WRITING OUR WAY TO WELLNESS PODCAST

Undoing Overthinking with Meredith Arthur

A New Episode About Coping with Anxiety

When we're anxious, our bodies and minds go into overdrive. This week, Meredith Arthur, Pinterest Chief of Staff, TwoTwenty, tells her mental health story and shares strategies from her Substack, Beautiful Voyager, and her Stress Relief Cheat Sheets. Listen to a healing conversation between Meredith and Girls Write Now staff member Vahni Kurra as they go deep on overthinking, meme wisdom, and how you can cultivate resilience through a sense of internal safety.

FROM OUR COMMUNITY

Prompt of the Week

by Robyn Lam, Community Studio Facilitator

Think about your own backyard or a nearby green space. What are some native plants in your community and how do they benefit the local wildlife and ecosystem? If there are none or you are unsure, which plants would be considered native plants to your community and why might it be beneficial to implement them?

Get in touch with nature at Robyn Lam's Community Studio, Rooted in Nature: Turning Creativity Into Environmental Advocacy! Register here.

COLLABORATORY EXPERIENCE

Join a December Community Studio

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year... 

Well the weather outside is frightful, but creating in community is so delightful. Mentors and mentees, community studios count as an engagement event, and it's a great chance to connect with fellow participants. Members and anyone interested in applying for our Spring Journeys can join studios to get a taste of our workshops. Choose from topics like Surrealism in Fiction,Spoken Word, Journalism, Cultural Storytelling, and much more!

NEWS & PRESS

The Surprising Truth About the Gift
Nonprofits Value Most

Fast Company Article Features Girls Write Now

Hilary Smith, Girls Write Now champion and EVP for corporate social responsibility at NBCU, wrote an article for Fast Company interviewing Girls Write Now Founder and Executive Director Maya Nussbaum. The piece shines a light on our high impact partnerships with NBCU, Estée Lauder Companies, RBC, HarperCollins, and Penguin Random House.

"Employees really feel the difference between a company just checking off a box and really investing in a nonprofit, which ends up being a long-term investment in not just organizations like mine, but our industry and culture at large," Maya said.

COLLABORATORY EXPERIENCE

Join a Mentee Affinity Group

December Meetings Start Now

Are you a Girls Write Now mentee looking to connect with other people who share your background? Join an upcoming affinity group meeting— led by mentees for their fellow mentees. To join, sign up using your Portal account for one or more of the following:
Christian: December 2, 6-7 PM ET
Jewish: December 3, 6-7 PM ET
LGBTQ+: December 7, 12:30-1:30 PM ET
Hispanic/Latine: December 7, 11 AM-12 PM ET
AAPI: December 7, 1:30-2:30 PM ET
Multiracial: December 14, 11 AM-12 PM ET
Black: December 14, 11 AM-12 PM ET
Muslim: December 28, 12-1 PM ET

SPECIAL EVENTS

Letters to the Future with NBCU: An Intergenerational Journey Through Past, Present & Possibility

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 4:45-6 PM ET, Virtual

This season, NBCU and Girls Write Now join forces for a special event where employees—Mentors for the Day— will be guided by a team of young leaders for an intergenerational exchange engaging with the present, looking back at the past, and envisioning a hopeful future. Together, we create space to learn from our past and collaborate for the new year.

Open to NBCU employees & Girls Write Now young leaders

SPECIAL EVENT

Open Mic:
A Creative Showcase

Thursday, Dec. 5, 4-5 PM ET
247 West 37th Street, 10th Fl.
New York, NY 10018

Join us at the Girls Write Now Headquarters for our Open Mic Series! Performers are invited to share their original work—poems, songs, stories, and more!—for an audience as we gather to celebrate creativity and build community.

Open to all Mentees, Mentors, Members & the Public. If you don't yet have an account, it's easy to set one up and become a Girls Write Now Member.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Estée Lauder Companies + Girls Write Now Exclusive: Think Tank on Tech, Art, Language & Beauty

Friday, Dec. 6, 2-5 PM ET
247 West 37th Street, 10th Fl.
New York, NY 10018

We need your brilliant brains! Girls Write Now and Estée Lauder Companies join forces for a panel discussion and think tank exploring the intersection of technology, art, language, and beauty. What happens when creativity meets technology to make a lasting impact? Together, we'll have an intergenerational exchange to help shape Girls Write Now's programs and lay the groundwork for our future tech leaders. This event is perfect for those interested in technology and the creative fields. Enjoy snacks, drinks, and gift bags!

Open to all Mentees, Mentee Prospects, Silver Members (Alumni) & Estée Lauder Companies Employees. 

CAREER CHAT

The Best Short Stories 2024 with Penguin Random House

Tuesday, Dec. 10, 4:45-6 PM ET, Virtual

Join Girls Write Now and Penguin Random House for a panel discussion on the Best Short Stories 2024 Anthology featuring The O. Henry Prize Winners! Hear from Jenny Minton Quigley's, the O. Henry Prize series editor, perspective on shaping the anthology and the O. Henry Prize Winners, Amber Caron and Caroline Kim (whose work appear in the anthology) on their writing process and creative journey. The panel will be followed by a brief Q&A, where you can ask questions about the craft of storytelling and the journey of creating the anthology. 

Open to all Mentees, Mentors, Members & the Public. If you don't yet have an account, it's easy to set one up and become a Girls Write Now Member. Required for Fiction Journey participants.

SPECIAL EVENTS

A Networking Event on Technology, Innovation & the Next Generation of Leaders

Wednesday, Dec. 11, 4-6 PM ET
247 West 37th Street, Suite 1000
New York, NY 10018

Leading tech company Kyndryl joins forces with Girls Write Now for a workshop about the importance of preparing the next generation of creative talent for careers in technology. Mentees will learn about the world of cyber security from professionals who work in communications, corporate social responsibility, government affairs, and sustainability. Make valuable contacts, practice your pitch, and build your resume/portfolio. Enjoy snacks, drinks, and gift bags!

Open to all Mentees, Mentee Prospects, Silver Members (Alumni) & Kyndryl Employees. 

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Writer's House

Writer's House Intern

The Writers House Intern Program (WHIP) is both a publishing course and a practical internship. The aim is to train and educate program participants in the ways of publishing through the lens of a literary agency. To that end, participants engage a robust curriculum that takes 16 weeks to complete and includes our signature 8-week "Editorial Bootcamp," the 8-week job search skills workshop, and a series of tutorials, seminars, and one-on-one career consultations. To apply, email: mmejias@writershouse.com

Submit your application as soon as possible. Spots fill up fast.

WRITING CONTEST

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

Open to Middle and High School Writers

Enter the nation's longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens. All entries are first considered regionally for Gold Key, Silver Key, and Honorable Mention awards, and Gold Key winners are considered for awards at the National level. Every year, Girls Write Now mentees submit and are honored by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

Deadlines vary by region and can be as early as December 1.

PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITY

The Feminist Press

Submit to WSQ, Spring 2026 Issue

This special issue of WSQ considers the social, affective, and political consequences of living with chronic illness. They are soliciting essays, personal and researched, that reflect a variety of experiences and that map the critical and scholarly intersections of chronic illness with disability and critical race studies, notably in relation to lupus, but also related to health and healthcare issues. These might include, for example, issues primarily affecting Black women, including access to diagnosis and treatment of various cancers, notably gynecological ones. 

Priority Deadline: March 14, 2025