Two Kinds of Snaps and One Lyricist

Two Kinds of Snaps and One Lyricist

By Rachel A., age 15

One morning, I sat at my desk, scrolling through old photographs. It was winter break, and I was in a poetry slump. I’d decided to switch gears, and try my hand at writing song lyrics. So, I turned to my reservoir of inspiration: my photo gallery.

The album’s title was: CLICK: Photos, created sometime in the summer of 2016. I scrolled through old snapshots with fresh eyes, as I usually did with my poems. However, unlike with poetry, I couldn't remember why I took the photos in the first place. The more I thought and stared, the more depth I discovered beyond the beautiful facade.

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6 Things to Pack for NaNoWriMo

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). 

 

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Quiet Sort of Strength

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. 

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Top Three Things I Learned At The WriteGirl SongWriting Workshop

Top Three Things I Learned At The WriteGirl SongWriting Workshop

By Reina E., age 17

One of the most important things I took from this workshop is that I need to write from my experience—and about the things I care about most. If I write about things that are close to my heart, I can share what I feel and think with people, and I can do this on a more personal level. And that is what I love about writing to begin with—using words to communicate what I feel, and touching others with those words. This is what is so beautiful about writing. 

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Life-changing Women and Girls!

Life-changing Women and Girls!

By Sneh C., age 13

The minute I stepped into my first Writegirl workshop, I was overwhelmed. I was speechless.

I can’t stress how amazing Writegirl really is, and I keep kicking myself for almost passing up the opportunity. I'm not going to lie, "shy" is not the first impression people get of me, but the truth is, I do stutter. I get nervous, self-conscious, and scared, and I get stuck in a shell I have to forget about. After just one workshop, Writegirl has begun to break me out...rescue me from that shell.

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Why I’m Grateful for WriteGirl . . .

Why I’m Grateful for WriteGirl . . .

By Patrice G, age 17

WriteGirl helped me find myself. I’ve been a part of WriteGirl for five seasons. It was here that I discovered my gift for writing poetry. I didn’t know my talent until I wrote my first poem, “My Mask,” and a WriteGirl mentor told me I was very imaginative. I’ve taken the guidance and feedback and now I’m self-motivated and determined to continue writing poetry and exploring my talents. 

 

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Even the Most Open Minded Need to Loosen Up a Bit

Even the Most Open Minded Need to Loosen Up a Bit

By Alexa D, Age 15

Now, I am going to be completely honest. I wasn't at all excited to attend this past weekend’s journalism workshop, aside from being able to see my mentor again and visiting with a good friend. I’ve never had anything against journalism, just never paid much attention to it. But when I left Write Girl’s headquarters last Saturday, I left with a newfound respect and interest in journalism and all of the powerful women involved.

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Interview With a WriteGirl

Interview With a WriteGirl

WriteGirl Mentor Bree interviews her mentee Sophia, age 17.  
Sophia and Bree have been working together for a year

That’s what’s so great about those on-the-spot WriteGirl exercises. Normally you might not see the connection between a witch and a mirror. But they throw it out there, and you’ve got to work with what you’ve got. Sometimes you find that connection, and sometimes you don’t.

 

 

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Top 4 Things We Learned at Mentee Welcome Day

Top 4 Things We Learned at Mentee Welcome Day

by Heather, age 16 & Anastasia, mentor_

1. I'm a WriteGirl Veteran.

When I walked into my interview at the Mentee Welcome Day, I couldn't help but feel a mix of fear and comfort—stepping from familiar to uncharted territory. It was safe to say that I felt quite shocked and even unworthy to say that this was my fourth year at WriteGirl. The notion of setting an example for the younger batch of mentees makes my stomach drop, but maybe it won't be so intimidating. Maybe all of the encouragement from the past workshops will give me energy. Maybe all of the voices I heard during the past four seasons will push me to speak my own into another mentee's memories.

 

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Joining Forces: A WriteGirl Speaks on Gender Equality

Joining Forces: A WriteGirl Speaks on Gender Equality

Sharmin, age 17

Gender inequality has existed in every nation and every period in history. But here at WriteGirl, we are committed to joining the effort to stop gender inequality now. We want to encourage our girls, women, and male friends and supporters to stand and unite ourselves as Feminists against gender discrimination. We want to propagate equal opportunity for the masses and ensure that no one gender is neglected. 

 

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Dreaming of the Future: A WriteGirl Perspective on Gender Equality

Dreaming of the Future: A WriteGirl Perspective on Gender Equality

Jacqueline, age 17

"Working together, we can bring equality to the sexes. Girls around the world should be allowed an education, a chance to express themselves using pen and paper. Writing is important to ending gender inequality, because our voices sometimes fail us. Our voices, it turns out, we can sometimes best express through the written word."

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