From the moment you enroll, you'll find...
- Tangible, easily accessible, and surprisingly simple strategies for that moment of staring down a blank page or screen
- An irresistible blend of levity and practicality
- Ways to use your own writing as a source of more material
- Suggestions for expanding beyond your default writing habits
- Compassionate exercises for relating to the inner critic
- Guest appearances from Julia Child, Virtute the cat, Chalupa the English bulldog, and two-year-old Jena
- And more!
Hi, I’m Jena (rhymes with henna)!
Are you tired of waiting for inspiration to strike, beating yourself up, not having enough time or energy to write, staring at the blinking cursor, and comparing yourself to other writers?
I get it. That was me in 2014. I felt stuck, lonely, and woefully disconnected from myself as a writer.
So I decided to try something new. I created 10 prompts and led a two-week online writing group. Twelve people came together with no goal other than to practice – and practice we did. The writing and sense of connection spurred me to do it again the next month, and the next, and again after that. By the summer of 2015, I made up a title for myself, quit my day job as a career counselor, and began "promptressing" full time, offering fierce encouragement for writing + life to new and experienced writers alike.
In the years since, my work with thousands of people has convinced me of our need for approaches to getting words on the page that center practice, play, and possibility – setting aside polishing, producing, publishing, and perfectionism. (In Module 2, you'll learn about "p" words :)
Whether you're brand new to writing practice or you're in a rut of old habits and self-imposed rules, this course will help you loosen up the words, be kinder to yourself, and discover more creative ease on and off the page.
Enroll today!
"Jena Schwartz is an extraordinary writer, a barely-discovered national treasure." ~ Michael Simms, author and founder of Vox Populi
Whether you realize it or not, you, too, are an extraordinary writer.
It doesn't matter if you are writing family stories for your grandchildren, opinion pieces for the local newspaper, the poetry of your heart, your first (or fifth) novel, or observations about your real life as it happens – writing is writing.
And now, for the first time, you can experience my signature fierce encouragement, warmth, intelligence, and curly-headed kindness in a completely asynchronous course!
Plus, after you enroll, you'll have the opportunity to sign up for three private coaching sessions with me with a significant discount.
Start where you are
What if the conditions are already perfect? Your desk may not look like an Instagram post, your insomnia might be giving you a run for your money, and your word well may be dry. That's ok! This course invites you to start exactly where you are.
Blah blah blah
Some days, your writing may be total garbage. Some days, you will barely make it out of the blah blah blahs. Some days, you may not write anything at all. That's ok! This course will help you get more comfortable with all of this as part of your practice.
Unlikely teachers
A byproduct of Getting Words on the Page may be that you start seeing teachers, perspectives, and ideas in unlikely places. In addition to writing more consistently, you may start noticing your curiosity and attention coming to life in new ways.
What You'll Find Inside
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will this course help me publish my writing?
A: The focus of this course is not on publishing, but rather on the act of writing itself. So the short answer is no. On the other hand, this course may help you generate new material that eventually leads to you submitting it for publication. The course is about the process, not the outcome, of your writing practice.
Q: Will I benefit from this course even if I’m already an experienced writer?
A: Absolutely. You could have a bevy of writing awards under your belt and still benefit from this course. It’s designed specifically to help you reconnect with the fundamentals – and fun – of writing practice. Sometimes, that is the very magic experienced writers need in order to reconnect with your voice.
Q: I’m just starting out and to be honest, I’m really insecure about my writing abilities. Will I be able to keep up with this course?
A: Yes! All of the material here is designed to be equally accessible and useful for brand-new writers and established writers alike. The activities in the course will meet you exactly where you are. You’ll have the opportunity to email me during the course if you have a specific question.
Q: What makes this course different from other writing courses?
A: The course is both practical AND deeply human. You will be reminded, again and again, that showing up matters, that everything you write counts, and that you do not have to write a bestseller in order to call yourself a writer. If you would like a hefty dose of kindness and compassion with your writing exercises and tools, this course is for you.
Q: Do I submit my work to you?
A: No. A big part of this course is developing the muscle of writing regularly and being your own witness, rather than turning to outside validation.
Q: But what if I want feedback, coaching, or editing?
A: Wonderful! You have the option of scheduling a free 15-minute "meet and greet" call or a coaching session with me if you’d like to discuss going forward with any or all of these.
Q: How long does the course last, and how much time will I spend on it?
A: That is ultimately up to you, as the course is entirely self-paced. All of the material will be available to you as soon as you enroll. Plan to spend anywhere from 1-3 hours per module. You could complete the whole course in a matter of days, or you could take your sweet time and stretch it out over the course of a month, completing one module per week. Another thing to note is that the material in this course is timeless and reusable, so you may find yourself dipping back in long after your first go.
Q: What if I can’t think of anything to write?
A: This course offers LOTS of practice writing even when you don't know what to write. Rather than experiencing that blank moment as an emergency, you can also use it as an opportunity to check in with yourself. My suggestion is to begin writing anyway, using a simple grounding phrase such as, “I’m sitting…” or choosing a sense and writing as much as you can about it. There are always ways in, and the key is to keep the words coming even if you don’t like them or don’t know where they’re taking you. Moments like this don't go away, but moving through them does get easier with practice.
Q: Can I get a refund if I don’t end up liking the course?
A: All payments are final and nonrefundable. If you start the course and don't like it at first, I encourage you to keep going anyway. It could be your inner critic talking – and Module 4 of the course offers you a whole new way of relating to that voice :)
Q: Will I have time for this course if I'm super busy?
A: Of course it is up to you to make time to complete the course, but the short answer here is yes! The course is entirely self-paced and consists of many shorter activities, so you can move through it in whatever way works best for your life. Also, your access to the course will be ongoing, so even if you end up being too busy now, you can return to it later.
Q: I have a short attention span. Will I be able to complete this course?
A: The videos are all under five minutes each, and many of the activities are meant to be completed in 10-minute chunks. You do not need to sit and write for three hours at a time (unless you want to).
Q: Will taking this course improve my writing?
A: The goal of this course is not to make you a “better” writer as much as it is to help you become more at ease with the act of sitting down to write on a regular basis, getting words on the page – any words – and helping you develop more consistency, curiosity, and self-compassion along the way. So the answer here is less of a “yes” or “no” and more that it’s simply not a primary concern. My belief is that you can’t improve your writing if you’re not writing consistently in the first place. This course will help you do that, and from there, there are many ways to focus on things like grammar, craft, and technique.
Q: I’ve taken tons of writing courses and read lots of writing books already. Should I still sign up?
A: Yes! But don't take it from me. Here's what one Getting Words on the Page alum has to say:
“This was a beautifully packaged toolkit that I will for sure continue to revisit in helping me get words on the page. I've read both ends of the spectrum when it comes to writing prompt books [and courses] – some being like, 'Write a poem about air' while others are like 700 pages of abstract musings on how to tap into the Akashic records in order to generate creative ideas. Getting Words on the Page was practical and accessible, and every exercise was both useable and re-useable. What you provide here is a simple and powerful framework for actually sitting down to write. I LOVE that.”
~ Adam Ortiz
Q: Will I have access to the course content once I'm done?
Yes! Once you enroll in the course, you can repeat it or return to specific lessons as many times as you'd like.
Have a question you don't see answered here? Drop Jena a note.
"Everything that makes Jena a powerful and transformational writing coach is embedded in this eCourse." ~ Nukhet Govdeli Hendricks
"Jena's inclusiveness and belief in each writer's potential have transformed my life." ~ Lesley Salas
"There’s something about Jena that invites words. She provides achievable tactics and exercises to keep me writing without judgement." ~ Una Basak
"Jena helped me develop my writing practice from the ground up." ~ James Kerti
"Our work together has strengthened my writing practice immeasurably." ~ Joe Kadi
"Jena’s questions and encouragement become gateways to writing with purpose." ~ Rachel Weishaar
"Jena makes writing a possibility. Working with her, resistance melts away and the creativity flows." ~ Miki DeVivo
"Over the years, Jena’s programs and coaching gave me the courage to be more authentic on the page." ~ Denise Silk
"She infuses the work with levity and encouraged me to have fun with the process while also pushing me to extend to the edges. I consider myself lucky to count her as one of my writing mentors." ~ Brianna Bond
