Community That Goes the Distance: Where in the World Are Our Mentors and Mentees?
Built for imagination, our Collaboratory is a generative space spanning more than 30 states and brimming with writers who don’t look, sound, or think alike. Get to know a few mentees from our fall Journeys, and learn how you can contribute to Girls Write Now’s growing community.
I’m a recent college graduate with two degrees in Film and Creative Writing. I love writing, but I also love painting and music. Though I love school, it’s very strategic and stiff on what you write and how, and I think Girls Write Now can help guide exploration without being too restrictive.
—Kaitlyn, 23, Florida
Girls Write Now has been an intergenerational community since we were founded nearly thirty years ago in New York City. Our mission breaks down the myth of the isolated writer, combining mentorship and community with a robust curriculum. Today our writers are of all ages, genders, and backgrounds, and they live in 31 states. And our curriculum defines writing as broadly as our writers live it: poetry and zines, film and podcasts, academic essays and career writing across industries.
I graduated from Howard University in Spring of 2024. I took a gap year between my undergraduate and graduate degrees that has unexpectedly turned into two years. I am currently preparing my applications to get my MFA in creative writing. I hope to one day be a published author and a creative writing professor. I hope to learn and grow through this potential experience. Also, I hope to get genuine writing mentorship and community because that is something that I have been desperately missing throughout this past year.
—Kourtney, 24, North Carolina
There are pockets of the Girls Write Now community all over the country: from cohorts in California and Texas to individuals courageously exploring their creativity and leadership skills in Arkansas and Hawaii.
I’m a Taiwanese-Vietnamese teen who lives in Wisconsin. My seventh grade teacher is to blame for my love of writing. She urged me to assist in the making of our first school literary journal. Though, to be truthful, Ms. Bon-Bon is not solely culpable for my passion. Before the school journal, I was an avid diarist and poet, though most of my poems could be better described as “the fleeting thoughts of a pubescent mind.” Since then, I’ve participated in both local writing contests and the Scholastic Art and Writing contest. I know I have a lot to learn about storytelling. From the Girls Write Now program, I hope to gain professional writing experiences and new friends. I also want to get writing support on my work in progress, a teen-directed novel about an Asian witch.
—Megan, 17, Wisconsin
As our community grows, so does our sense of what a writer can be. If you or someone you know would like to join us as a mentor or mentee, applications for our Spring 2027 Journeys open November 15 and close January 15. You can pre-enroll any time.
I plan on majoring in Media, Culture, and Communication, with a Politics minor. I’m really interested in the way media and politics interact with each other, and would love to pursue a career that sits at that intersection. Currently, I’m working as a copywriter for the Hot Girls Organize Instagram, and it’s so refreshing to work with and learn from people who have been where I am right now.
—Evey, 19, Arizona
After my time with Girls Write Now, I hope to get a stronger sense of my voice and direction as a writer. College has been a very disorienting experience, and I’ve found that in the face of all of this change, writing is an anchor for me. Also, I want to build connections with fellow writers who have similar interests to me.
Your support bolsters our community of writers and leaders. As we enter the holiday season, please consider a gift to the next generation of confident, compassionate, and competitive voices using their words to inspire change.
For 25 years, Girls Write Now has been breaking down barriers of gender, race, age and poverty to mentor the…
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