Some people write because it is what they know. Others because it is their escape and their story. Whatever the case, Project Write Now gives people the opportunity to explore, let go and create something new.

Project Write Now is a non-profit organization in Red Bank that offers programs for people to collaborate and write. On Wed., March 14, Project Write Now won a Monmouth Arts Award for Best Community Program.

They have classes for all age groups. The Teen Interview Project and the Teaching Assistant Program are internship classes offered over the summer.

During the Interview Project, students spend days diving into the lives of business owners in order to piece together their story. For the Teaching Assistant Program, students learn what it takes to design lesson plans about writing and eventually get the chance to test them out on younger students.

Junior Vivian DeRosa of Ocean interns weekly for this organization. She hosts a teen writing group, giving feedback and generating prompts for young writers.

“We meet in a workshop setting to give and receive constructive feedback, advice and encouragement to help each other move forward without writing,” DeRosa said. “This is a supportive environment, where everyone is ready to learn and grow from our shared missteps and triumphs in writing. Also there’s cookies.”

The organization also holds open mic nights that allow writers to voice their stories. Open mic nights give writers the chance to not only share their stories with other people, but have confidence in what they wrote.

With their literary magazine, Bridge Ink, writers have a shot at getting published. Bridge Ink at the Studio classes give prospective writers a place to brainstorm ideas for potential submission to the Bridge Ink literary magazine.

You don’t have to be a writer to attend events at Project Write Now. It’s not a matter of whether or not you can write creative pieces or metaphoric poems but that you have an urge to create. You can sign up for classes or apply for internships right on the Project Write Now website.

Every person has a story to write, they just have to want to find it.