Julia Butenko from Odessa is one of eight Ukrainian authors participating in the LitUSA contest on Instagram, striving to finish her novel within a year. The main prize is the opportunity to publish her work.

The progress of the contest is shared on their Instagram page.

A lawyer from Odessa, Julia is working on a narrative about family as a significant challenge. The press release describes it as a "story about Astrid, who ran away from herself and returned to her hometown of Odessa."

Other competitors include writers Iryna Yashchuk, Myroslava Kuntner, Marina Mozhova, Maryana Ravlo, Anna Bondarenko, Kateryna Naumka, and Iryna Pakosh, each writing in various genres from historical novels to mysteries.

The authors create their texts in real-time, hosting open coworking sessions weekly for anyone interested to join. Participants report on their writing progress each week.

Readers become part of the experience: they vote, comment, choose names for the main characters, and support or critique their favorite authors.

The project page highlights all creative stages: inspiration, procrastination, battling inner critics, writer's blocks, unexpected insights at 2 AM, and intriguing revelations, as shared by the contest organizers.