Testimonials
Writing Coaching/Editorial Services
I came to Jennifer because I was struggling to structure my non-fiction book. I had way too many puzzle pieces scattered everywhere, with no clue how to begin piecing them together. Jennifer is like the Marie Kondo of coaches: she helped me find true joy in writing, and provided me with rigorous feedback and clear organization to place the elements of my story in their respective homes. Within a matter of weeks, I was able to go from word zero to having a strong proposal. I found my dream literary agent a little over a month later, and signed my dream book deal soon after. Working with Jennifer is a priceless investment for any writer at any stage of their process. She took me from page one to a publishing deal in under six months!
— Rena
When I lost perspective on my manuscript, a friend recommended I look into Jennifer Dickinson as a possible outside eye. From our first communication she was professional, responsive and brilliant. I couldn’t believe how quickly she read and responded to my 95,000 word book. She immediately “got” what I was going for and helped present a big picture on where I’d lost my way. Her feedback was invaluable, inspired, personal and oh so smart. I think a writer/editor of Jennifer’s caliber could look at any piece of writing, be it prose, memoir, creative nonfiction, a play, a screenplay or a poem and be able to assist the writer in honing their vision and raising the work to the next level.
— Lisa
I write TV pilots, but I've always wanted to write a book. And I've attempted to write several novels. But every time I would get to 20,000 words and give up—I'd end up throwing away the entire thing. I finally took the plunge and hired Jennifer for five weeks of memoir coaching. And it is the best investment I've ever made in my writing.
Jennifer is generous with her time and feedback. She is hilarious, intelligent, patient, thorough, and SO fun to work with—I always looked forward to our weekly Zoom meetings. She is the perfect balance of honesty and encouragement—she will tell you the truth and hold your hand through the process, but will absolutely push you to dive deep and get the work done. Her method of breaking down the structure of a book has given me a much better understanding of what goes into crafting a book.
Jennifer has given me the confidence to write an entire memoir, which would have been a huge mess without her. Since coaching with her, I've been working on my memoir every day and I'm not throwing anything away. I cannot recommend her enough!
— Whitney
Jennifer is a gem. Her criticism is honest and constructive. Her approach is patient and warm. She’s fearless, clear headed, and has a refined palette for excellent writing. She helped me uncover a treasure trove of stories inside me. With her coaching, we shaped my stories into a manuscript which I submitted to an agent. I'm thrilled to say that agent recently decided to represent me, and none of this would have happened without Jennifer's help. Jennifer is brilliant. She's clear and honest, kind without being syrupy, and she's masterful at knowing exactly what a piece of writing needs to make it shine. I can honestly say that I'm a better writer because of the work I’ve done with Jennifer. If you think there's a book inside of you, do yourself a favor and work with her. I can't recommend her highly enough!
— Elaine
I HAVE A LITERARY AGENT AT A TOP NYC AGENCY!!! I didn't even send out a query letter—I just went to one event, pitched the idea to an agent, and he signed me on the spot. This would NOT have happened if Jennifer's coaching hadn't instilled in me the confidence as a writer and as a woman to pursue telling my story on the page, at the podium and to industry players that I didn't think I was ready to talk to. When I signed up to work with Jennifer, I thought I was simply hiring someone to help me improve my manuscript. What I didn't expect was to find someone who, through coaching my writing process, helped me transform my own experience of being a writer, really of being in my own life. Writing is such a vulnerable thing. In Jennifer I found a safety and warmth that gently and persistently encouraged me to reach into the depths of my story. If you're feeling stuck on draft after draft and wondering if you're merely pushing food around on your verbal plate, give yourself the gift of coming to the table with Jennifer to help you turn the corner and make the progress you really want to make on your piece!
— Cat
I came to Jennifer after querying my book proposal for several months. I received kind letters of encouragement from various agents, but ultimately they always passed. I consistently heard from agents that they wanted to hear more of my voice. I tried to make this revision myself, but I felt like I had lost my voice due to a mix of things going on in my life. I reached out to Jennifer to help me find my voice again, and to help me structure a more compelling narrative around the story I am trying to tell. After working with Jennifer for several months, she helped me find my voice again. As any writer knows, this isn’t an easy feat. Jennifer helped me put together a solid book proposal that ultimately helped me land a dream agent. I’m so grateful to have a writing coach and mentor like Jennifer who is such a pleasure to work with, and always so thoughtful and smart with her feedback. And bonus, she’s a lovely human being who genuinely cares about my writing. If you're serious about your book proposal, and need someone who will help you take it to the next level to get a literary agent, I highly recommend working with Jennifer.
— Nicole
Jennifer is my indispensable light in the dark on my first venture into book writing. She is encouraging and positive, finding the gems in my messy drafts and bringing them to the light to polish and explore, but she also has laser sharp instincts about ways to reshape, deepen, and expand upon my pieces. She functions both as my nurturing therapist and as my intelligent, intuitive editor, and she pushes me to go excavate and unearth more about myself and my stories than I think is possible. She also lights the kindest of fires under my butt, which I need, or I wouldn't write at all. I was breaking my brain on one of my essays, and she gave me concrete, specific suggestions to restructure it in a way that suddenly brought clarity to the bigger picture. I call her my book doula: she's helping this tender, vulnerable creation of mine to be born into the world. I can't recommend her enough.
— Lyssa
Jen set me up with a strong foundation of understanding memoir and the writing devices I could utilize which made my transition from business writing experience to personal writing easy. She even coached me to submit an excerpt of my memoir in written form that I was proud to have selected for publication in an online magazine.
I’m grateful for my experience working with Jennifer and her desire and dedication to help me succeed in my memoir project. She has a unique talent to connect with writers and encourage us to share our transformative stories.
— Callann
Writers’ Nest
I look forward to Jennifer's Writers' Nest sessions every week. She has an intuitive ability to choose the perfect poetry prompt for each of us to write to, and the sessions are incredibly generative. One of the pieces I wrote on my third Writers' Nest session was recently accepted for publication. I'm grateful to be a member of this community.
— Aileen
Writers’ Nest sessions are my brightest hours during the week. The poems, alongside the nurturing instructor and participants, have helped me develop my voice as a writer and a human being. This class is a gift that keeps you sane and joyous in a time that is anything but.
— Nicola
These nights for me are therapeutic. Jennifer picks excellent, hefty poems that are a rich source material for our responses. It gives me an opportunity to relax my mind and write something completely different from my day job.
What I love most about these Writers’ Nest sessions is the sense of camaraderie that the participants have. We don’t come to critique each other. We come to try something new, and celebrate each other along the way.
— Maria
I am writing more often. Putting pen to paper is easier because I've had months' worth of sparkling, intelligent women smiling and nodding their heads while I read out words I've thrown down in twenty minutes in response to brilliant poetry. I'm not trying to polish things. I'm just writing. Recently two of my friends have joined Writers' Nest recently and I know that they find it invaluable, especially life under Covid. We call Jennifer our "Poetry Witch" because she always seems to give us poems that relate to what we're processing in our own lives. Writers' Nest lifts me up by facilitating a space for me to be in the company of wonderful women who appreciate language and each other. I am extremely grateful to have this opportunity.
— Chloe
Chapter One Workshop
I had contemplated expanding writing beyond my journal, and Chapter One Workshop provided a great starting point for doing that. Jennifer facilitated the creative process with prompts and exercises that allowed me to explore putting my pen to the page without judgment or expectations. It was fun. It was freeing. I had no idea what I wanted from the experience going into it, but i came out knowing that I would write more, and I have done just that. I continued to work on a piece that I started in Chapter One Workshop a year ago, and it just got accepted for publication in an online journal!
— Julie
I had the honor of attending Jennifer's 1st workshop of 2019 and it was wonderful to kick off my year from a place of creative freedom, bravery, and sisterhood. Jennifer is an awesome workshop facilitator. From the moment I stepped into the workshop space, her warmth set me at ease. Over 4 hours, we moved through activities that I could tell were carefully planned to make sure we could be our most honest and creative selves. It was the first time I felt free from the judgmental inner voice that often plagues me when I sit down to write. By the end of the workshop session, I felt energized, grateful, and confident in my ability to produce work that feels personal and meaningful throughout the rest of the year. I'm very appreciative of Jennifer's time and generosity. Y'all… TAKE THIS WORKSHOP! You won't regret it. It's a small, but mighty gift to give yourself as a writer and an artist.
— Michelle
After taking Jennifer's workshop, I realized how important it is for me to 1) surround myself with women and 2) to write freely without any expectations. I went into the workshop feeling frustrated with my own projects due to a block in my creativity and the pressure I put on myself to get work done. Letting go of this perfectionism for four hours on a Sunday re-taught me that my best work shows up when I am having fun. Thanks for getting me excited to write again!
— Whitney
Jennifer's workshop reawakened a creative spirit in me that I hadn't tapped into since I first started writing! Spending 3 hours with four other women was such a wonderful inspirational experience, I would do it again in a heartbeat. I'd recommend Jennifer's workshop not only to women who write already, but to women who are looking to try it for the first time. Really, anyone looking to find creative inspiration in any aspect of their lives. You will walk out of the room feeling confident and inspired, with four new women to call friends. Thank you Jennifer!
— Kelly
I made a career out of supporting writers, but my own blank pages had been staring me down—and winning—since I was a child. Jennifer's workshop was the first time I'd ever shared my own creative writing, and it was transformative. I gained a whole new way to approach writing as well as a galactic boost in confidence, inspiration, and excitement.
— Ellie
I am someone who has always kept journals since a child, who wrote angsty poems in my teenage years and early 20s, and presently, write for my blog for my business. Now, I want to focus on writing a bigger fiction piece. I didn't know where to begin because of the inner voices telling me I couldn't be a novelist. Jennifer makes for a comfortable, safe environment so we can be open to ourselves and others. She sets up a calm environment. I've been to one other writing group that was focused on critiquing works-in-progress. The majority of the group was male, and the time became more about the facilitator than about the group as a whole or the writer asking for help. It was a very intimidating environment and I didn't dare share my work. In contrast, Jennifer and the women in the group make you feel that you have something important to say - a story rumbling in the inner depths of your soul- and I actually appreciated the different styles and voices each woman in the group brought to the table. Because of the small number of women in each workshop, it is intimate and you are encouraged to participate. You are given the space to speak your mind without judgment from others. I highly recommend women writers, wherever you are on the spectrum of experience and progress, to experience Chapter One Workshop. It's therapeutic and gets your creative juices flowing. It is not a place for critique but a way to expose personal barriers, connect with others, and address writing blocks. Not to mention, meeting some lovely ladies on the way.
— Guen
I felt like I had been in a funk with my own writing and needed something to shake me out of it. Jennifer's workshop really helped remind me how to tap back into my own voice and reawaken my creative spirit. The intimate setting means there's nowhere to hide, but Jennifer helps create such a calm, warm and inviting environment that leaves everyone feeling open to share and incredibly safe.
— Meredith
As a professional writer constantly competing for my next gig, I had lost touch with writing for the joy of writing. Jennifer's exercises in her workshop helped me reconnect with that cathartic feeling I used to get journaling late at night in my room. Forget the juice cleanse, forget the yoga retreat—in just a few hours you'll feel new again!
— Marissa
Chapter One Workshop is a one of a kind experience that every female writer should take if they find themselves struggling for inspiration. I stopped writing for years and could never seem to find the spark to light my creative flame. However, after attending the workshop, I find I cannot contain the blaze of inspiration that runs wild inside of me. I am almost halfway through my first project, and already have plans for two more that I am dying to start. I find myself writing for hours on the daily; when not writing, I am constantly thinking about it. I felt extremely safe to be myself and share my work, even at its most raw. I loved the intimacy of the workshop. It made me feel bonded with the others in attendance. It was such a positive and nurturing experience. I wished the workshop would never end. I cannot express my gratitude enough to the host, Jennifer, for giving me a most precious gift.
— Joey
This workshop was the perfect fit for me. Jennifer immediately makes you feel safe and comfortable. The other women were amazing and supportive. I loved hearing their voices, both written and in conversation. It was comforting to be surrounded by supportive women with different perspectives. I never felt pressured and was surprised by how inspired I felt at the close. I work well with guidance and guidelines, so the prompts and timed writing really spoke to me and are things I plan to continue doing in my writing. By the end of the workshop I felt like I was part of a writer's group. I would love to take it again. I am only beginning to find my voice and this workshop will only help push me forward. Thank you Jennifer!
— Kate
Spending an afternoon in the Chapter One workshop was a true delight. It opened me up to trying out new forms of writing that I hadn’t previously considered for myself and it was fun to be surprised by myself. I loved spending the day feeling fully open to a new experience and learning from a group of badass creatives. I recommend it highly for anyone who needs to feel a sense of discovery about their own work.
— Celeste
I was stuck in a place where I was disillusioned with writing, and I felt like my current project was crushing me with anxiety and pressure. After experiencing the Chapter One Workshop, I found a completely freeing space that helped me to fall back in love with writing. Jennifer Dickinson acts as a guide through exercises that pull you out of your comfort zone and help you to write without any judgment, especially from yourself! I was surprised by the pieces I created, and I feel inspired to go back to my project.
— Lisa
The Female Experience Weekend
Jennifer created a most amazing experience! She brought together creative women from a variety of fields and over the weekend we did some powerful writing. The retreat gave space for deep reflection, creating, connecting and hearing from the group how to make each of our work stronger. The prompts that Jennifer offered and the tips she shared were extremely useful!
— Nicole
I had never been on a writing retreat prior to this weekend. I was a little worried about expectations and dealing with other people for an entire 48 hours. I am pleased to report these fears were entirely unfounded. Jennifer put together a thoughtful group of women and had an endless supply of creative prompts and exercises for us to participate in. I never felt pressured or judged by any of the other writers, in fact I’ve never been in such a supportive environment. Our schedule of activities felt just busy enough; we had a great break on Saturday that allowed me to simply enjoy the nature around us. I didn’t realize how much being in nature would affect me and my writing. I felt inspired in new ways and now truly understand how important environment is for my creative process. Thank you Jennifer!
— Kate
I am still marveling at how much being out of LA on the retreat and in the middle of nature inspired me last weekend. I wrote things I never expected to write and the whole experience of being with these other women, sharing stories and meals together, turned out to be a very powerful thing that keeps us connected to each other going forward. This truly is ‘the female experience,’ but you won’t know what that means until you go yourself!
— Lisa
Going into Jennifer’s retreat weekend, the only expectations I had, were the ones I put on myself. Which is why, it’s no small feat that Jennifer was able to lift that weight off and give me the freedom and support I needed to dull the voice of my harshest critic: myself. The most honest review I can give, is to simply say that I’ll be back. Back to a weekend I often think about when the cursor on my screen blinks at me. Back to a place where time stood still and the simplicity of pen on paper won the day.
— Marissa
Signing up for this retreat was like finally buying that piece of cake I always wanted but had convinced myself I didn’t deserve. (Guess what?! I did deserve it! And it was delicious!) When it’s so hard for women to take time for our writing and especially for ourselves, the Female Experience retreat offers a getaway where obligations, traffic, and dirty dishes fade away. Our hours are spent reading, writing, snacking and sharing under Jennifer Dickinson’s expert guidance, thoughtful support, and genuine encouragement. I loved going through meditations, responding to prompts, and discussing my work with other women while taking in the surrounding woods. I found our time together to be both relaxing and invigorating, communal and quiet. For any woman writer looking for a break from the daily grind and safe space to spill your writing guts, this retreat is for you!