I Am Girls Write Now. Directed and produced by Kathleen Sweeney, Video-Text
Portfolios
“Girls Write Now mentees are talented, serious young women writers. Their wide-ranging work sparkles with wit and passion.” – Alix Kates Shulman, author and guest speaker
Writers don’t usually let you see their work-in-progress. But for us, process is vital: it’s how we learn, how we stretch ourselves, and how we see that story, poem or play through to a beautiful finish. We’re not scared of the red pen along the way.
In our workshops, our mentors and mentees spark their creativity with writing exercises that take them through six genres: fiction, poetry, memoir, journalism, playwriting & screenwriting, and a wild card. After each workshop, they share their work in progress in secure online portfolios for mentors and mentees only.
But every now and then, mentees share the pieces in development, so you too can share in their process. Take a look!
Carmin and I spent some time talking about race and identity, and how we feel about the way the “world” around us tries to categorize us with different labels. We wrote our pieces separately and then merged them into a hybrid between a memoir and a reflective monologue.
This piece is a short excerpt from a novel I am writing, titled Ernest Rising. It has been changed slightly, but still narrated by the main character, Ernest.
Sherry and I wanted to explore what happens when old worlds from the past collide with new worlds. My memoir is about how my mom’s old and new worlds met and how this led me to see my own world in a new light.
“Luca” is an excerpt from a novel that Mennen is working on, set in a new world, a school for paranormal children. We collaborated by identifying this section as a stand-alone reading, then went back and forth with editing, as well as timing Mennen practicing reading it aloud.
“Fishing” will hopefully one day be part of Maxine’s linked story collection about a circle of youth living in Brooklyn. This story takes place in a dystopic future
Winner of the Outstanding Book of the Year and other honors, the Girls Write Now anthology caps off the program year. Join us to celebrate the launch of our 15th anniversary edition! Tuesday, June 25 at McNally Jackson.
In Our Words
Don’t wait another minute — we’re enrolling a new class of mentors and mentees starting fall 2013, PLUS registering girls for our FREE college prep series this summer.
Get the Scoop
We've slurped oysters on a West Village rooftop and
earned standing ovations at a packed theater in the heart of Soho. We're winning awards left and right - and giving out some of our own, too! Join the celebration: it's your May recap!
