Lena Dunham releasing first fiction book

Actress-turned-author Lena Dunham is trying her hand at writing fiction as she prepares to release a collection of short stories next year (17).

Best and Always will feature stories from the Girls creator and star and her Lenny newsletter editor Jessica Grose, contributing writer Kaitlyn Greenidge, and Jackie Thomas-Kennedy.

Lena gave fans a preview of what to expect in the latest issue of her online newsletter on Tuesday (30Aug16), when she shared her piece The Mechanic, about a 21-year-old who dates an older mechanic.

She then took to social media to reveal her plans for her latest book.

"This issue was also an exciting lil' (little) way to let you know that I'm at work on my first fiction collection, Best and Always, to be published next year by Random House," she writes on Instagram. "Thrilled to share a hint of it with you. #ilovewriting #womenwhowrite..."

The 30-year-old published her first book, a memoir titled Not That Kind of Girl, in 2014.

The news comes months after Lena announced she had been given her own book publishing imprint with Random House with her frequent collaborator, Jenni Konner, in April (16).

"While we love our home on the Internet, Jenni and I are both voracious readers (of books and book reviews) who are constantly trading titles and allowing them to stir us creatively," Lena explained to Buzzfeed.com.

"Our friendship often doubles as a book club...," she continued. "We feel like the Lenny voice lends itself to a diverse list of authors and we are so excited to work with Random House - they get our mission completely.

"Lenny books will aspire to push the ball forward on the issues that matter to our audience, with wit and style," she added. "We hope to see them sticking out of purses and riding public transportation everywhere."