What's so fun as an educator and writer is to see different people come together - people who want to finish a novel they are about to publish, someone who has not sat down to write since high school or a high school student working on a paper," said author, editor and certified book coach Alissa Butterworth, who will offer free writing classes at the Village Library of Morgantown. "(The goal) is to create a writing community in the Morgantown area."

The first program will be a "Write-In Series" that will debut on Saturday, Jan. 17, from 1 to 2 p.m. The theme will be "Turning the Page." For the Write-In Series, which will be offered once a month through May, attendees may bring their own writing projects from home or come prepared to write about the monthly theme.

"Folks can come in with their own project - memories, a short story or a project for school," Butterworth said. "We will also have fun writing prompt games around the theme of that month. Those prompts and themes and writing experiments are for poets, for prose writers (and writers of) nonfiction and fiction. We will have some (activities) for kids and some for adults."

"A write-in generally is where a bunch of writers come together in a community space to work individually in a community setting," she continued. "Someone can join us for one session or all sessions."

Attendees are asked to bring something to write with. "People should bring what they are comfortable to write with. If you write on your laptop, bring that. If you write longhand, bring your favorite pencil or your journal," Butterworth said, noting that paper, pens and pencils will also be available. "I do recommend people to bring headphones if they like to listen to music while they write. I will be there to moderate."

At the end of the session, writers will be invited to share what they have written. "We will devote time to share a small excerpt of what they have been writing," Butterworth noted. "I believe in sharing one's work aloud. It helps people known that their work matters and their voice matters."

In addition to the Write-In Series, Butterworth will offer a "How to Write a Scene" seminar on Monday, Jan. 26, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Attendees will learn what makes a scene work and how to write a scene that will engage a story.

"That will run like a more traditional class or workshop," she noted. "We will sit down and talk about how scenes work and do some fun writing exercises."

The programs are open to people of all ages. "It is open to anybody who wants to write. It could be a second-grader or a senior who is retired and anybody in between," Butterworth stated. "I believe very strongly in inclusive writing worships and equitable access to creative writing and literature classes. I have worked with elementary school students through senior citizens."

Butterworth learned that the library was looking for volunteers and contacted library director Carol Donahue about providing the workshops. The two colleagues also started a new book discussion group.

"I recently moved back to the area. I'm an author, book coach and taught creative writing for 15 years and literature classes. I was looking for some volunteer opportunities," Butterworth shared. "Carol and I started a book club that had its first meeting in January."

The next meeting of the book discussion group will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 10, from 11 a.m. to noon at Morgantown Coffee House, 4997 N. Twin Valley Road, Elverson. The topic will be "The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle" by Stuart Turton.

"When I lived in Berks County, I wrote for (a newspaper) and I was lucky to have a lot of opportunities to write and share my work," Butterworth added. "I like to create those opportunities for anyone who wants to write and is not sure where to start or had a bad experience and offer motivation to get started on a project. Writing is the most accessible of all the art forms - all you need is a pencil and your imagination."

The Village Library is located at 207 N. Walnut St., Morgantown. No registration is required for the programs.

For more information about the workshops and library activities, visit http://www.facebook.com/VillageLibraryofMorgantown. Those with questions may call 610-286-1022 or email smolibrary@gmail.com.