WESTERVILLE — Nancy Collander said she has always enjoyed writing. Last week her story “Foal Watch” was awarded first place in the Westerville Public Library “Celebrate the Arts Writing Contest.”
As Collander reads her story “Foal Watch” on the Westerville Library website, you can feel the chill in the night air and you will marvel at the moon in the starry sky.
You will chuckle as she describes a mouse that scurries behind the wall when Collander relates her experience of sitting with a mare to await the birth of a foal.
She heard about the contest from a member of the Mount Gilead’s Writers Guild. Several in the group entered the contest and Collander feels fortunate to have won first place in the adult division. Foal Watch was compiled from four or five experiences she had being with a mare through the night as she waited for a foal to drop.
Writers Guild founder and leader, Scott Long said, “She earned the award through her diligence in writing.”
Long said she contributes greatly as a guild member and writer. He sees writers learn and grow as they share in the group.
“Nancy paints a picture of the world as she sees it and makes the story come to life for the reader,” Long added.
Collander said she wrote “Foal Watch” when she was taking a class in writing at Ohio Dominican University. She especially appreciates the encouragement she got from Mary Fielders who taught the course.
Collander and her husband, artist Kevin Collander, moved to Morrow County several years ago. She has worked as a corporate librarian and has been able to work from home for several years even before the pandemic.
“It was a pretty big culture shock, moving from a condominium in the city to Morrow County,” Collander said, adding that country life is something they “absolutely enjoy.”
She is currently working on a series she calls “Short notes from a small farm, a city person’s observations.”
Collander can be seen reading her story on Westerville Library’s website www.Westerviillelibrary.org then search “Celebrate the arts writing contest.” She is the last reader in the U Tube video there.
Collander and Long welcome anyone who wants to learn more about the Writers Guild to join their meetings. Meetings are presently held on Zoom, although they hope to be meeting again in person soon.
Writers Guild meetings are on the second and fourth Tuesdays each month from 7-9 p.m. For more information, call Scott Long at 740-504-9662.
