Underrepresented Writers Scholarship
A high-touch program to help historically marginalized people write books that feature protagonists like them
Three writers are waiting to share stories that could change lives.
But they need your help.
Time Left to Support a Writer
The world feels pretty shitty these days.
What with fascism and climate change and genocide and the many systems of oppression we live within, it’s easy to get pulled into a pit of existential despair. It’s easy to feel like there’s nothing we can do.
But as a writer, you have a secret weapon, and it’s story.
Story has the power to change the world, because our brains are wired to respond to it. When we read a story, we live it. To our brains, it’s as through we’ve been the protagonist.
That’s why we need more stories in the world from writers like you.
We need more stories from the people who’ve been overlooked, gatekept, and under-supported.
I want to help you write a story that shows the world there’s more than one way to be.
Let’s write your story.
is a high-touch program that supports underrepresented writers as they discover, plan, draft, and revise novels that feature a protagonist like them.
The Underrepresented Writers Scholarship
Underrepresented writers are those who hold historically marginalized identities which have been gatekept, overlooked, or undersupported by publishers and readers.
Books that receive a scholarship do not need to center around divisive, traumatic, or polarizing themes or messages. They simply need to feature a protagonist who holds one or more of the writer’s underrepresented identities.
Writers who are underrepresented may identify as…
BIPOC
AAPI
LGBTQQIP2SAA+
An Immigrant
Neurodivergent
Fat
Unhoused
Low Income
Having a mental disability
Having a physical disability
Housing Insecure
Formerly Imprisoned
…or another identity which is underrepresented in publishing
Let me introduce myself.
Hi, I'm Dani Abernathy.
I’m a book coach and Enneagram teacher who helps deep thinkers and feelers write the stories they need to tell so their readers can feel seen and can see others.
I believe stories can change the world, one reader at a time, because they teach us to have more compassion for ourselves and others.
Stories are one of our most powerful tools for having less war and more love, and that’s why I’m on a mission to support folks like you as you write brave stories that tell the truth (even in a fantasy world).
Story has changed me.
It’s given me the context to understand people I was afraid of, the courage to confront myself, and the drive to see the world made better.
I want more books in the world that show the vast expanse of human existence—how we are all the same and different and wonderful—because story is the best way to dismantle hatred, soften fear, and build compassion.
That’s why I created the Underrepresented Writers Scholarship.
The Underrepresented Writers Scholarship is right for you if see yourself in these statements:
Deep thinker and feeler
Self-proclaimed weirdo
Writing something deeply personal to you
Want to make your reader feel seen and help them see others
Life-long reader and writer
Care more about reaching your reader than you do about other accolades
Long for a writing community where you really belong
Enjoy self-paced coursework
Interested in Applying?
Submit your email and I’ll send you information when applications opens in 2026.
Support an Underrepresented Writer
I set aside 10% of my revenue to fund scholarships. I’m currently able to fund almost one scholarship spot, but that’s not good enough! That 10% isn’t enough to fund even one scholarship, let alone three.
So I need your help.
If you believe in the power of books to change the world, please give a one-time or recurring donation.
We can do this!