Fiction 360 teaches mentees how to take their ideas from the Notes app to a published novel.
Over the course of the past year, mentees in our Fiction 360 program ambitiously drafted a novel throughout the month of November, received feedback from a professional editor, and learned how to pitch their edited manuscripts.
Just Write or Just Right: Perfecting Your First Ten Pages with Penguin Random House
After working on manuscripts during the entire month of November, Fiction 360 mentees were invited to submit the first 10 pages of their stories for a professional editorial review by Penguin Random House editors. In the workshop, they learned how to prepare to pitch their work to agents and enter into writing competitions.
Pitchfest Extravaganza
Girls Write Now mentors and mentees had the opportunity to get feedback on their query letters from top literary agents during our virtual Pitchfest Extravaganza. After completing a query letter lesson provided through the Girls Write Now portal, participants were able to meet in groups with literary agents to help pitch their novels, memoirs, essay collections, and more.
First Chapters Contest with Penguin Random House and Electric Lit
Girls Write Now teamed up with Penguin Random House and Electric Lit for a writing contest highlighting the novels of writers aged 14-18. The winner, Rhea Dhar, was published on Electric Lit and received a cash prize of $500! Read the winning story and all of the honorable mentions here.
WINNER
Remnants
By Rhea Dhar
When I wake up, there’s a fuzzy little monster clinging to my ceiling, its stubby fangs dripping bloody saliva onto my pillow. A fat warm drop smacks my cheek, trickles down, and plunges off my chin. First thought: if I ignore it, surely it will go away eventually. But then, that would be a very pathetic and ironic last thought.
I sigh, roll over and grope around on the floor, shoving aside yesterday’s crumpled tunic and the overgrown vespermite carcass from the night’s hunt. My fingers loosely close around a cold metal hilt and I thrust the rapier upwards, vaguely in the monster’s direction. Through bleary eyes, I watch it squeal and scuttle. Its greasy tawny fur puffs out in tufty spikes. Great. Solismus counter attacks have historically been unsuccessful—their mouths are too small for most human limbs and their pupils are fixed on one spot their entire lives, confining their vision to a limited and useless field. But I also am operating on under four hours of sleep and wielding my worst weapon, so it’s completely possible I’ll be the first Remnant ever devoured by a household pest.
To read the full winning story, go to Electric Lit!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
The Vile Crown
By Megan Ngo
Monsters don’t emerge from their lairs to haunt the streets at night.
They creep into our homes instead.
Passionless
By Gloria Liang
It was one in the morning when the emergency alarm shook Min from her rest.
Chronodale wasn’t known for being a peaceful faction. Every other week some terrible accident occurred. Just last month, Min’s factory had caught fire during one of her rare days off. But this was the sector alarm, only for emergencies like large explosions or mass death.
Ear wax/worm
By Madeline Berberian-Hutchinson
I accepted each of these gifts with a stifled smile, even if the gifts bore no resemblance to anything I had ever wanted or mentioned. Each gift was a reflection of the person they wanted me to be. I found that humility was attractive to them, but what they really sought after was cold-pressed shame.
Fiction 360 Mentees Perform at Summer Showcase and Anthology Launch Party!
The Girls Write Now community gathered at our Midtown headquarters to celebrate the release of our two latest books, Girls Write Now Here & Now: 2024 Anthology (Penguin Random House) and Girls Write Now on the Art of the Craft: A Guidebook to Collaborative Storytelling (HarperCollins), with readings from mentees, including Fiction 360 participants Faiza Chowdhury and Yasmin Sadeh Brosh.