“Writers write every day, and read everything. Constantly.” These were Scholastic editor and award-winning author Andrea Davis Pinkney’s words of advice for Girls Write Now mentees during an intimate meet-and-greet hosted at Scholastic on Wednesday, February 25.
Three mentees from our Writing & Mentoring Program got the opportunity to chat with Andrea over snacks at Scholastic. Andrea, who has published numerous YA and historical fiction books and has a remarkably successful career in publishing, answered questions from the girls regarding how to make it in the publishing industry and how to stay firmly on-track even when other people may not support your dreams.
In addition to laughs and even a few tears, Andrea and the girls shared the thing they love most: writing. The girls read their poetry and excerpts from longer stories, and they received signed copies of Andrea’s most recent book, The Red Pencil. Andrea shared her process for this book, a beautifully written and illustrated story of a girl in Darfur whose life changes after she receives the gift of a red pencil.
Meeting Andrea Davis Pinkney was a great experience. I enjoyed hearing her stories about other authors and herself. I also liked and appreciated hearing her opinions on our stories. What I enjoyed the most is when we asked her questions regarding how to get published, how to avoid haters, and how to be less scared with sharing our work in public, since these are the things writers face everyday. —Jade Rodriguez, Girls Write Now mentee
We’d like to thank Andrea for meeting our girls. Girls Write Now is based on the guiding principle that, sometimes, what you need most during your journey is the encouragement and support of someone who’s been there before you, reminding you that their success can too be yours.
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Andrea Davis Pinkney is an award-winning and New York Times bestselling author and is the recipient of several awards including a Caldecott Honor, Parenting Publication Gold Medal, a Jane Addams Book Awards, a Carter G. Woodson Award for historical works for young people, a Coretta Scott King Honor Book, an Anne Izard Storyteller’s Award, and a Flora G. Stieglitz Strauss Award for Nonfiction. The New York Times has called her work “powerful” and her picture book Sojourner Truth’s Step-Stomp Stride was named a best book of the year by School Library Journal. She’s been named one of the “25 Most Influential Black Women in Business” by The Network Journal, a publication for Black professionals and was named among “The 25 Most Influential People in Our Children’s Lives” by Children’s Health Magazine.