Clicking the Pen: The Language of Home

Communal Pen workshops are at the heart of what we do. Each workshop has a facilitator team and thoughtful prompts with the goal of creating community connection. Read more of our details below of this workshop.

Follow this link to register for the event

Clicking the Pen is Communal Pen’s monthly workshop series, designed as an open space for anyone who wants to write, reflect, or share stories. Held during lunch hour each month, this series offers a relaxed, welcoming environment where participants can respond to short prompts, exchange ideas, and connect with others through writing. Whether you’re new to writing or have years of experience, Clicking the Pen provides a supportive space to practice creativity and storytelling without pressure. These workshops are virtual and occur every 3rd Friday of the month from noon to 1pm.

Our January theme is The Language of Home. We all have a unique way of speaking, whether its cart or buggy, or soda or pop; these words and phrases make us feel at home. Join us in discussing the special ways you and your family talk to one another. Speakers of all languages are welcome in this workshop to write and share stories of how language. Through guided prompts and storytelling, you’ll reflect, write, and share your experiences with language and cultural traditions in a supportive space.

This workshop will be lead by facilitator Melanie McGehee.

Guest Facilitator

Melanie McGehee is an essayist, poet, and storyteller with an MFA in Creative Writing. Her work appears in Fall Lines, Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, Peregrine Journal, and Hippocampus. She writes book reviews for Mom Egg Review and leads writing workshops for women.

Event Details

Date:
January 15, 2027 12:00 pm

Duration:
1 hour

How:
Virtual

Location:
on Zoom

Follow this link to register for the event

Stories from this Collection


  • I enjoyed this experience very much. I enjoyed meeting people and other writers and being able to hear their stories. This is a great opportunity to cold write and get something done off the cuff and, in many ways, has helped me reconnect to writing.

    Rob McManus

  • I appreciate the freedom of expression, the community, the sharing, and the encouragement the Communal Pen offers. It goes beyond just the individual writing or putting things down on paper… it allows you to be inventive and to see things in a different way.

    Janice Johnson

  • The facilitators really cared about what everyone had to say. They really cared, and I feel like that was unique. They give everyone space to share their stories from our community. The black culture is so strong in tying stories together and handing things down over the generations, and I am excited that this workshop seems to share that goal. Connecting to a community that wants to listen to stories and share them like that is powerful.

    Patricia

  • I love folklore, and sharing stories of people’s families. The family stories that may or may not have been embellished over the years… it made me think back on my family stories. Hearing the stories of other attendees made me realize that we have such a rich history of folklore and stories in South Carolina. Listening to the stories gave you a wonderful front porch feeling. It was immediately so comfortable and welcoming.

    Eden

  • No matter what the topic is, the Communal Pen makes you go deeper and share the stories that inspire you. I loved going a little deeper with the other writers, then going deeper into what people see and think. There are no barriers to stop us from expressing ourselves. I learned how to relax and tell my stories to the people in my community.

    Sandy

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