If life were a straight line, it would be easy to stay on course. But life is full of twists and turns and unexpected bumps.
In YOU ARE HERE: The WriteGirl Journey, 161 women and girls share their stories as they navigate their way through small moments and big adventures. In clear and unwavering voices, they tell us about where they are, where they’ve been and where they still hope to go.
Read MoreEssay by Jacqueline Uy:
"Back in elementary school, there was always that one kid who, when asked what they wanted to be when they grew up, would say, 'I want to be president.' That kid was me.
But as I got older I realized that what I really wanted to become was a journalist, specifically a foreign correspondent. Even with this, I never really thought that I would ever step foot in the White House, much less meet first lady Michelle Obama. So when the opportunity to do both arose, I reacted like any normal 16-year-old in my situation: I didn’t believe it."
Read MoreHeld at the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in Downtown Los Angeles, 160 WriteGirl women and girls learned the art of songwriting from the industry’s best women!
Special songwriter guests including Bonnie McKee (Wrecking Ball, Roar), Allee Willis (Boogie Wonderland, Friends Theme), and others shared their expertise and guided our girls to create their own songs.
Read MoreBlog post written by WriteGirl Mentee Amanda, 11th grade:
"A year ago, Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani teenage girl, was shot by the Taliban for standing up for girls' education, and, against all odds, she survived. Malala’s story sparked a fire that burns across my horizons with the plum passion of a dragon hearth and tenderness of a soft lighted candle."
Read MoreFor the past nine months, our girls have taken part in a jam-packed schedule filled with creative writing workshops, led by some of the most influential female writers in the community. With the guidance of these spectacular writers, our girls put their pens to the page and wrote songs, poems, short stories, and scenes. They blogged, they polished their public speaking skills, and they wrote custom Father’s Day poems for our WriteOn! Campaign. They expressed themselves creatively, and formed special bonds with their mentors through weekly meetings.
Read MoreSummer Internship Program Flourishes at WriteGirl
We are so incredibly proud of our WriteGirl interns. We are in awe of their professionalism, can-do attitudes and camaraderie.
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Writing Experiment: They say that nothing is ever as bad as it seems. Look back on your life. Choose a seemingly negative experience and turn it around so that you find something positive about it: whether it was a lesson or an insight into something new. It doesn’t matter how small, write about how it has impacted your life.
Read MoreWe are the WriteGirl Summer Intern Team: Janel and Jacqueline, current WriteGirl mentees; Renae, Victoria, and Alejandra, WriteGirl alumnae; and brand new to the WriteGirl world: Sara, Melissa, Malika, and Sydney.
Read MoreThere are many opportunities presented to us as interns at the WriteGirl office and participating in skill-building workshops is one of them. We love the workshops that we’ve had here at WriteGirl with Liz Prescott. She brings a unique perspective to the office and is happy to share her knowledge with all the interns.
Read MoreCheck out this custom poem written by a WriteGirl teen for Jane Anderson, a WriteGirl volunteer and Emmy Award-winning screenwriter, during last year’s campaign.
Read MoreJennifer A., age 19: I love all the WriteGirl workshops: soda guzzling, pens scribbling, and mentees swarming like honeybees over mini strawberry covered cupcakes. IZZE fruit drinks are passed around and Dixie cups are scooped with ice that clanks and cracks as the fizzle of the soda mixes with the chatter in the air.
Read MoreSkylight Bookstore, located on 1818 North Vermont, was the host for a WriteGirl public reading on Saturday, March 23rd. Many girls attended this wonderful event to hear each other recite their pieces. Girls took to the stage and spoke in front of many parents, passersby, and WriteGirl members, some of them doing a WriteGirl reading for the first time!
Read MoreWritten by WriteGirl mentee: Shea M., age 14
I had attempted to write songs before last weekend’s workshop in BP Hall at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, but had never actually succeeded. I wondered what I would write about, and whether my lyrics would be any good. However, once I stepped into BP Hall I quickly found myself feeling excited and eager to learn. We got to sit down and talk with professional songwriters about things like song structure, rhythm, and how to choose a creative title. They had lots of great tips and I thought it was really cool to be able to have that kind of one-on-one experience with someone who knows so much about the music industry.
Written by WriteGirl mentee: Sharmin S., age 14
The No Character Limit (http://writegirl.org/publications.html) book launch and reading at the Mark Taper Auditorium was quite noteworthy. Many amazing teenage girls shared their wonderful poems and short stories. Many parents even joined in to experience the wonders of a pencil put to paper.
Before the reading a wonderful author, Cecil Castellucci, taught us phenomenal ways to prove a point to readers without having them fall asleep. So instead of saying, “My nickname is Charmin Ultra Strong and that name makes me feel powerful and mighty.” I’d say, “One early morning at the mere age of ten, I fell off the stairs of a courtyard and scraped my knees. I suddenly felt a sharp burning sensation and did not want to stand up. From a distance I heard a friend shout, “Charmin Ultra Strong! You’re okay! Get up Charmin Ultra Strong.” I immediately stood up and ran back feeling strong and powerful.”
This example shows there are many ways to tell a story. Try this, write a sentence. Now try and expand that idea into four sentences. You never really know what one sentence can create. Before you know it you might be writing a novel.
Written by Angelica H: age 19
I enjoyed reading a poem from the book, “No Character Limit” entitled “Two Muses” written by Zoe L., age 15. Two Muses My muse was once tall and fire-haired, passion embodied, courted only with tears and supplication, and low-calorie sweeteners, watching Firefly, smelling of tea tree and overscented soap. She left in September in search of a sadder life, and a better therapist. My new muse is six-foot-one and a half, dressed in black wool, unwittingly inspiring. Ah! Two Muses, like music to your soul don’t you think? If you thought this poem was good just come to the “No Character Limit” Book Launch this Saturday to hear more soothing rhythm poems straight from the young girls who wrote them. Come and enjoy being around these powerful young minds and hear their bold voices. Hear the pain, love, and the truth they pour into their writings. Let the words flow and then you will understand you should never underestimate a girl and her pen. WriteGirl Book Launch, “No Character Limit.” Saturday January 12, 2013 at 2:30pm. Event takes place at the Downtown Central Library – Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. 5th Street (Between Flower and Grand), Downtown Los Angeles.
WriteGirl was honored by First Lady Michelle Obama with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award
An initiative of the President’s Committee on the Arts & the Humanities (PCAH). The President’s Committee partners with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to administer the program.
WriteGirl is a creative writing and mentoring organization that promotes creativity, critical thinking and leadership skills to empower teen girls.
WriteGirl is a project of Community Partners, a nonprofit charity exempt from federal income tax under
Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
