Plus, mentee & intern Ayah Al-Masyabi named finalist in NPR's national podcast challenge!
September 15 - 21
Hope Lives In Our Words
Featured Media
En Su Espejo
By Luna Rojas
My mother’s drive came from her own confrontation with the realities of adulthood and motherhood. When she took me to that economics class years ago, she was learning to look away from the person in the mirror and toward the child who stood beside her.
Last Day to Apply for A Fall Journey!
It's down to the wire... join the Collaboratory as a mentor or mentee for a Fall 2025 Journey by today, September 15! As part of the Collaboratory, you gain access to exclusive workshops, creative and professional opportunities, and a robust, ever-growing community of leaders and changemakers. Explore writing amidst AI, storytelling across languages and cultures, stagewriting, teaching, creating stand-up comedy for social change, and so much more! No matter your interests, goals, and schedule, there is a Journey for you!
Mic Drop: Community Spotlight
LIFE@GWN
Kardea Brown
“For Me, Making Do Isn’t Just About Food; It’s Also About Making Do in Life..."
We are proud to honor Chef Kardea Brown at the Girls Write Now Awards, and excited to share with you a must-read interview that is not only inspiring, it’s going to have you thinking about food, cooking, recipes, and the power of community in a whole new light. After premiering her cooking show Delicious Miss Brown on the Food Network in 2019, she’s reached 3.5 million viewers, judged Chopped, and authored her first cookbook The Way Home. Now, she’s releasing her second cookbook Make Do With What You Have, to be released by Amistad Books in November.
VOTE WITH US
National Voter Registration Day is Tomorrow
How Are You Turning Your Passions Into Action?
What radicalized you? This year, Girls Write Now is exploring how we can make our dreams for a better world into reality with prompts, resources, and more.
READ WITH US
When the Harvest Comes
By Denne Michele Norris
Girls Write Now champion Denne Michele Norris has been a longtime advocate for emerging voices, saying that “Girls Write Now offers a crucial space for young people to pick up the pen and, loudly and proudly, speak truth to power.”
Now, her novel When The Harvest Comes, is out. Norris delves into the complications of inheritance and family as they tell the story of a marriage put to the test on a couple's wedding day. In this “achingly beautiful debut” (The Boston Globe), a young Black gay man, estranged from his father, must confront his painful past—and his deepest desires.
WRITE WITH US
Prompt of the Week
By Kayla Greene and Keila Cruz, Community Studio Facilitators
Create a piece (written, painted, musical…) inspired by:
1. A time when you’ve felt lost, tired, or depleted but managed to find a glimmer of light.
2. A person, place, or thing that helped you through a testing time in your life.
Flex your creative muscle and find some inner healing at Creating Through Uncertainty, a Community Studio led by Keila Cruz and Kayla Greene.
LISTEN WITH US
Mentee & Intern Ayah Al-Masyabi Named Finalist in NPR's Contest for Best Podcast in America
Chronicling a Complicated Medical Journey
Girls Write Now mentee and intern Ayah Al-Masyabi has been announced as a finalist in NPR's prestigious podcast contest. "Finding the One", which chronicles her experience with medication and finding the right fit for her diagnoses, ranks among the top in the nation.
Happening Write Now
COMMUNITY STUDIOS
Studios Starting Now!
September 15-25, Various Times, Virtual
We have 15 new Community Studios to keep your creative juices flowing all fall long. This month, join a studio designed and led by mentors and mentees in the Teach GWN Journey. Topics include using social media for advocacy, preparing college essays and MFA portfolios, exploring food in poetry, and so much more! Find the full list of Community Studios in your Portal accounts.
Open to all mentors, mentees, members & the public. Become a member to access registration. It's quick and easy!
COLLEGE CHAT
Polishing Your Personal Statement with MacMillan
Tuesday, September 30, 4:45-6 PM ET, Virtual
Bring your personal statement (650 words max) to be workshopped and revised by Macmillan employees, who will be your Mentors for the Day. This event is a unique opportunity to receive personalized feedback on your writing from professionals in the publishing industry. Whether you’re in the process of applying to college, graduate school, or scholarships—or simply looking to strengthen your personal storytelling skills—this session is designed to help you craft a compelling and polished personal statement.
Open to all mentors, mentees, members & the public. Become a member to access registration.
SPECIAL EVENT
Open Mic: A Creative Showcase
Thursday, September 25, 5-6 PM ET, Virtual
Join us for an evening of creativity, expression, and community! This Open Mic is a space to connect with other artists and creators through poetry, song, and overall storytelling. Whether you want to perform a piece you’ve written, something you love (but didn’t write), or just soak it all in, you’re welcome here. We’ll kick things off with some writing prompts then begin the open mic. Each performer will have three minutes to share!
Open to all mentors, mentees, members & the public. Become a member to access registration. It's quick and easy!
Read on for even more incredible opportunities—
and thank you for your support!
Get the Gig
FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY
One Story
Adina Talve Goodman Fellowship
One Story aims to unite people through reading, writing, and learning about short fiction. Together with the Talve-Goodman Family, One Story awards one writer the Adina Talve-Goodman Fellowship each year in honor of the memory of author and former One Story managing editor Adina Talve-Goodman. The educational fellowship offers a year-long mentorship on the craft of fiction writing with One Story magazine.
Fellows receive a $2,000 stipend, access to One Story online classes, admission to One Story’s Writing Circle, and free admission to One Story’s week-long summer writers’ conference, which includes craft lectures, an intensive fiction workshop, and panels with literary agents and publishers. Additionally, fellows receive a full manuscript review and consultation with One Story executive editor Hannah Tinti (story collection or novel in progress up to 150 pages/35,000 words). For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the One Story website.
Submission deadline: October 8, 2025
JOB OPPORTUNITY
BRIC Arts Media
Production Manager
BRIC seeks a Production Manager with theatrical background to supervise and execute event productions. They will oversee several overlapping events throughout the year using in-person, hybrid, or virtual formats for the following departments: the producing departments, administration, development, partnerships, and rentals. Reporting to the Director of Production, the Production Manager plays a critical role in serving BRIC’s community-centered mission.
Submission deadline: September 22, 2025
PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITY
The Kenyon Review
2026 Folios
In 2026, the magazine invites work that broadly interprets the following themes:
- Alchemy
- Invisible Cities
- Precarity
- Document
When you submit, you will have the option to identify your work for general submission or the themes.
Submission deadline: September 30, 2025
