Plus, write a love letter to yourself this week!
No images? Click here
July 6 - July 12
Featured Media:
Let The Story Begin
If You Are Transgender, You Have to Live
By Adrian Mora
To not become a statistic
To not let them win
To not become a cautionary tale...
Field Notes:
From Our Literary Community
PODCAST
Speaking in First Draft on Trans Creativity
We Talk Youth Mental Health with Born This Way
In collaboration with the Born This Way Foundation’s project “Channel Kindness”, Speaking in First Draft is excited to feature two expressive writers, Lisa Laman and Parker Ramey. Get ready to hear these writers tell stories about their experiences as trans people navigating the world and their identities.
Melissa See
Girls Write Now
Salon Author
WRITING PROMPT
Waxing Poetic
Words on Love
Write a letter to someone or something that you love. Think outside the box! Write to anyone (yourself included!) or anything that brings you joy.
Melissa's novel, Love Letters for Joy, explores queer identity, disability, and the intersectionality of the two. This prompt inspired mentees during Melissa See's Salon, "Navigating the Joy of First Love," where she discussed how to write first love in all its complexities.
BLOG
Jocelynn Landon is “The Woman Who Tells Herself Yes”
Life@GWN on the Power of Writing
Some people enter a room already certain of themselves. Others arrive carrying questions, then slowly become the answer. Jocelynn Landon built her relationship to storytelling through conversation. A former journalist and current community liaison and book editor with 916 Ink, Jocelynn now brings that same instinct for connection into the Teach Community Studio at Girls Write Now, where she explores pop culture, creativity, and the power of shared learning.
Foster love, belonging, and a brave space for the voices that demand to be heard. Give today.
Happening Write Now:
Mark Your Calendar
COMMUNITY STUDIO
Creative Crossroads: Storytelling Across Disciplines
Thursday, July 16, 5-6 PM ET, Virtual
How can science spark a poem? What can you make if you love sociology and fine arts? In this session, we’ll discover how multi-disciplinary thinkers can inspire us to create innovative and unique works.
Open to all mentors, mentees, members & the public.
COMMUNITY STUDIO
Applying to College: Getting Organized & Finding the Right Fit
Friday, July 17, 9-10 PM ET
Calling all college-bound students—including those who are first-generation or neurodivergent! If you feel overwhelmed by the college application process, this Community Studio is designed for you. In session one, we cover the application process, organizational systems, and finding the right college fit.
Open to all mentors, mentees & members.
SALON
Urban Mythmaking: Finding the Fantastical in the City with Wen-yi Lee
Thursday, July 23, 6–7:15 PM ET
How do we connect with the fantastical in our everyday lives? How do cities transform when we think of them as living characters? And how do we imagine different versions of the world around us? In this Salon, Wen-yi Lee—author of the urban historical fantasy When They Burned the Butterfly—will guide us in finding magic and mythology in the
city and the streets around us. We'll raffle two free copies of the book, so be sure to join us. Thank you to Macmillan!
Open to the public, this Salon also serves as a feature of our Fantasy Book Club Journey, in which mentors and mentees explore contemporary literature by closely reading three books in the genre.
Get the Gig:
Curated Opportunities Just for You
Need help applying for these opportunities—and more?
Meet with a Mentor On Demand today!
JOB OPPORTUNITY
Books Are Magic
Bookseller
Books Are Magic—owned by bestselling author and Girls Write Now mentor Emma Straub—is a thriving, independent bookstore with locations in Cobble Hill and Brooklyn Heights. They are seeking friendly, reliable, and spirited individuals to join the team as full-time and part-time booksellers. BIPOC applicants are highly encouraged to apply!
Deadline: July 17, 2026.
Create a portal account to apply.
WRITING CONTEST
Simon & Schuster
First Novel Contest—Closes Tomorrow!
The aim of the BOOKS LIKE US First Novel Contest is to facilitate access to the publishing process for writers from underrepresented groups, and to celebrate the diversity of readers across the United States.
Deadline: July 14, 2026
Create a portal account to apply.
WRITING CONTEST
World History Encyclopedia
Ink of Ages Fiction Prize 2027
If you write historical or mythology-inspired short fiction, you can enter a story under 2,000 words to win some great prizes from World History Encyclopedia and Oxford University Press!
The contest is free to enter and accepts submissions in English from anywhere in the world.
Deadline: August 22, 2026
Create a portal account to apply.
If you don't already have a Girls Write Now account, create one now.
