SPEAKING IN FIRST DRAFT PODCAST

Speaking on The Muse Behind Music Journalism

Featuring Mentors Sidney Madden & Ana Yglesias

Have you ever felt like the less an artist gives, the more powerful their message becomes? This week, we're diving into the world of cultural criticism with Mentor Ana Yglesias and Mentor Sidney Madden, a music journalist who knows what it means to protect the sacredness of the craft. Together, they unpack what makes a great story pitch, how editors shape the writing process, and why artists like Beyoncé inspire them to hone their voices with purpose. From gender dynamics in the industry to finding inspiration in unexpected places, this conversation is a deep look into the storytelling behind the music.

WHAT WE'RE READING

The Ambition Trap

By Amina AlTai, Girls Write Now 2025 Anthology Contributor

In The Ambition Trap, leadership coach Amina AlTai, who has blurbed the forthcoming Hope Lives In Our Words: Girls Write Now 2025 Anthology, shows you how to break the cycle of overwork once and for all—and finally create the greatest, most joy-filled work of your life. Drawing on her work with Fortune 500 leaders, Olympic gold medalists, start-up founders, and former “girlbosses,” AlTai guides you through the process of reconciling your ambition, starting with healing the core wounds and insecurities currently driving you. Along the way, she introduces actionable strategies for aligning your work with your deepest “why”, leaning into your most natural gifts, nourishing yourself in the long-term pursuit of your goals, setting a sustainable pace, and allowing contentment to guide the way.

FROM OUR COMMUNITY

Prompt of the Week

By Jennifer L. Brown,
Community Studio Facilitator

Dream up two plot problems for your main character to face: one that can be solved with a magic system (or a speculative element) and one that cannot. Write your magical and non-magical solutions.

When there is magic or a speculative element in one of your stories, how do you decide what that magic can do? In this month’s "World-Building for Sci-Fi & Fantasy" studio, we’ll discuss the parameters and pitfalls of creating a magic system. Register today!

LIFE@GWN

"To Indulge without Apology in Things that Satisfy our Souls"

Karina & Annelise Eileraas On Creating a
Writing Contest to Honor Their Loved One

Maya Logan was a deep thinker, feeler and creator. Their time was infused with a curiosity that knew no bounds and a creativity that bred excitement into even the most mundane task. Though they died by suicide in 2021, their spirit lives on through the wisdom, creative work, and wonder they left behind. To celebrate their memory, their mother Karina, and sister Annelise launched the Chasing Spirits contest in partnership with Girls Write Now to encourage young people to keep chasing their wildest dreams despite adversity. 

CATCHING UP WITH COMMUNITY

Joanna Szeto Publishes Story in 101 Words

Short Fiction Leads to Big Mentorship Moments

Mentor Joanna Szeto and Mentee Kayla Martinez frequently write 100 word stories together in their pair sessions. Building on this, Joanna published her micro-fiction "For Fame or Fortune" in 101 Words! Kayla will have her own work published in the forthcoming Hope Lives In Our Words: Girls Write Now 2025 Anthology.

COMMITTEE MEETING

Intersectional Voices in Tech

Thursday, May 22, 7-8 PM ET, Virtual

What's your take on AI? Is there a way to utilize AI in creative spaces while protecting the work of artists? Join us for an engaging Intersectional Voices in Tech (IV Tech) Committee meeting exploring the theme of Tech Ethics through the lens of mentoring, intergenerational connection, writing, and community. This session is designed to spark meaningful dialogue, deepen understanding, and help us collectively shape ethical, inclusive approaches to technology in our mentoring and writing community.

Open to mentees, mentors, members and the public.

COMMUNITY CONVERSATION

Nurturing Ourselves & Others

Thursday, May 22, 7-8:30 PM ET, Virtual

Take a break from the stressors of your life and give yourself the gift of kindness, care, and community.

What does nurturing look like to you? Who do you go to in times of need? How does writing and creating art nurture you? In celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re coming together in community to share our stories of being nurtured and nurturing others. We’ll complete a grounding exercise, share stories from our own experiences, and discuss the ways that caring for ourselves and others benefits our mental well-being.

Open to mentees, mentors, members and the public.

COMMITTEE STUDIO

Inaugural IV Teach Committee Meeting

Tuesday, May 27, 7-8 PM ET, Virtual

Join us for our very first IV Teach Committee event! We are inviting mentors, mentees, educators, educational professionals, and anyone with a passion for education to collaborate on enhancing teaching and mentorship at Girls Write Now. This event will serve as an introduction to the Committee’s purpose and will provide an opportunity to share ideas, determine new roles and tasks for the Committee, and get to know each other. We look forward to collaborating with you on building a dynamic and supportive teaching and learning community!

Open to mentees, mentors, members and the public.

SPECIAL EVENT

Let Me Finish!
Girls Write Now
Voices of Comedy

Sunday, June 8, 3-4:30 PM ET, Virtual

We're excited to announce Girls Write Now’s very first stand-up comedy showcase! Come enjoy an event filled with big laughs, bold stories, and plenty of heart, as mentees from the Power of Punchlines Journey take the mic for their stand-up comedy debut. After the show, stick around to mingle and celebrate! Hosted by GWN teaching artist and Stand Up! Girls board member Hollie Harper, the evening will also feature performances by NYC-based female stand-up comedians. 

Open to mentees, mentors, members and the public.

WRITING CONTEST

The Audacity

Love is in the Air Writing Contest

In celebration of Debbie Millman's Love Letter to a Garden, The Audacity is launching a love letter contest for paid subscribers. Write a love letter to a person, a place, an idea, whatever inspires you. They are only interested in prose or visual stories. They will be accepting entries from now until June 30th at midnight. Letters should be no longer than 1,500 words. The winner will receive $1,500, publication in The Audacity, and a one-hour Zoom session where Roxane Gay offers feedback on up to 25 pages (double-spaced) of your fiction or non-fiction prose. Winners will be announced by September 1st. All entrants who are annual Audacity subscribers will also receive a copy of Love Letter to a Garden. Books will be shipped out in early July.

Submissions due June 30 at 12:00 AM ET

ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITY

TDF Foundation

TDF Young Playwrights Summer Program

The TDF Young Playwrights Summer Program is a free two-week playwriting intensive led by award-winning dramatist and Girls Write Now mentor Crystal Skillman that is open to tri-state area high school students. Students explore personal expression in writing, and the art and form of dramatic writing. Students will work individually and in teams, with a final presentation on the last day. This year's edition focuses on dramatic works with theatrical magic and play productions with music. 

FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY

The 19th

19th News Fellowship

Novelry is thrilled to announce the launch of The Next Big Story with a grand prize of $100,000 for the best 3-page entry. What do you need? Just 3 pages of pure imagination—the beginning of a work of fiction, the first 1,500 words of what could become a page-turning book. Eight shortlisted entries, chosen by our judges, will win The Finished Novel Course from The Novelry, the world’s top-rated fiction writing school. Together, we’ll help you turn your winning idea into a publishing-ready book.

Due date: July 31, 2025, 12:00 AM ET