Who Am I?
I’m Jenn Ryan and I’m a freelance writer for hire based just outside of Washington, DC.
After graduating from Penn State University in 2014 with a major in in English and a minor in German (Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch!), I started The Green Writing Desk in 2015 with the goal of continuing my passion of writing and helping others reach their goals.
Experienced in a diverse range of subject areas, I help clients across a variety of industries with content and copywriting projects including blog articles, email series, webpages, social media content, and much more.
My favorite topics are related to natural health—think nutrition, exercise, health conditions, or self-care, but truth be told I love writing (and researching) about just about anything. Some favorite topics of mine include the toxoplasma gondii virus, teeth, and organic cosmetics.
I’ve also studied under copywriters Henneke Duistermaat and Karen Marston to learn more copywriting skills post-college!
Why Work With Me?
I ask questions, I’m responsive, I’m knowledgeable about many different industry topics, and when you work with me, your writing is NEVER outsourced. I alone will be writing your content! (See my Ethics Statement for more details.)
I’m also flexible and can accommodate most requests, whether you need a piece of content ASAP or pro bono work for a charitable organization. I’m accountable and always take responsibility for my work—you can expect honesty and transparency when you work with me.
“If you want a writer who will meet deadlines every single time, give you high-quality work that doesn’t sound like it’s come from a generic content mill, and follow guidelines to a tee but will also incorporate her own flair and super-comprehensive research, look no further than Jenn!”
– Sarah Ban, Founder of Sarah Ban & Co.
5 Fun Facts About Me
- I’m a proud rabbit mom and am honored to take care of five rescued bunnies who I adore: Sevim Isser, Noomi Bambalina, Moon Sven, Hava Dalal, and Maja Jade.
- I’ve been married since 2018 to my amazing husband Ian.
- I’m a Cancer sun sign with a moon in Gemini and an Aries rising.
- I’m very avid about spending time outdoors. You can often find me grounding, walking down the road, running, playing with my bunnies in the grass, or just lying in the sun somewhere.
- I also really love cars and motorcycles and can identify a car’s make, model, and year by its headlights.
How I Got Here (In Case You Were Interested)
I have always been a writer. While I was struggling in math classes, I was writing novels in second grade. I always knew I wanted to write professionally and dreamed of being a freelance writer as I got older due to the diversity and flexibility it offered.
After graduating high school one year early at the age of 16, I took a year break from my education during which I randomly got very sick. I was diagnosed with a rare and incurable autoimmune disease called dermatomyositis that left me in a wheelchair and unable to care for myself.
I recovered to a point and started community college at age 18 with a nursing major. The economy at that time was not great and I had no idea how I would make a living as a writer.
After becoming a certified phlebotomist and working in a hospital 12 hours a day early on in my nursing education, I realized that I didn’t want to be a nurse.
My college career took a few turns after that (as well as my personal life, when I realized my autoimmune disease was the result of a gluten intolerance and I made a full recovery—you can read more about that here). I ended up at Penn State University as an English major. In 2014, I graduated on the Dean’s List from Penn State with a B.A in English with a minor in German.
Before I even got my diploma in the mail, I was offered a job as a technical writer at a security firm just outside of Washington, DC. I was very excited about the job, having aspired to have more of a focus on tech writing at Penn State—but I walked out of the office three days later crying and told my boss I wasn’t coming back.
I can’t explain what happened at the job, all I can say is that there was something in me that was screaming that this wasn’t it for me.
I took another year to decide what I wanted to do. During this time, I worked at N Street Village, the largest provider of housing and supportive services for homeless women in DC. This environment was very healing for me and I met some amazing people who encouraged me to continue following my dream of being a writer.
And so, in 2015 at the age of 25, I started The Green Writing Desk and haven’t looked back. I truly love what I do and am living my dream!
