Summer 2026
Stories of Becoming: Crafting Young Adult Romance
This Journey invites you to dive into the world of young adult romance, exploring the joys, challenges, and complexities of love in adolescence and young adulthood. Through creative writing exercises, character development, and plot crafting, mentors and mentees will learn how to create authentic, relatable stories about identity, friendship, and emotional growth that capture the heart and imagination of YA readers.
Girls Write Now Collaboratory
This Journey is Closed, but You Can Apply for a Fall 2026 Journey Now!
Learning Objectives
Stories of Becoming: Crafting Young Adult Romance Community Experiences
Mentees and mentors must attend one Journey Live Meetings each month.
Summer Cycle Journey Meetings:
- Saturday, July 25 , 2026, 1-3 PM ET
- Saturday, August 22, 2026, 1-3 PM ET
- Saturday, September 19, 2026, 1-3 PM ET
If you’re unable to attend a Journey meeting, you must notify your Staff Lead in advance and attend a community event to make up for it—recommended options for this journey include Community Studios, Career Chats, and Salon Experiences..
Stories of Becoming: Crafting Young Adult Romance Courses
Stories of Becoming: Crafting Young Adult Romance
In this course, participants explore the world of young adult romance, crafting authentic stories about love, identity, and emotional growth. Through character development, plot design, and creative writing exercises, they will create heartfelt narratives that resonate with YA readers.
Stories of Becoming: Crafting Young Adult Romance Mentoring
Mentees and mentors in this Journey will be matched for a minimum of one cycle. Pairs will meet for at least two hour-long sessions each month. This Journey is open to both mentor/mentee pairs and peer-to-peer pairs.
Journey Teaching Artist
Multigenre 360
Journeys in the Multigenre 360 Adventure focus on writing in a particular genre. It is perfect for mentees and mentors who want to focus on a specific kind of creative writing.
Stories of Becoming: Crafting Young Adult Romance is a Journey in the Multigenre 360 Adventure.
Explore All Journeys
Explore All Journeys
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Lead Community Change (Part 2) (Spring 2027)
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Indigenous Poetry (Spring 2027)
Explore the rich traditions and contemporary voices of Indigenous poetry. Mentees and mentors will read and discuss poems by Indigenous poets that reflect identity, culture, land, community, resilience, and storytelling. Alongside close reading, participants will write original poems inspired by these works, experimenting with imagery, voice, form, and personal expression. Through discussion and creative practice, they will explore how poetry can honor heritage, preserve stories, and illuminate both personal and collective experiences. Mentees and mentors will take away a deeper appreciation of Indigenous poetic traditions, strengthened creative writing skills, and a greater understanding of poetry as a tool for connection and expression.
