[1] While still married, she developed a friendship with Herman Bang who in 1891 helped her to have a number of short stories published in the newspaper København using the pen name Helga Maynert.
Influenced by Bang's impressionism, both depict somewhat frigid, depressive women who suffer from a lack of work and staid egocentric attitudes.
[4] In 1900, she began a period of frequent travel, successive new lovers and interesting friendships with figures from Copenhagen's cultural scene which led to her portraits of Gustav Wied, Holger Drachmann and Georg Brandes.
[3] Her most successful works are her eight volumes of memoirs (Erindringer) from 1941 to 1955, tracing the various episodes of her life: Let Gang paa Jorden (Stepping Lightly on the Ground), Letsindighedens Gave (Gift of Recklessness), Byen erobret (City Conquered), Kærlighedssynder (Sins of Love), Dødsfjende-Hjertenskær (Mortal Enemy-Heartthrob), Jeg er Levemand (I'm Alive), Den rige Fugl (The Rich Bird) and Skygger over Vejen (Shadows on the Road).
[2] For most of her life, Henningsen was disliked by her contemporaries for her free sexual views and behaviour but she later saw more positive interest in her work from the younger generation.