About Writing with Jenna
How it started, and where we’re heading
Our Story
Writing with Jenna helps people connect with their innate storyteller—and each other—through writing. Don’t know where to start? Grab a pen! Already have a writing practice? Great—take a seat at the table! This is your invitation to come to a blank page and fill it.
Even if you’re not trying to sell your first novel or launch a career as a writer, the simple act of writing is enough to level up your life. Science has shown that writing helps you be more present, achieve greater clarity, make meaning of your experiences, and strengthen your resilience. It’s also an instant mood-booster! Add a dash of travel and a community of brilliant people, and you have the makings of a great lifestyle. Writing with Jenna will show you how to get there.
Whether you write as a hobby, for personal growth, or to advance your career, we have a path for you: online, self-paced courses to kickstart your writing routine; a membership community to help you dive deeper into guidance and process; and immersive writing journeys that provide a truly transformative experience. Or, if you’re just looking for an occasional dose of inspiration (and exclusive event invitations), you can sign up for our newsletter, Spilled Ink.
Begin anywhere, come as you are, and let’s write.
Our Values
Always explore.
We support writers as they navigate new creative, personal, and worldly terrain. This community seeks to travel beyond our comfort zone.
Find your voice.
We nurture the connection between authors and words, guiding people to discover their inner voice and write their unique story.
Dig deep.
We encourage you to reflect and grow through the act of writing. We strive for greater understanding of the world and the way narratives shape society.
About Jenna
After graduating from Ithaca College with a BA in creative nonfiction writing, Jenna worked at San Francisco magazine as a staff writer and editor, during which the magazine won multiple National Magazine and Webby Awards. During her decade as a freelancer, Jenna has reported from more than 25 countries around the world. She is a correspondent for Condé Nast Traveler, and her stories have appeared in the Atlantic, WIRED, BBC Travel, Travel + Leisure, AFAR, Vogue, Sunset, Marie Claire, SELF, O, the Oprah Magazine, and others. Jenna's essays are anthologized in The Best American Science and Nature Writing (2022), The Best Women's Travel Writing (volumes 9 and 11), and An Innocent Abroad (Lonely Planet). She has won multiple Solas Awards and the Lowell Thomas Award for travel journalism.
Jenna has taught writing to aspiring writers, entrepreneurs, and students at Stanford and UC Berkeley. She’s also worked with global brands like Google, Airbnb, and Levi’s to help strengthen their storytelling skills. She served as faculty at the Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers Conference, Women's Travel Fest, and the Global Wellness Summit. She’s also attended competitive writing and artists programs like Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and The Arctic Circle Artist & Science Residency.
Six years ago she moved to Turkey, where she’s deepened her storytelling skills in one of the world's most complex regions. She also adopted a street cat and named her Frida! That’s where Writing with Jenna began…
Jenna began writing at an early age, as a way to discover and connect with the world around her. Now she’s an award-winning writer and journalist whose work explores the intersection of place and culture.
1989
I learned to look where no one else is looking. That’s where the magic happens.
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I also learned it’s important to be yourself—and be your own fashion icon—no matter what others think.
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…and I discovered that the right group of friends can lead to a lifetime of creativity (still my besties)!
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2004
Growing up I was an avid reader, but it wasn’t until college that I discovered the power of writing while working for my college’s independent news magazine.
2008
After graduation, I started traveling solo, backpacking and doing work exchanges on farms in Europe and Asia. I always kept a journal for documenting my journeys. I found that writing every day deepened my connection to the world and helped me make meaning of my experiences. I wanted to turn those pages into stories that people would read, but had no idea how to break into publishing.
2009
I got an internship at San Francisco magazine, working as a fact-checker.
The editors there took me under their wing and mentored me, allowing me to eventually move into a staff writing and editing role.
2013
During my time at San Francisco magazine, we won National Magazine and Webby Awards.
I wrote features about travel, culture, and food, as well as public interest investigations. As managing editor, I led our news meetings, managed production, and assigned stories to freelance writers.
2014
I started freelancing for magazines and newspapers full-time.
I produced long-form investigative reporting features for the Atlantic and WIRED, served as an international travel correspondent for Condé Nast Traveler, and published personal travel essays in books for Lonely Planet.
As Seen In
2022
I decided to start Writing with Jenna to introduce people to their innate author and inspire the world to write.
