by Jennifer Ward “Freckles: On Finding the Beauty of My Natural Skin” is a personal essay about finding confidence and self-acceptance. I decided to write about my freckles since they were an insecurity of mine for many years. Even if you don’t have freckles, you might have something else you feel unsure of. Most…
Category: Blog
The Dollhouse (Excerpt from a Short Story)
THE DOLLHOUSE (with an introduction) by Jennifer Ward “The Dollhouse” begins with a single universal moment—a woman coming to terms with her mother’s death. The story unfolds with the task of her sorting through her mother’s things which we know is a difficult thing to do. The feeling of nostalgia finds her when she discovers…
Three Educational Platforms Where You Can Learn From the Best
By Jennifer Ward I love learning. Anyone who knows me will tell you, “Jenn will always be a student.” But I also juggle a lot. I teach two subjects full-time. I’m a part-time graduate student. I write. I volunteer. I am always looking for freelance writing and editing gigs. Believe it or not, I can…
My Five Favorite TED Talks of All Time
By Jennifer Ward 1. Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are In this TED Talk, Amy Cuddy gives insight into our body language and communication. She discusses her own path and how she arrived at where she is today. This is my most-watched TED Talk of all time. “Fake it ’til you become it.”…
Three Books Every Educator Should Read
By Jennifer Ward For the past decade, teaching has been my life. My Brooklyn public school classroom is like a second home to me. I’m sure most teachers feel the same. I spend a lot of time there because my students are an important part of my life, and I love teaching. Over the years,…
Changing Careers: To Leave or Not to Leave
By Jennifer Ward “One day, or day one. You decide.” – Paulo Coelho Life is full of exciting moments, and changing careers is definitely one of them. But somewhere between that decisive moment and the first day of a new job, awareness starts to settle in – this major shift is also scary. Eventually, there’s…
Three Incredible Grants & Opportunities for Women Writers
By Jennifer Ward March 1st marked the beginning of Women’s History Month in the United States. In recognition of women’s contributions to our society, I thought this would be the perfect time to share a list of alternative funds for women writers. If you are an unknown writer and just starting out, money doesn’t come…
The Pros and Cons of the Hemingway Editor App
by Jennifer Ward “The first draft of anything is shit.” – Ernest Hemingway In a recent discussion in my Editing and Coaching class, my classmates and I talked about editing approaches. I mentioned the Hemingway app, and I was surprised to find that most of my classmates had yet to hear of it. About a…
The Next Book On My List: Women Talking
Someone recently recommended the novel Women Talking by Canadian author Miriam Toews. The film adaptation is out now in theaters but I think I’ll wait until I finish the book. It sounded so interesting I ordered a copy on Amazon. Of course, I wanted to share it with you as well. This one seems…
In the Style of William Faulkner
by Jennifer Ward Back when I was in high school and college, I read a few of William Faulkner’s books and short stories. Most of us have at some point read or heard of “A Rose for Emily” or come across some of his other frequently anthologized stories. I still remember his novel, As I…