed like the perfect opportunity to be able to learn more about writing and to get better at it.”

Gannon Cote said she started the Teen Writers Group “because the Scarborough school system stopped offering a writing group a few years ago (and) my stepdaughter and some of her friends wanted another (opportunity), so I offered to develop this workshop for them.”

Gannon Cote, who minored in creative writing at the University of Southern Maine, is currently at work on her first young adult fantasy novel, which she hopes will be part of an ongoing series. She was also recently accepted into the master’s in fine arts program in creative writing at Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

This summer about 10 to 12 teens regularly participated in the bi-weekly program. Now the group meets on the fourth Monday of every month for two hours. Four and six teens regularly attend the monthly meetings and there is room for more, she said.

“My goal for the writing group is to provide teens with an outlet for creative writing that empowers them to give and receive feedback in a positive, constructive manner,” Gannon Cote said. “I also hope they gain confidence in their abilities and learn to apply our critiquing skills to their own writing.”

“Not surprisingly, these teens are talented and write at a skill level above their grade. They are also excellent at offering critiques that include encouragement and praise, helping other writers succeed and lifting each other up. I am always impressed with their writing and their input,” she added.

Gannon Cote said her main role is to ensure the participants are the ones making the decisions about the direction and activities of the writing group. “This is their group, and I ask for their input,” she said. For instance, each meeting includes a 10- to 15-minute discussion on various writing topics.

“Based on a request from one teen, we discussed editing topics over two workshops. I (also) helped the teens recognize that editing skills and critiquing skills are two sides of the same coin,” Gannon Cote said. “Another teen suggested we spend part of a workshop making cut-up poems. I gathered magazines, scissors and tape, and we created visually unique masterpieces. We also write from prompts when we have time.”

Louise Capizzo, the youth services librarian at the Scarborough library, leaped at the opportunity to host the Teen Writers Group because “(we) enjoy creating programs that engage the teens in our community.”

“There was a lot of interest in starting a teen writers group, but with limited staff time we were having difficulty making it a reality,” she said. “ We jumped at the opportunity to host one.”

Capizzo said that partnering with Gannon Cote “was a proactive way of engaging with this very interesting and enthusiastic population. Part of the library’s mission is to show teens that the library is a place for them. They are future library stewards. If we give them opportunities to feel engaged, empowered and supported, then they will be lifelong library users.”

Caitlyn Cote, 14, said what makes the writing group special is that it’s confidential “and you don’t have to be nervous about sharing something you’ve written, because people don’t talk about what happens in the group outside” of the meeting.

“I like how at the Teen Writers Group I can share my stories and then get lots of constructive criticism – what’s confusing about my characters, which words are unnecessary, how the overuse of exclamation points devalues them when they are really needed,” Dittmer said.

What she also enjoys is that “I get to see how people react to my scenarios and how their minds work when introduced to my stories. And best of all, I get to see their reactions. It’s wonderful to see how people react.”

Overall, she said, “I love the freedom that comes with being able to create (new) worlds and the lives (of my characters).”

A closer look

The Scarborough Teen Writers Group is open to students in grades 6-12 and is offered the fourth Monday of the month, 3:30-5:30 p.m. at the Scarborough Public Library. The goal is to provide teen writers with the chance to receive feedback on their work and all genres are welcome. Call 883-4723, ext. 3, or email to kids@scarboroughlibrary.org for more information. The group is also open to teens outside of Scarborough.

Teen writers gather at the Scarborough Public Library once a month to share their original works and get feedback.