Welcome!
Hi! I'm Ashley Fenker, author of "Good (Enough) Mother: Stories and Essays"
Welcome!
Write My Story is a newsletter about the craft of writing personal stories & living a life worth remembering.
Here you’ll find essays on writing, creativity, craft, shaping our life stories, curiosity, paying attention, growth, learning, experimenting, motherhood, work/career choices, and, quite frankly, anything I would like to write about.
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Path to Published is a podcast series where I’ve documented my journey to publish my essay collection on March 11, 2025. Join me for a deep dive into the intersection between creativity and business.
All of these top episodes are free to binge:
I’m also the author of Stuff Moms Google, a newsletter for (anxious) new moms who find themselves looking for all the answers to modern motherhood at 2am in your search bar. While I stopped writing this newsletter in May 2024, I’m very proud of this body of work and may return to it in the future.
How to Show Your Support:
Purchase or gift a copy of Good (Enough) Mother for that special reader in your life who craves stories that make you think more deeply and laugh along the way.
Good (Enough) Mother released on March 11, 2025 as a #1 Top New Release on Amazon. It was distinguished as a recipient of Awards & Accolades from Kirkus Reviews, and was featured in the May 1st issue of Kirkus Reviews Magazine.
If you don’t know me, I’m an essayist and freelance professional writer, with essays published in O, The Oprah Magazine, Upworthy, Fathom Magazine, Scary Mommy, Coffee + Crumbs, and more. My essays have gone viral, bringing in hundreds of thousands of page views from readers across the globe.
I hold a BA in English and Communication, with a minor in Writing, from McDaniel College, and an MA in Biblical and Theological Studies, with a focus in Media Arts and Worship, from Dallas Theological Seminary. I have 15+ years experience working as a professional writer and editor in various marketing and communications roles in agency, nonprofit, editorial, and education environments.
I’m a wife, cat mom, and mom to a toddler who loves to eat cat litter, paint, and sand. We live in a quiet country house in Maryland where we’re awaiting the arrival of our daughter in the summer of 2025.
What Readers Are Saying About Good (Enough) Mother:
"Poignant... Fenker reflects on her path to motherhood in this set of essays and stories that encourage extending grace to mothers and their difficult journeys... Fenker's interior, epistolary style of writing deepens her reflections, allowing readers an intimate view of her world, including the traumas and emotional complexities of her illnesses and pregnancy. The episodic structure of her narrative makes for an immersive read, and her clear, honest prose offers readers a heartfelt look at one woman's experience." —Kirkus Reviews
"I'm not sure how a book that asks so many questions feels so satisfying, but that is the beauty of these spare and darkly funny essays. Ashley's stories are sad and hopeful and a little bit weird—my very favorite kind. I inhaled this book in one sitting. Ashley's writing is haunting, whether she is imagining her own funeral or making grocery lists. My only complaint is that I want more." —Elizabeth Passarella, author of Good Apple and It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway
"In Good (Enough) Mother, Ashley Fenker explores the mysterious question that brings shallow breath to every mother: Who will we be to our children? Written in a jilted cadence that echoes our collective uncertainty, each essay invites us all to seek - and find - the answers we must."—Erin Loechner, author of Chasing Slow and The Opt-Out Family
"If motherhood was a book it would be exactly this: unexpected, bruisingly beautiful, and overflowing with doubt, paint, new ways to cook chicken, and passion. My must-read for this year."—Lisa-Jo Baker, author of Never Unfriended and It Wasn't Roaring, It Was Weeping
"What does it mean to be a good mom? Ashley Fenker's essay collection, Good (Enough) Mother, explores this question as she chronicles her pilgrimage to becoming a mother and adapting to her new role. The author's candid essays and vignettes—written with an eye for beauty and the craft of a poet—invite readers into Fenker's world as she wrestles with chronic illness, modern expectations of motherhood, and faith. Highly recommended for anyone willing to embrace the beautiful messiness of motherhood." —Sandra Glahn, author of When Empty Arms Become a Heavy Burden
"Good (Enough) Mother surprised and delighted me. Ashley Fenker's writing is creative and clever, playful and wise. I didn't want it to be over. I can't stop thinking about it. You should read this book."—Christie Purifoy, author of Roots and Sky and Placemaker
As Seen In:
Featured guest on Stephanie May Wilson’s Girls Night Podcast, part of the That Sounds Fun Network: “Girls Night #290: An Honest Conversation about Motherhood and Chronic Illness”
Featured guest on Diane Boden’s Clear Intentions Podcast, formerly the Minimalist Moms Podcast: “Good (Enough) Mother | Ashley Fenker (EP29)”
Guest essay excerpt featured on
’s Substack, A Wonderful Mess: “Playgroups Are Dead”Guest interview featured on
’s Substack, The Sustainable Solopreneur: “Going all in on your creative dreams”Featured in
’s Substack, : “February Book Report”Featured in
’ Substack, Morning Person: Issue #188Featured in
March newsletter: “That's How We're Going to Make It: Together”Featured on a curated list of Indie Mother’s Day Picks on Bookshop.org
Contact:
For all publicity and media opportunities, please contact ashleyafenker [at] gmail.com.
