At Odyssey, response writers are at the heart of what we do. Using our response button feature, they carry on our mission of sparking positive, productive conversations in a polarized world.

Since we launched the response writers initiative last year, we've built a talented team of writers. Each month, we'll highlight one of them on our homepage. Our February writer of the month is Jennifer Starr, a graduate of the University of Tennessee. Read on to hear her story of becoming a response writer!

If you're interested in becoming a response writer, email us! You’ll get to choose your own topics and write one response a week to one of our top trending articles. Your work will be featured on our homepage and in our weekly Overheard on Odyssey newsletter. Plus, for your first 10 articles, you’ll be compensated by HQ at $10/response.

Hey guys! My name is Jennifer Starr and I am currently an Odyssey Writer on behalf of the Franklin, TN community. I got started with Odyssey back in college around 2018 as a content writer for The University of Tennessee. I was blessed and excited to share my voice with the world when I was granted this opportunity. Upon graduating, I stayed connected to Odyssey by becoming a community rep for the Franklin, TN community in 2020 where I managed other writers and boosted their work through the Franklin community. At the time of the pandemic, having the opportunity to write stories was my outlet and I was thankful to share my thoughts with the world.

In 2022, I became a response writer and it has been a wonderful experience thus far. Being able to read the other creator's work and interact with the Odyssey community has been good for my soul. A lot of the time, I will take pieces of the original article I am responding to and spin it into a personal story. I find my best work happens when I am being most vulnerable and open with others. Being vulnerable is scary, but to me it is a sign of strength. To peel back the emotional layers we feel as humans is uncomfortable, but, what makes it worth it is when readers find connection in my writing and feel less alone. The fact that my content is able to reach thousands of people all over is an amazing feeling and I am so lucky to be given the platform to have my voice heard.

Since becoming a response writer, I have been featured as a top article response writer and featured in Odyssey’s newest weekly email newsletter “Overheard on Odyssey”. To stay in the know with my latest work, give me a follow on my Odyssey profile so you always know when my work is published! Also, be sure to check out all the other amazing creators sharing their voices by reading, following, and spreading the good news that is on Odyssey. Cheers!