“Chapter One: Newspapers and Unemployment,” features Junior, a 24-year-old male with dark brown hair, and his roommate Finn, a 25-year-old strawberry blonde. Who are these characters, and what book are they from? Introducing “Just Out of Reach,” a work in progress written by Chloe Brown, the president of the Polishing Partners club. 

As suggested in the name, Polishing Partners is a club dedicated to helping writers with their current and future endeavors. Whether that be by editing stories or sharing ideas, aspiring authors will be immersed in the world of creative writing. One of the younger members, Farwa Ajaz, has been part of the club since it formed in September 2025. 

“This club improved my writing skills because I used to add too much unnecessary stuff, and they gave me feedback on how I could narrow it down while still providing the information I wanted to say. They also helped me display emotion and actions through only words,” Ajaz, a sophomore at GBHS, said.

Ajaz hasn’t decided what she wants to do for her actual job. She plans to major in biochemistry, but dabbles in creative writing as well. 

“The whole reason I do creative writing is mainly because it’s my passion. I do like doing it, but it’s also for my passion project, something outside of school,” Ajaz said.

Ajaz plans to publish her novel, Phantasforge, by the end of her Junior year in high school; she’s already finished with her first draft. Ajaz is currently working on her second draft, but suspects she’ll have a third and final draft as well. 

Similar to Ajaz, almost all members plan to publish a book in the near future – including Secretary Fareeha Mohammad, a Junior at GBHS. When she heard that Chloe Brown was going to create the club, she jumped at the opportunity. Mohammad had been looking for a club less structured than the Creative Writing Club, which is another student-led organization at GBHS.

“Something I think is unique is it’s a more niche and smaller community, compared to the other creative writing club,” Mohammad said. “We allow space to allow people to take the time to express themselves.” 

Meetings are held every other Wednesday in room 902 from 3:20pm to 4:30pm. Snacks are provided, often consumed in a circle while chatting about ongoing stories. In the future, meetings will be weekly, Mohammad informs.

“My favorite part is just being able to write. I’m friends with everybody in the club, even the younger members. And it’s been so great to get to know them and have them as part of the club. They’re so fun to hear their stories and things like that,” Mohammad said.

Various genres are written and explored by club members, not solely novels and fiction. Olivia Martin is focused on a more underrated writing style. 

“I want to publish a poetry book,” Martin said. “I’ve been collecting all my poems, and one day once I have enough, I’m going to write them all on a document and then try to publish it.”

In addition to being a founding member of the club, she’s also the Social Media Manager. Martin encourages readers to follow the Polishing Partners Instagram account, @polishingpartners_gbhs. Her favorite book is “Dracula” by Bran Stoker. Her favorite author is Rick Riordan, who is widely known for the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series. 

In contrast, co-president Akasha Rose-Dixon prefers horror. When asked about her favorite author, she answered with Stephen King. 

“Steven King, even though he yaps way too much. I have a love-hate relationship with that guy, but his writing itself is really good, I like it a lot,” Dixon said. 

The club members often bond over shared love for classic (and sometimes less popular) books and comics. Mohammad’s favorite book series is a webtoon called “Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint,” while Ajaz prefers the novel “The Lover’s Dictionary” by David Leviathan.

For many authors, their interest in writing started with reading. The founder of Polishing Partners was no different. Chloe developed a passion for writing around fifth or sixth grade, according to her mother, Katherine Brown. Now a junior, Chloe has expanded and created her own club.

“I’m reassured she’s making connections with people that have the same interests as she does,” Brown said. “The connection is what I’m a fan of.”

Brown helped with the root beer floats at Club Rush, but other than that, she’s taken a hands off approach. Unless her daughter asks for assistance – then she’s more than happy to help. When asked about advice she would give to parents whose child wants to start a club, she emphasized the importance of support. 

“Just be encouraging and check in, and you know, I think that when kids want to pursue being a president of the club or starting a new club, no matter if there’s five people there, or twenty five people there,” Brown said. “You’ve got to start somewhere.”

Chloe’s chosen career is a Lawyer. In five years, Brown sees Chloe graduating college and attending law school and becoming an accomplished author. 

“I see Chloe being an author of her own book, and exploring the world,” Brown said. “I just see her experiencing things out there, not necessarily here but venturing out and being adventurous.” 

“She’s really smarter than me when it comes to writing. It- it blows me away every single time,” Brown said.

Through Polishing Partners, all club members use their creativity and passion towards writing to create an accepting environment on campus and contribute to their goal of publishing a book. Stay tuned for their release!