Jay Thompson

Background

About Jay Thompson

I’ve been writing professionally since 2007 and am seeking freelance clients, though I’m also open to a permanent position if the job is an exceptionally good fit. Though I specialize in writing about science and engineering, I’m well-equipped to tackle a variety of topics for a range of audiences and mediums. When I wrote for community newspapers, I interviewed and cultivated rapport with government officials, business owners, activists, students, and other members of communities. Graduate school helped strengthen my ability to unpack and explain scientific and technical concepts for lay-readers, but also taught me to bring greater intention to the large-scale and small-scale structure of writing. I further refined my understanding of the craft while teaching an undergraduate writing course at The Johns Hopkins University for a couple of years before landing a thrilling and inspiring job at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA embedded me in the Cassini and Europa Clipper missions to write original content for the agency’s websites. I followed my curiosity, interviewing and collaborating with mission leadership, scientists, engineers, and other team members. I wrote about challenging concepts and became more skilled at synthesizing information. I also regularly represented NASA in the agency’s booth at science conferences. The newsroom, as well as my prior and subsequent writing experiences, made me comfortable with feedback and criticism, which continue to help improve my craft. But I’m also gregarious, intuitive, empathetic, and upbeat. Consequently, people seem to enjoy working with me. Please message me if you’d like to discuss a project whether it be long, short, writing, editing, proofreading, or jazzing up existing copy.