Spring 2026

Writing Our Way to Wellness: Podcast Production

This Journey invites mentors and mentees to explore the intersection of storytelling and wellness through the art of podcasting. Participants will engage in intergenerational, holistic conversations that honor both the craft of writing and the power of human connection. They will explore what wellness means to them personally and as a practice, and learn to structure episodes that educate, inspire, and resonate. Participants will also build practical skills in shaping and producing a polished podcast episode. By the end of this two-cycle journey, each participant will have a published episode on the Writing Our Way to Wellness podcast streaming on all platforms!

How Professionals across Industries Benefit as Mentors

Driving Meaningful Impact at Work

At a time when many feel stretched thin or disconnected, Girls Write Now helps professionals feel creatively energized, supported, and seen, all while elevating the communication and leadership skills that matter most in the workplace: clear and compelling storytelling, confident public speaking, and experience expressing ideas with clarity and authenticity across teams and generations.

Girls Write Now Collaboratory

This Journey is Closed, but You Can Apply for a Fall 2026 Journey Now!

Apply Now

Learning Objectives

Highlighting Wellness Through Storytelling

Explore multiple forms of wellness and consider how they can be emphasized in storytelling.

Using Personal Reflection to Guide Your Story

Reflect on personal experiences to inform the guiding question and interview approach.

Selecting the Right Guest for Your Story

Identify a guest whose experiences or expertise align with the guiding question.

Crafting Questions That Reveal Deeper Insights

Differentiate between surface-level and reflective interview questions to elicit deeper understanding.

Writing Our Way to Wellness Community Experiences

Participants are required to attend one Journey Live Meetings each month throughout the cycle. Additionally, you can schedule 1:1 office hours with the Journey Instructor for individual assistance as needed.

Spring Cycle Journey Meetings:

• Saturday, March 14th, 2026, 1-3pm ET

• Saturday, April 11th, 2026, 1-3pm ET

• Saturday, May 16th, 1-3pm 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—strongly recommended options for this journey include Leadership Community Studios, Community Conversations, and Career Chats.

Apply to Spring 2026 Journeys Explore Community Experiences

Writing our Way to Wellness Courses

Writing our Way to Wellness: The Art of the Conversation
In the first part of this two-cycle journey, mentees will research and identify their ideal podcast guest, sharpen their interviewing and listening skills, and learn how to shape thoughtful, guiding questions. Mentees will investigate what wellness means to them as both a topic and a practice. By the end of the first cycle, mentees will have the framework for a powerful and educational podcast episode rooted in curiosity and compassion.

Apply to Spring 2026 Journeys Explore Courses

Writing our Way to Wellness Mentoring

Mentors and mentees 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.

Apply to Spring 2026 Journeys Explore Mentorship Opportunities

Journey Teaching Artist

Sally Familia

Girls Write Now Staff

Sally Familia (they/them) is a queer poet and freelance editor. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Washington Heights, Familia has a rooted passion for their community. They spent a year serving as senior editor for La Galería Magazine, a Dominican-based magazine for the Dominican diaspora in Washington Heights. They hold a B.A. in creative writing with a focus on poetry from SUNY Oswego. Most recently, Sally’s passions have shifted; now incorporating a strong desire to work with and for the youth. Sally hopes to merge their love for literature, Queer and BIPOC communities, and the youth as they continue to navigate the artist/ professional dichotomy. Sally has been awarded the Academy of American Poets Prize for the poem, “The Trouble with Reminiscing” (2019). They were also nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Brooklyn Poets for the poem, “Esperanza, Republica Dominicana”. Sally is currently working on their first poetry collection.

Visit Profile

Wellness 360

Journeys in the Wellness 360 Adventure focus on using writing and creating as a tool to help support your mental heath and general well-being. It is designed for mentees and mentors who want to embrace self-love and healing in their work.

Writing Our Way to Wellness is a Journey in the Wellness 360 Adventure.

See All Adventures

Explore All Journeys

Area of Focus

Cycle

Duration

Time per Month

Explore All Journeys

Girls Write Now . 2 months ago

Everything Is a Story: Nonfiction that Reads like Fiction (Fall 2026)

In this Journey, mentees and mentors will explore the ways in which creative storytelling techniques can be applied to nonfiction writing of all kinds, from memoir and personal essay to op-ed and how-to articles. We will dive into what makes a story—from structural archetypes to writing that flows—and learn how to harness the power of story to make nonfiction compelling and transformative.

Girls Write Now . 2 months ago

Wild Ideas: Nature, Science & Creativity (Fall 2026)

Created in honor of Helen Ghiradella, the biologist who uncovered the hidden architecture of butterfly wings, this Journey invites you, mentor and mentee, to explore the natural world through the complementary lenses of scientific inquiry and creative expression. Through close observation, research, and reflection, you'll investigate the forms, patterns, and processes found in nature, then build an original project—writing, visual art, media, performance, music, or a form of your own choosing—that celebrates where these disciplines meet. Along the way, you'll sharpen your powers of observation, stretch your interdisciplinary thinking, and develop the ability to translate scientific understanding into meaningful art.

Girls Write Now . 2 months ago

Hooked on Fiction: Story Structures for Plotters, Pantsers, & Plantsers (Fall 2026)

In this Journey, we’ll tackle one of the most daunting parts of novel writing: the opening chapter. Participants will explore how to hook readers while establishing character, setting, and stakes—asking big questions like where to begin and how to share key details without overload.

Girls Write Now . 2 months ago

Building Buzz: Publicity in the Publishing Industry (Fall 2026)

This Journey explores how social media—especially TikTok’s BookTok community—has transformed the publishing industry.

Girls Write Now . 2 months ago

The Power of Punchlines: Stand-Up Comedy for Change (Fall 2026)

In this Journey, mentors and mentees will explore the power of comedy as a tool for social change, with a special focus on stand-up comedy. From climate change and economic inequality to LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and mental health, participants will learn how to write and perform material that blends humor with meaningful social critique.

Girls Write Now . 2 months ago

Civil Discourse: Connection & Persuasion (Fall 2026)

In this Journey, you—mentor and mentee—will build essential skills in public speaking, argumentation, and critical thinking. Through hands-on activities and lively discussion, you'll learn to craft persuasive speeches, construct well-reasoned arguments, and present your ideas with confidence. You'll explore what makes communication land, sharpen your thinking under pressure, and practice responding to perspectives unlike your own in a structured setting. By the end, you'll be able to make your case clearly, engage in dialogue that goes somewhere, and carry these skills into academic, professional, and civic life.

Girls Write Now . 2 months ago

Independent Study (Fall 2026)

Create your own experience with our Independent Study Journey. Mentors and mentees meet as a pair, attend events of interest, and use coursework to help plan creative projects and meet your goals.

Girls Write Now . 2 months ago

Lead Community Change (Fall 2026)

Lead Community Change is a dynamic two-cycle Journey that harnesses the transformative power of storytelling to drive social impact. Aspiring young leaders and activists will unleash their creativity to develop and implement innovative community-based social activism projects, supported by Girls Write Now’s rich storytelling resources.

Girls Write Now . 2 months ago

Dark Tales: A Horror Book Club (Fall 2026)

Step into the shadows of horror and discover what makes a story truly unsettling. Across three monthly book club meetings, you—mentor and mentee—will dig into close readings and lively discussion of selected works, examining how authors build suspense, conjure atmosphere, evoke fear, and use the genre to probe deeper social, psychological, and cultural questions. Together you'll unpack narrative technique, character development, and the many shapes the genre can take. By summer's end, you'll have a richer appreciation for horror, sharper critical instincts as readers, and a store of inspiration and craft to carry into your own writing. Required books this cycle: Dark Is When the Devil Comes by Daisy Pearce, The Body by Bethany C. Morrow, and I'll Watch Your Baby by Neena Viel.

Girls Write Now . 2 months ago

Explore Tour (Fall 2026)

Explore all of the creative and storytelling pathways Girls Write Now has to offer through a multimedia, multi-genre experience that includes mini courses, exploratory studios, and one-to-one pair sessions.

1 2 3 … 9