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…
Tag: Writing
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…
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…
Dreams, Stories, and Publication
by Jennifer Ward I have some exciting news to share! About a month ago, I received the message that my essay, “The Courage to Rekindle a Dream,” would be published in The Penman Review. And, sure enough, on December 23rd, it was on their front page! I cannot begin to describe how I feel…
Three Incredible Programs That Fund Emerging Writers
by Jennifer Ward Making a living as a writer isn’t easy, and neither is funding creative writing projects. We write because we love it, not to get rich. But how do we survive as writers? It is one of the few professions an individual can earn less money than teaching. As a writer and a…
A Playlist for Writers Who Like to Run…or Walk
by Jennifer Ward Before I became sick with COVID last May, I loved to walk and do interval jogging. Fitness has always been a big part of my life. I did it all—aerial yoga, Zumba, dance yoga, HIIT, cardio kickboxing, vinyasa yoga, cheerleading, track, aerobics, Pilates, Peloton, personal training, and of course, the treadmill. Unfortunately,…
The Value of an English Degree: On Making the Most of an Education
by Jennifer Ward “Education is one thing no one can take away from you.” Elin Nordegren Many of us who were English majors might have heard: “Well, I guess you could always teach,” or “Are you sure a degree in English is worth it?” While I was an undergraduate student in my twenties, I…
Five Books Every Writer Should Own
by Jennifer Ward Writing has always been part of my life in one way or another. As a child, my journey began with writing short stories and poems about family summer vacations. As a teenager, I kept a journal for many years, writing about crushes and teenage drama. Today, I’m grateful that I can…
Author Interview
By Jennifer Ward Recently, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by author and fellow MFA graduate student Faith Harris at Southern New Hampshire University. Read on to learn more about recent projects I’ve worked on, and what inspired me to write contemporary fiction. FH: Let’s talk about process. Starting with, where do you write?…