Cruella de Vil’s Therapy and NASA Satellites
When I walked through the door of the Songwriting Workshop, I had what I wanted to write about in mind. My heart was pulling at it and I had no choice but to follow.
Chords, Lyrics and Confidence
Every WriteGirl workshop is a new experience. Even if you’ve been to the Huntington Gardens ten times with WriteGirl, it’s still breathtaking. The Fiction workshop was no exception.
Words of Gratitude from WriteGirl Alumnae
We asked WriteGirl Alumni to share what the WriteGirl program has done for them and why they are grateful for it, even after their teen years. We are honored and excited to have been a part of these young women's lives.
What Are the Perks of Being a WriteGirl Intern?
Every day at 10 a.m, I sleepily push the door into the WriteGirl office in Downtown LA. Still hazy from getting up at 7 in the morning and dealing with Alameda traffic, I wake up with the enthusiastic good mornings from Katie, the WriteGirl office manager, and Jackie, the WriteGirl marketing intern. Besides the warm people and the funky office, what are some of the perks of being a WriteGirl intern?
New Volunteers: Reflections from a Former Mentee
By Eve Mefferd, College Intern
It was standing (and occasionally running frantically) amongst over 65 volunteers in training, that my time at WriteGirl really came into focus. January 14th was the largest WriteGirl Volunteer Training to date, a packed room filled with men and women with an LA skyline to our backs and up at the front, a presentation miraculously condensing the essence of this organization into just six hours. I got to take part in and help plan this exciting event as a WriteGirl college intern. Helping to organize this training, and working with volunteer liaisons and staff to see that it ran smoothly, provided a different window on WriteGirl than the one I got as a mentee.
GenHERation Discovery Days 2016
by WriterGirls Hannah H., Luna G., Leaf H., and Diana B.
GenHERation is a company that strives to empower young women to rise to positions in power and create their own futures. Their summer installment of Discovery Days strives to embrace this mission by taking high school and college students to visit successful companies around the country in five different cities. I had the chance to tour Los Angeles over the course of two days and learn how to make my dreams reality from some of the most dedicated female executives.
Finding my Rhythm in Songwriting
By Arielle D., age 14
This is my first year at WriteGirl. I’ve gone to a few other workshops, so I’m getting into the rhythm of how things work there. Since it’s my first year, each workshop is new to me. It’s always something surprising and inventive. It feels nice to be surrounded by such creative people. You can feel the freedom in the air.
Creating Poetry from Art
By Savannah H., Age 14
Over 100 WriteGirl mentees explored the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens as part of our annual Creative Nonfiction workshop. WriteGirl mentee Savannah House, age 14, was inspired by a marble statue in the American Art Gallery named Ruth from 1853.
6 Things to Pack for NaNoWriMo
By, Addissyn H., age 16
It’s that time of year again. I’m talking about the holidays. Halloween haunts begin the best horror novels known to man, and family woes surrounding Thanksgiving give way to the next bestseller in the genre of realistic fiction. Christmas inspires a funny children’s tale about when Santa converted to Judaism, and New Year’s provides the perfect scene for a cheesy romance.
More specifically, though, I mean we’re racing toward November, which means National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is fast approaching.
This November marks my third year as a participant and – dare I jinx it – winner, which just means I was able to successfully write 50,000 words in 30 days, regardless of quality. Even being somewhat of an oldie at this, it’s terrifying. Somehow you have to pull 50,000 consecutive words out of a hat in such a short period of time, while not compromising your social life (however small it may be).
Quiet Sort of Strength
By Sandra M., age 16
As a 16-year-old still in the throes of adolescence herself, I can say with complete and utter confidence that adolescence is not a fun time. The dictionary definition says adolescence begins with puberty and ends with adulthood, so I have four years under my belt and another two years to go. And as I go about my school-filled life, it’s always a little disconcerting when I hear of girls roughly my age accomplishing amazing things.
I Saw a Girl Change the World
By Amanda G., age 17
I saw a girl shout
When they used her gender as an insult
the smoke in her eye
puddled like the smoke above cities
Una Forastera, An Outsider
By Reina E. age 17
There are times when I’m not very conscious of things, that I don’t fully acknowledge my culture. Because I’m only thinking in a human sense. For I am a human.
But I realize that we are each beautifully different types of human, and the culture I belong to is enchantingly rich and vibrant.
A Perfect Match
By Aunye S.A.
I was not completely thrilled to be spending four hours on my Saturday with a bunch of strangers when I first joined WriteGirl. I was in 8th grade and was already fed up with the programs my mother enrolled me in, and I was just sure I would hate this one like all the others.