One Illinois author is finally formulating an answer to the infamous question many women ask every day: “Does anybody understand me?”
Drawing from personal experience in life’s misunderstandings, assumptions and gossip, Holly Thomas knows that a woman’s journey can be lonely and hard. She recognizes the difficulty in understanding how a woman feels and the need to be loved and wants to give women a voice and an outlet for self-expression. With Girl Found Lost, Thomas will compile short stories and essays written by women all over the world. Thomas is requesting submissions from women of all ages, races, social classes and religions to express their thoughts on what matters to them.
“Finding yourself becomes addictive during adolescence and through your 20s. I didn’t know who I was searching for, I just knew I didn’t want to be me. While on my journey to finding me, I was actually running in the other direction. I had to fall, bent and broken, to realize who I was, a girl found lost,” Thomas said. “‘Not all who wander are lost,’ I've been told. I still am. I'm asking to hear from other GFLs who might want to share a piece of themselves with the rest of us.”
Submissions should be no longer than 8,000 words and must fall under one of five categories: Memoirs of the Addict, the Brave, the Broken, the Loved and the Lost. The only requirement is a first name (pen names are accepted) and state or country. Submissions should be sent to girlfoundlost@gmail.com.
The constant encouragement for women to be strong and independent is a contradiction when held down with a lifetime of painful experiences and emotional wounds. Thomas hopes Girl Found Lost will boost self-esteem find the voice within the reach of every woman.
To learn more about Thomas’ work, visit http://www.authorhollythomas.com. You can read the Girl Found Lost blog, visit http://girlfoundlost.blogspot.com
About the author
Thomas is a published journalist and writer of short stories and essays in various genres such as Creative Non-Fiction, Memoirs, Historical Fiction, and Political Conspiracy. Her work has been featured in the Remnants collection from the Deadxstop Publishing Company.
During college, Thomas believed that her past ghosts, failures and life’s let-downs were preventing her from being the person she wanted to be. She moved to Los Angeles and at the time, lived an adventurous, glamorous, selfish, and unhealthy lifestyle. But at 22, she came back to the Midwest to finally let go of the past and move on. Her writing reflects the musings of a mid 20-something still trying to make sense of life, atone for her mistakes and figure out her purpose on the planet.
At the core, Thomas is a lifestyle writer that focuses on the dirty, ugly, and yet sometimes fabulous truth of everyday people and everyday thoughts, along with the hush, hush and the taboo. Holly holds a B.A. in Journalism from Eastern Illinois University and is attending graduate school for a Master’s in Political Science. She serves as the political columnist for The Daily Eastern News and her Master’s research focuses on Blood Diamonds, Rape Warfare, Freedom of the Press and Global Governance.
More information here.
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