Julia Butenko from Odesa is one of the eight Ukrainian authors participating in the LiTUSA literary contest held on Instagram. The participants aim to finish their novels online within a year. The grand prize is the publication of their works.

The organizers provide updates on the competition's progress on their Instagram page.

The lawyer from Odesa is working on a novel that explores family relationships as a significant challenge. It is "a story about Astrid, who ran away from herself and returned to her native Odesa," as stated in the contest's press release.

Other competing authors include Iryna Yashchuk, Myroslava Kuntner, Marina Mozoha, Maryana Ravlo, Anna Bondarenko, Kateryna Naumka, and Iryna Pakosh. They write in various genres, from historical novels to detective stories and nonfiction.

The authors create texts in real-time, holding weekly open co-working sessions where anyone interested can join. Each week, the contestants report on their written progress.

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

The project highlights all creative stages: inspiration, procrastination, the struggle with the inner critic, writer's block, unexpected insights at two in the morning, and fascinating insights, as shared by the contest's organizers.