I help students tell the truest version of their stories—with clarity, creativity, and confidence.
I’m Dr. Emma Winsor Wood, a writer, editor, and longtime teacher of storytelling. For the past decade, I’ve taught creative writing, personal narrative, and composition as a professor at universities across the country. I’ve also helped over a hundred students craft vivid, reflective, deeply personal college essays that resonate with admissions officers while staying true to who they are.
I believe in a warm, humane approach: listening closely, asking the right questions, and shaping students’ ideas into essays that feel honest and alive. My background as both a published author and a professor gives me a rare lens into how young writers learn—and how their stories can shine.
I hold degrees from Harvard, the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and UC Santa Cruz, and I’m also the co-author of The Complete College Essay Handbook. My poetry and prose has appeared widely in literary journals.
My Approach
Student-centered: I believe every student has a story worth telling.
Collaborative: No templates or gimmicks—just thoughtful one-on-one work.
Ethical: I never write essays for students, only with them.
Inclusive: I’ve worked extensively with students of varied identities, backgrounds, and learning styles, including neurodivergent students.
Story-driven: I’ll help you write essays that sound like you, not like ChatGPT or an adult!