Two live sessions. One finished piece. Your byline. For real.
You have something to say.
Maybe you’ve always known it. Maybe it’s been sitting in your notes app for months — half-finished thoughts, ideas that felt too big to start, things you wanted to write but didn’t quite know how.
This is where you write it.
Write Your First Article is two live sessions on Zoom with Danielle Mahoney — founder of Missy.ie, published journalist and the person who has helped hundreds of Irish teen girls find their voice on the page. By the end of Session 2 you’ll have a finished article you’re genuinely proud of. One with your name on it. One you could actually send somewhere.
Not a practice run. The real thing.
Who is this for?
This workshop is for anyone aged 17+ who wants to write — and doesn’t quite know where to start.
Maybe you’re heading into college and want a writing portfolio before you get there. Maybe you’ve been thinking about journalism, content creation, PR or communications and want to know if you’ve actually got it. Maybe you just have something to say and want someone to help you say it properly.
You don’t need any prior experience. You just need an idea — and if you don’t have one yet, Session 1 will give you one.
This workshop is perfect for:
- College students who want a real writing portfolio piece
- Leaving Cert students thinking about journalism or media courses
- Anyone 17+ who has always wanted to write but never quite started
- Aspiring journalists, content creators, bloggers or communicators
- Anyone who wants to arrive into September with something real already written
What we cover:
Session 1 — Find Your Story, Find Your Voice
This is where it all begins. We’ll cover:
- How to find an article idea worth writing — and know when an idea is actually good
- The difference between a topic and an angle — and why it changes everything
- How to research without going down a three hour rabbit hole
- How to find your writing voice — the one that sounds like you, not a school essay
- How to structure your article before you write a single word
- The opening line — how to write one that makes someone actually want to keep reading
You’ll leave Session 1 with your idea locked, your angle confirmed and your structure mapped. Your assignment before Session 2: write your opening paragraph. That’s it. Just the first paragraph.
Session 2 — Write It, Fix It, Send It
You came back. You wrote something. Now we make it brilliant.
- How to write a first draft without getting stuck
- Editing your own work — the things to look for, the things to cut
- How to make every sentence earn its place
- How long should it actually be — and when to stop
- What to do with your finished article — where to send it, how to pitch it, how to build from here
- Optional: submit your article to Danielle for written feedback within 7 days
You’ll leave Session 2 with a finished article. Written, edited, ready to send somewhere. With your name on it.
The optional feedback element:
After Session 2 you can submit your finished article to Danielle for written feedback — returned within 7 days.
This isn’t a grade. It’s not a red pen exercise. It’s the kind of honest, constructive, encouraging feedback you’d get from a real editor who wants your work to be as good as it can be.
“Here’s what’s working. Here’s what I’d change. Here’s what to do next.”
Completely optional. No pressure. But if you want it — it’s there.
What’s included:
✅ Two live one-hour Zoom sessions with Danielle ✅ Session notes and worksheets for both sessions ✅ A structured article planning template ✅ A finished article by the end of Session 2 ✅ Optional written feedback from Danielle within 7 days ✅ Advice on where to pitch and publish your work ✅ A small group — personal, focused, no pressure. We don’t ask you to read out your work or anything scary like that.
What you walk away with:
A finished article with your byline Not a draft. Not a homework assignment. A real piece of writing — edited, polished and ready to send somewhere. That’s your first portfolio piece. That’s the thing you put in your college application. That’s the thing you link to when someone asks if you have any writing experience.
The answer is yes. You do now.
The skills to write the next one Because one article leads to another. Once you know how to find an idea, nail an angle, write an opening and edit your own work — you can do it again. And again. That’s how a portfolio gets built. That’s how a writing career starts.
A real understanding of the industry Where do you send your work? Who publishes new writers? What does a pitch actually look like? How do you build from one article to a body of work? We cover all of it in Session 2 — so you leave not just with a finished piece but with a clear sense of what comes next.
A note on the group size:
This workshop is deliberately small. A small group means real conversation, real feedback during the sessions and real attention from Danielle. We’re all about creating a positive experience for everyone. You can keep your screen off or on. And everyone is welcome to ask questions in either the chat or to ask directly. Whatever works for you.
Places are limited and won’t last long.
What Danielle brings to this:
Danielle Mahoney founded Missy.ie after publishing her first article at 17 — with no contacts, no media degree and no guarantee anyone would read it. She’s spent the years since building one of Ireland’s most trusted platforms for young women and helping hundreds of teen girls find their voice in writing, journalism and media.
She knows what it feels like to stare at a blank page and wonder if you have anything worth saying.
She also knows that you do.
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