In my ten years working as the community editor and as a contributing editor at Autostraddle, I’ve edited hundreds of personal essays, reported pieces, and service journalism blog posts. I work to center the writer’s voice and help polish each piece so that they are telling the best version of their own story. I believe we are each the experts of our own lives, and I edit with the goal to help my writer’s find their sharpest voice and tell their most captivating tales. Mary Ann Thomas, author of Asking For Elephants, had this to say about working with me: “I would not be the writer I am today without Vanessa’s feedback – every time she asked me to rewrite something with emotions at the center, new meanings emerged.”

Nothing makes me happier than teaching creative writing. You can find my classes through the Sarah Lawrence College Writing Institute, or we can work together one on one. I also work with high school students through the Literary Arts Writers in the Schools program. My goal is to empower students to generate new work and revise old work, introduce students to writers they may not already know, encourage students to think critically about how to tell their own personal truths, create a supportive container for students to take writing risks, and honestly, make space for fun and joy in our writing practices, because we all deserve that. 

Some recent projects I’ve loved working on include creating individualized writing tutorials, mentoring a memoirist, brainstorming college essay topics that stand out, editing copy for a health advocacy masters program, and hosting a book club. I’m open to working on any project that involves words and makes you feel inspired.

Get in touch if you’d like to propose something you don’t see listed here, if you’d like to learn more about what I offer, or just to say hi!