The group meets from 6 to 7:30 p.m. every fourth Thursday on the second floor of The Grand and is open to writers of all experience levels. Participants bring a variety of projects, including journals, family histories, memoirs and fiction.

The group is led by Ginny Walters, who said her interest in writing increased after her mother died in 2021.

“I found writing to be enormously therapeutic as I grappled with her death,” Walters said. “Eventually, I realized it would be beneficial to write in community rather than just holed up in my house.”

Walters said she searched for writing groups in New Ulm but found limited options, many of which met during the workday. She suggested starting a writing group in a community survey conducted at a live music event at The Grand and offered to organize and lead it.

Ginny Walters leads a free monthly community writing group at The Grand Center for Arts & Culture in New Ulm. The group meets on the fourth Thursday of each month and is open to writers of all experience levels.

Executive Director John Kellen said The Grand provided support to establish the group.

“The writing group represents a grassroots desire from the community to be creative in a safe and supportive environment,” Kellen said.

Kellen said the idea reflected feedback gathered through community surveys and the organization’s focus on demand-driven programming. The Grand provides the space at no cost while Walters facilitates the meetings.

Walters said the environment contributes to creativity.

“There are incredible creative vibes in the building,” she said. “Being surrounded by community art inspires creativity.”

Sue Prekker Keller works on a family genealogy project during a monthly community writing group at The Grand Center for Arts & Culture in New Ulm. The free group meets on the fourth Thursday of each month and is open to writers of all experience levels.

The sessions are informal. Participants may write independently, share their work, or write alongside others. Walters uses timed writing intervals, with participants working in 25-minute segments followed by brief breaks.

“I believe that everyone is a writer and everyone has a story to tell,” Walters said. “By sharing our experiences and stories in community, we become more compassionate and empathetic.”

Sue Prekker Keller, a regular participant, said she uses the group to work on family genealogy projects. She completed a booklet documenting her mother’s family history, including recipes and memories gathered from relatives. She is working on a similar project for her father’s side.

“I like being a storyteller, telling stories about relatives,” Keller said. “If it’s not recorded somewhere, it can be lost.”

Keller said group members provided suggestions on her genealogy booklet, including feedback on family recipes she included.

The group’s schedule allows participants flexibility, Keller said.

“If you don’t want to spend the whole time there, that’s fine. If you want to come half an hour late, that’s fine. It’s not a strict club,” she said.

Keller said the monthly time slot helps her stay committed to projects.

“Sometimes you say, ‘Oh, I should do that or I should do this,’ but you never take the time. It gives you that time slot to do some of those things,” she said.

Walters holds a bachelor’s degree in education with a secondary language arts emphasis and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Cincinnati. She earned a doctorate in higher education administration from St. Cloud State University and is director of the Honors Program at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She is working on a memoir about her mother.

The community writing group is free and open to the public. Advance sign-up is encouraged but not required.