Plus, discover how one mentoring pair connects across 1,500 miles and a 60 year age gap.
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November 17-23
Hope Lives In Our Words
Featured Media:
Find Your Next Obsession
I'm Afraid You'll End Up Seeing Me The Way I See Myself
By Nyilah Thomas
One by one, her words vanished until there were none le–
Stop Our Words From Vanishing
Every day, under-represented voices are seeing their support disappear. Giving just a few dollars this season can go a long way to amplify a voice that the world needs to hear. Secure the platforms and resources that Nyilah and thousands of writers like her depend on at Girls Write Now.
Mic Drop:
You Have to Hear This
Applications are Open for
Spring 2026 Journeys!
Join the Collaboratory as a Mentor or Mentee
It's time to apply for Spring 2026 Journeys! We have an incredible selection of Journeys to choose from, including Inimitable Voices in the Age of AI and Journalism: The Art of Profiles. Women and gender expansive writers from across the U.S. are invited to apply as mentors
(ages 25+) and mentees (ages 14-24). No experience is necessary!
Apply by December 31
COLLABORATORY HIGHLIGHT
Introducing
Thriving Thursdays
Kick Back, Relax & Write With Us!
When times get tough, we can always count on our Girls Write Now community to pick us back up. That's why we're starting Thriving Thursdays—a chance for the writers in our community to come together every month to write, doodle, discuss, dream, or just sit and breathe. Whether you're a longtime Collaboratory participant or someone interested in becoming a mentor or mentee, we hope to see you there!
LIFE@GWN
How This Mentor Pair Bridges a 60-Year Gap
Valentina DiMajo & Mary Fister
We’re showing a side to our mentoring you may not have seen before. In addition to fostering writing and literacy, we're advancing democracy by building a national community of innovative, compassionate, and adaptive thinkers who bridge social divides. In this conversation between Valentina Di Majo and Mary Fister, a mentorship pair on their third cycle together in the Collaboratory, we challenge the idea that birds of a feather always flock together. With a 60-year age gap, different cultural backgrounds, and nearly 1,500 miles between them, this pair shows how to unlock creativity through mutual exchange.
Help Us Bridge Divides
Your support means that we can continue to match pairs like Valentina and Mary, forging the unexpected connections that expand perspectives, solve problems, and create a better world.
WRITE WITH US
Prompt of the Week
By Marley Korzen
Think of a person in your life who has a talent that others could appreciate. It could be someone who bakes, sings, coaches, or is excellent at web design. What’s one sentence that you would use to advertise their services?
Dive into Digital Marketing at this Community Studio on Friday, November 21st, hosted by Mentor Marley Korzen. Consider this the crash course on kickstarting a career in freelance digital marketing!
READ WITH US
Mentor Sidney Madden's Interview with Mereba
Published in Brick Magazine
Mentor and journalist Sidney Madden describes R&B artist Mereba as "a force of nature" in a profile for Brick Magazine. The article focuses on Mereba's new album, The Breeze Grew a Fire, and how the work reflects monumental changes in the singer's personal life and the wider world. Sidney was recently interviewed by another Girls Write Now mentor and journalist, Ana Yglesias, for our podcast, Speaking in First Draft.
Happening Write Now:
Mark Your Calendar
COLLABORATORY EVENTS
Community Studios
November 10-21, Virtual
A new week means all new Community Studios. Led by our mentors and mentees, studios are free, one-hour workshops where you'll have the chance to connect with fellow creatives while diving into exciting topics across genres. This week's studios include:
-Adulting 101
-Writing for Resilience: Expressive Art
-Reporting & Journalism
Open to all mentors, mentees, members & the public. Become a member to access registration. It's quick & easy!
CAREER CHAT
And, Scene! A Playwriting Career Chat
Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 4:45-6 PM ET, Virtual
This Chat will explore the possible pathways to break into the theatre industry. Here is your chance to ask all of your burning questions with a panel that covers everything from playwriting to acting to producing and more! Come to learn about careers on and off the stage, featuring:
-RJ Tolan, Program Artistic Director of the Youngblood program
-Allison Relihan, non-profit arts education and administration professional working with TDF (Theatre Development Fund) -Nina Cajuste, Theatre & Performance Major at Spelman College
-Crystal Skillman, playwright, comics writer, and educator.
Open to all mentors, mentees, members & the public. Become a member to access registration. It's quick & easy!
SPECIAL EVENT
Open Mic: A Creative Showcase
Thursday, November 20, 2025, 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 3 minutes to share!
Open to all mentors, mentees, members & the public. Become a member to access registration. It's quick & easy!
SPECIAL EVENT
Thriving Thursday: Free Write & Reflection
Thursday, December 4, 6-7:30 PM ET, Virtual
Join us for a cozy, low-pressure freewriting session where we’ll loosen up our creative muscles and reflect on the year ahead (and the one we’re leaving behind). We’ll kick things off with a few optional writing prompts—designed to spark inspiration and reflection—but you’re free to wander wherever your pen (or keyboard) takes you. No rules, no editing, no judgment—just a space to write freely and see what emerges.
Open to all mentors, mentees, members & the public. Become a member to access registration. It's quick & easy!
Read on for the kinds of opportunities that bridge divides & change lives.
Get the Gig:
Curated Opportunities Just for You
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
Women's Media Group
WMG Scholar
In this exclusive opportunity for Girls Write Now mentees, WMG will provide one $2,000 scholarship to be used to support the Scholar recipient’s writing with preference to a rising college junior or senior who is a current mentee or mentee alum. WMG encourages students from underrepresented populations and/or economically disadvantaged backgrounds to apply.
Apply by Sunday, December 7 at 11:59 PM ET
JOB OPPORTUNITY
The Rockefeller Foundation
Communications Manager
The Rockefeller Foundation (RF) is seeking a Communications Manager, RFCC to join the RF Catalytic Capital Inc. (RFCC) team. RFCC extends the Foundation’s long tradition of using internal expertise and resources to marshal capital from outside organizations and investors. As a fiscal sponsor and donor collaborative, RFCC supports RF teams when working with external partners on jointly funded projects.
WRITING CONTEST OPPORTUNITY
The Poetry Foundation
Pegasus Poetry Book Prize
The Pegasus Poetry Book Prize, established in 2025 in partnership with Graywolf Press, awards $10,000 and publication to an unpublished first or second poetry collection by a United States poet 40 or older. This prize replaces the Poetry Foundation’s former Emily Dickinson First Book Award and will be offered periodically rather than annually.
Deadline: December 31, 2026
Want More Opportunities?
