Those who love a good story often write. For a special group of residents at Nora Commons on the Monon, that love of a good story brings them together weekly to share their stories and put them down on paper.“It’s a training ground where writers can create in a nurturing environment,” says Carol Evans who leads the group each Tuesday from 1 – 3 p.m. “We gather to share gentle and friendly criticism.”

Each week the group is given a topic on which to write; they share their stories and display them in the dining area of Nora Commons. For resident Barbara Stafford, joining the group was a way to continue her lifelong love of learning new things. 

“I wanted to write about my family, my brothers and sisters and some of our experiences growing up. Passing those stories along, well that’s a real legacy,” she says. “I have learned from everyone in the group.”

But the thing most important to Stafford’s writing is something most writer’s share: “I just write what’s in my heart.”

One of the group’s participants has done just that for a number of years. At 83, Jack Conrad recently published his fifth book, The Lady and Her Eagle. Set during the Cold and Korean wars, the story chronicles the romance of ace fighter pilot Tommy Chandler and his English bride, British debutante Lady Caroline Barkley. The native Hoosier, who served as a meteorologist in the United States Air Force, says the novel was inspired from his personal experiences but says the story is pure fiction.

For Conrad, who was a graphic designer and art director following his stint in the Air Force, writing became an avocation at the urging of his late wife. With her encouragement – telling him to write what he liked to read – he finished his first book in six weeks. Thirty-four query letters later, he found one agent who liked the story, but wasn’t equally enthused about his writing mechanics. “She advised me to attend some writing classes and workshops to learn character development, plotting, etc.,” said Conrad. 

He’s been able to share that expertise with his fellow writers. As one quipped recently, “I didn’t even know what a protagonist was until I met Jack!”

The group recently gathered to celebrate Jack Conrad's recently released book. Indy Creative Aging Ambassador Barbara Boyd was on hand to applaud his efforts (photo above with Carol Evans) and encourage others to follow suit with their creativity.

To read an excerpt of Conrad's book or to order from Amazon, click on the photo of the book cover to the right.