Mike Eakins
“Within a community of women writers, WriteGirl promotes creativity and self-expression to empower girls”. The motto greets you on their webpage. WriteGirl is based out of Los Angeles and deals with teaching creative writing, mentoring, and empowering young women and their ability to write. Recently they grouped up with DC Comics and took it to another level, and hosted the organization in their Burbank headquarters. You can read the full press release below, see pictures from the event as well as check out a feature video. As always, make sure you are keeping your browser pointed to https://comic-watch.com/ for all your comic news and reviews.
Within a community of women writers, WriteGirl promotes creativity and self-expression to empower girls.
On Friday, August 2, DC welcomed 40 teen storytellers from the award-winning creative writing mentorship organization, WriteGirl, into the publisher’s legendary halls to learn about the World’s Greatest Super Heroes and the art of graphic storytelling. This full-day writing workshop was developed to inspire these Los Angeles-area girls, ages 13-18, to unleash their unique superpowers through pen and paper and envision potential careers in comics and graphic novels.
The event kicked off with a welcome speech by Michele Wells, vice president and executive editor of DC’s Books for Young Readers program, followed by a series of breakout sessions taught by representatives from DC’s editorial team and several of the comics industry’s top writers and artists including Mariko Tamaki (Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass), Cecil Castellucci (Female Furies), Sarah Kuhn (Shadow of the Batgirl), Nicole Goux (Shadow of the Batgirl), Amy Wolfram (DC Super Hero Girls), Monica Kubina (DC Super Hero Girls), and Cat Staggs (Adventures of Supergirl).
Teen mentees gained firsthand experience of the collaborative nature of graphic storytelling, working together with the help of their professional mentors to develop original stories for Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Supergirl, and other iconic DC characters. From learning how to write captivating pitches, to discover key elements of a superhero story, to writing their first comics script, the girls gained a new set of graphic storytelling tools to add to their writing toolbox.
“DC is a big fan of WriteGirl and the work they do in the community, and we are honored to have partnered with them for this event,” said Wells. “Beyond the technical skills taught in the workshop, we also wanted to show the girls there’s a place for them in this industry, whether that be as a writer, illustrator, colorist, or editor. We hope the girls hone their newfound skillsets and feel empowered to one day continue DC’s rich storytelling legacy and tell the next great Batman, Superman, or Wonder Woman story…or maybe create a brand-new character all their own!”
WriteGirl is a free program for aspiring female writers ages 13 to 18, many of whom are from at-risk and underserved communities. Girls participating in the program get guidance and mentorship from women who volunteer to share their expertise. The August 2nd event with DC was part of WriteGirl’s monthly mentoring workshop series.
“We’re excited to give our girls the opportunity to delve into graphic storytelling. Giving them a chance to work with some of the best writers and artists in the industry doesn’t just build skills for them, but also provides an empowering experience for them to see such stellar women creators in this genre,” said Keren Taylor, WriteGirl executive director. “Many of our girls face tremendous challenges in their lives and for them to be able to spend the day writing about women with superpowers really gives them a chance to dream outside of their world.”
Below is a video segment produced by DC Daily recapping the day’s activities and attached are photos from the event.
NEWS WATCH: DC AND WRITEGIRL EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATION OF FEMALE STORYTELLERS!
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