Three Awards for “Intensity: The 10th Anniversary Anthology from WriteGirl:

Intensity: The 10th Anniversary Anthology from WriteGirl has won not one, not two, but three book awards! The most recent award is from the London Book Festival, which honors the best in international publishing. Here’s the full list of awards Intensity has won…so far:

Winner, Anthologies, 2011 London Book Festival

Honorable Mention, 2011 New England Book Festival

Finalist, Anthologies: Nonfiction, 2011 USA Best Books Awards

Congratulations to the 140 contributors and all the WriteGirls who made Intensity possible!

Celebrate Intensity’s official book release party in downtown Los Angeles at The Last Bookstore at 3 p.m. on January 15!

RSVP on our Facebook page for the event!

Linda, Can We Clone You? – by R. Doyle and Zoe Lateju, WriteGirl college interns

Linda Folsom, a WriteGirl enthusiast and top ticket seller at this year’s WriteGirl Season End event at the Writer’s Guild of America Theater, spoke to us about her volunteer experience with WriteGirl. At the event, she had the fortunate task of being the photographer liaison, so she was able to watch the inspiring event and hear the girls read their pieces onstage.

Did you know she works at Disney!? She is involved with not one, but two magical places! Linda learned about WriteGirl through her daughter, Alana who joined WriteGirl as a mentee when she was in high school. Linda loves what WriteGirl does to help high school girls, and once her daughter became an alumna, Linda became a volunteer and has been active in WriteGirl for four years. (Alana is now studying English at Bates College .)

Linda Folsom with her WriteGirl mentee at the annual WriteGirl Performance Workshop.

Why does Linda love WriteGirl so much? There are many non-profits that cater to the well being of young women, but she has never seen such a welcoming organization like WriteGirl.

“WriteGirl connects with me because there is not a wall between the volunteer effort and my life in general,” she says. She is a writer herself, and she has been taking poetry classes. She explains that WriteGirl is for “anyone who supports the creative endeavors.” To Linda, there is something about hearing or reading young women’s writing that “just starts that fire in you. It’s like, give me a paper, give me a pen!”

As a “super volunteer,” she is dedicated to promoting the organization, so more people can get involved to help spread the inspiring voices of these talented young women. Some of her friends lamented not being able to attend the event, but she informed them they could still make a donation or buy an incredible anthology of the unique voices of young women.

Linda mentioned that a friend of hers has been reading WriteGirl’s newest anthology, Beyond Words, and is motivated by these girls’ words and now wants to complete some of her unfinished works.

WriteGirl is overjoyed to have Linda as a volunteer because she is committed to helping teen girls reach their potential through writing. Thank you, Linda for all you have done and will continue to do for WriteGirl!

The Delights of Scene Writing – by Astghik H., age 16

I was flustered. After about an hour of looking for the Miguel Contreras Learning Center in my mom’s outdated and torn up Thomas Guide (if you don’t know what that is, you probably have a GPS), my mind was somewhere else as I walked into the workshop and to the registration table. Not for long.

It was my first WriteGirl workshop and I had no idea what to expect. I was blown away. There were teen girls everywhere, busily scribbling in their journals or chatting away. Everybody was friendly and smiling. There were none of the cold, daunting stares I had envisioned. After everyone took their seats, two volunteers began reading from a script. It was a scene from 500 Days of Summer.

After a rousing set of hysterical and heartfelt performances, my mentor and I browsed the blown-up pictures of bedrooms plastered on the walls. We giggled at the bedroom with a pool in it and marveled at some of the others before eventually choosing one of the bedrooms to base our characters on.

I had never realized what a powerful inspiration real people can be in the stories we write. I loved having time to think through the nuances of characters before actually writing about them, and understanding exactly what they would do in every situation I could throw at them — and trust me, I threw everything at them.

After lunch we talked with screenwriters and playwrights about our own scenes and their careers. I was encouraged to learn you can actually make a living as a writer. Then we went to the theater for the grand finale. Several of the scenes written that day were performed and I was absolutely delighted at some and positively sobbing at others. Girls my age had done that. It was my first day and I understood: you really shouldn’t underestimate the power of a girl and her pen, myself included.

The 2011 WriteGirl Bold Ink Awards, May 11th!

Congratulations to all our 2011 Bold Ink Award Honorees!

The WriteGirl Bold Ink Awards were created five years ago to honor the women who inspire our girls, our mentors, and audiences around the world. We seek out storytellers whose voices move us. They write in Bold Ink.

Our 2011 Honorees are…..(drumroll please)…… Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada, 27 Dresses), Kara DioGuardi (“Ain’t No Other Man”, “Walk Away”, “Undo It”), Winnie Holzman (Wicked, My So-Called Life) and Savannah Dooley (Huge), Sarah Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program, Bedwetter), and Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I Hate Valentine’s Day).

WriteGirl held a celebration on Wednesday, May 11 at the Writers Guild of America Theater, including a cocktail reception, silent auction, and inspiring words from our honorees.

Nia Vardalos, accepting her Bold Ink Award

WriteGirl Bold Ink Award Honorees 2011

WriteGirl teen onstage

Fifteen – by Katherine B., age 15

I wrote this at the WriteGirl Poetry Workshop.

Fifteen is:
protons collide
chemicals react
exploring the taboo

Fifteen is:
puppy love paradise
predecessor of your first real heartbreak
the end of the world as you know it

Fifteen is:
finding refuge in Shakespeare
Romeo & Juliet
every love song written just for you

Fifteen is:
giving your heart and soul
to a boy
who would rather play Halo

Fifteen is:
learning from your past
mapping out your future
knowing where you want to go
clueless as to how to get there

 

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This poem was published in our most recent anthology, Beyond Words: The Creative Voices of WriteGirl.  100% of the proceeds from our book sales support the WriteGirl program.  Buy a copy here.

Kumquats Are Sour and Sweet, but WriteGirl Is Sweet – by Jackelyne C., age 16

WriteGirl was all I could think of Sunday night. I was afraid of losing sleep because my mind loves to play over everything that has happened during my day. I wondered what interning there would be like. I wasn’t nervous about WriteGirl, I was nervous about the bus. What if I was late, got lost, or missed my stop? It was cold inside the bus and chills ran down my spine.

I arrived at my stop. Music always plays in my head when important things happen to me. So I walked with the song “I’m so excited, I just can’t hide it” all the way to the WriteGirl office. I knocked three times and no one was there. Maybe I was at the wrong site? I got worried but then I realized it wasn’t 10 o’clock yet. At around 10, Keren came with someone I had not expected: Wasabi, her chocolate Labrador. (Cue horror theme!) I got so scared I couldn’t walk into the room. I am terrified of dogs because as a kid a dog had almost bitten me. I felt like my heart would leap off my chest but I finally got the courage to enter the room. Wasabi came to smell me. I was scared; I wanted to run out of the room as I imagined the sharpening pain that I would feel if his teeth sank into my flesh. Keren showed me the office and I noticed how much Wasabi loved her because he followed her everywhere and she has had him since he was a pup! It reminded me of my pet bird Lucky, who is so much like Wasabi because he follows me around and is always looking for a bite to eat.

I did a lot of things during my first week here. I had fun making phone calls and using the computer, which is what I normally like to do anyway. After leaving on my first day, I knew this was my place to be and became more excited for whatever the next day would bring. I wrote and got helpful tips from both Keren and Katherine. I learned to be more detailed and to use all my senses because many of us just like to write what we see.

I also got to taste something new: kumquats! Do you know what they are? Well, they’re good but they aren’t for everyone. They’re sweet and sour. If you can’t take sour, you’ll probably make a face that could break a mirror. I remember my first bite. They look like orange grapes and have a smooth but hard skin. I bit into one and felt my taste buds tingle. It was so sour that I wanted more, and next to strawberries, they’re now my most favorite fruit.

WriteGirl will change my life forever. I am on a new journey and doing new tasks everyday. I found out how committed Keren is to WriteGirl and met some other staff members like Katherine, Reparata, Amber and Allison. Also, I met some friendly volunteers like Estella. They all put so much amazing work and effort into WriteGirl. I am happy to be part of the WriteGirl team and I know I have much to learn. I know that my writing will improve and if I ever write another blog after this one, it won’t even compare.

My daily bus worries have now changed. I see familiar faces now and a familiar driver. This Sunday night as I lay in my bed to rest, there will be fewer doubts and I won’t lose anymore sleep. My mind will again play over everything I did, except this time it’ll be clouded with positive thoughts about WriteGirl and excitement that will leak into my dreams.

Jackelyne and Katherine, working together at the WriteGirl office.

WriteGirl’s Award-Winning Songwriter, Lyla M., age 14, interviewed by Kathleen Cecchin

The Corrido of LA, hosted by LACMA and USC, is a centennial celebration of the Mexican Revolution. A songwriting contest was part of the festivities. Seventh through Twelfth grade Los Angeles students were asked to compose a corrido, or ballad song, about their city. On December 18th, WriteGirl mentee Lyla M. was invited to perform the song she submitted, “Dreaming of a City” on stage with Ozomatli.

Watch Lyla perform her song:

Below is my interview with Lyla inspired by WriteGirl’s Journalism and Creative Non-Fiction workshop:

What is the name of your award?
The Corrido of L.A.
Organized by LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Arts)

What is the name of your winning piece?
Dreaming of a City

Where did you hear about the opportunity to submit?
I first heard about the competition through my mom, but then I saw it in one of the WriteGirl handouts, and that’s when I decided to start writing the song.

What about the contest made you want to submit?
Well the fact that I got to play with Ozomatli was a really big deal, because I had grown up listening to them. But also I wanted to see what people would think of my music and get some feedback.

How long did it take to write your song?
Honestly, it took somewhere around 15 to 20 minutes.

What is your writing process like?
First I start with finding a place where I can really relax and have some peace and quiet. The chords, which are the base of the song, come next. Then I just play the chords and let the lyrics come to me. I probably have at least 2 or 3 variations of a song, it really all depends. Sometimes I’ll have a first draft and be satisfied, but other times, I’ll keep on going ’til I find what sounds right. But for this song in particular, I went through it about 5 times and got some feedback from friends.

What inspires you?
Everything. The truth is that if you look hard enough, inspiration can be found anywhere and everywhere.

What’s your favorite kind of music to listen to?
I like to listen to every type of music. Anything from reggae to classical and from country to techno. I think that the more you expand your horizons, the more you can understand and learn.

What’s your favorite kind of style to write music in?
I like to write rock/folk music. But I also write some pop and once in a while some blues/jazz and even rap.

What did you win?
I won the opportunity to perform a song I wrote with Ozomatli.

What was it like to perform with Ozomatli?
It was amazing, exciting, and most of all, eyeopening.

Did anything about working with them surprise you?
What surprised me the most was that they picked up my song so fast. Sure, they are professional musicians, but they not only knew what to play, they understood the vibe of the song! It was just amazing to be able to perform with someone of their caliber. This is an experience I will never forget.

If you could perform with any artist, living or dead, who would you like to collaborate with?
I would like to collaborate with 3 people: Jimmy Hendrix, Bob Marley, and Freddie Mercury.

From Start to Finish – by Gigi E., age 17

What goes into planning a WriteGirl workshop? To find out, I joined the planning meeting for WriteGirl’s journalism and creative nonfiction workshop.

I gripped the cold metal handle and pulled open the heavy door. With the grand staircase to my left, I walked through the entryway and into the Tea Room. There I was welcomed by Ms. Taylor’s smile. I helped set up a coffee maker and rearranged tables and chairs as women filed in.

Once everyone had arrived, questions started to be presented. “What should we do for an opening?” “Should we use posters to write on?” “What about putting movie posters around the room?” Ideas began flowing and didn’t stop until the meeting was over. We had created puzzle pieces. Now they just needed to be put together.

Saturday morning came. After signing in and meeting with my mentor I walked into the Tea Room. At least, that’s what it used to be. The walls were filled with posters. Tables were filled objects, books, and paper tablecloths for girls to write on. It looked amazing. It was so rewarding to think I had a part in making this happen!

Posters decorated the walls at WriteGirl's Journalism and Creative Nonfiction workshop.

WriteGirl Changed My Mind! – by Ashlee P., age 16

Journalism–oh, how I despise you. That was my mindset as I walked up the steps to our new location, which, if I do say so myself, is awesome. In the 1920′s lobby of the Assistance League of Southern California, I felt so important, and did you see that elegant, vintage bathroom? Anyway, as I signed myself in, grabbed my inspirational writing quote and the new upcoming WriteGirl event dates, I could only think of four words, I don’t like journalism.

I settled into my seat and looked around at all the journalists in the room, (which had a crystal chandelier, by the way), I thought, “Hey, maybe it’s not that bad if this many people like it.” The brilliant ladies at my table and I started skimming through the books scattered about and placed them in categories of either journalism or creative nonfiction. This got our whole table engrossed in a deep conversation about what journalism is and all its many divisions. I realized that journalism is something we do every day. Journalism isn’t just one thing, like reporting about other people and events. Journalism is reporting about food and places to go and critiquing movies and plays. The stories from the successful journalist guests were amazing–flying all over the U.S reporting about huge happenings and meeting people they would have never met otherwise.

The workshop got me thinking that I love food and traveling. I could travel to some beautiful country (preferably to Ireland or France) and find all the hidden places where they the have the most amazing, scrumptious foods. Then, I could write a book about it so people everywhere could go to these countries and eat with the locals at authentic Irish or French restaurants, avoiding the tourist traps.

As I descended the stairs after the workshop, ready for my drive out of L.A., I smiled and thought, “Journalism, I no longer despise you. Thanks WriteGirl!”

Our Girls Friday: Journalism Workshop Takes Place at a Brand New Venue, by Ashley L., WriteGirl Alumna

Nestled on the quaint periphery of West Hollywood, The Volunteer Assistance League of Southern California is a drastic shift in scenery from the concrete and steel contemporary domain of Miguel Contreras.  With its French doors, bow windows, and ivy-lined exterior, the two-story American Colonial evokes a classic Hollywood ambiance, the perfect environment for brilliant writing. The main entrance welcomes you into a majestic hall adorned with oak flooring, a winding staircase, and luxurious bergère sofas fit to accommodate even the most grandiloquent of tea parties. Our workshop was set in a private ballroom illuminated by cascading chandeliers and sunlight that flooded through open windows with a view of the sparkling fountain in the courtyard.

This month’s workshop theme was Creative Non-Fiction/Journalism, one of my personal favorites. We welcomed a surfeit of well-versed and distinguished women journalists as workshop guests, including LA Weekly’s nightlife virtuoso, Lina Lecaro, Tabby Biddle of Huffington Post, The New Yorker’s Dana Goodyear, CNF novelist Maggie Nelson, Molly Palmer of NBC’s Today, and Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Erika Hayasaki, and Deborah Vankin of The Los Angeles Times. We kicked off the day with writing activities that placed mentees at themed journaling stations based on various aspects of journalism and creative non-fiction. Mentees, as well as alumni like me, had the opportunity to interview guests and obtain beneficial insight into the field of journalism. The day culminated with mentees reading reports of their own and receiving constructive professional appraisal of their works.

From listening to Dana Goodyear, a successful Yale grad, speak about personal creative principles that were similar to my own, to hearing Lina Lecaro, an influential club-culture savant, speak glowingly of her 4-year old daughter, I was reminded that these journalists were real women, with real-life experiences who work hard each day doing what they love— something that really resonated with me. No matter how apparently different these women seemed, they were united by a passion for edifying society. That is what the fundamental ethos of journalism is all about.

This particular workshop has always held a very special place in my heart, but this time, being a part of the workshop from the ground-up, seeing things from a more comprehensive perspective, and connecting with women I have a high regard for on a more personal level inspired me all over again, and were powerful reminders of what impelled me to pursue a career in journalism.