Afleveringen
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Alyson Shelton writes about women across mediums + genres. In the film To Hold The Night she tackles a psychological thriller through fractured realities and self-invention. In her comic Reburn she centers a superpowered and mutli-faceted heroine, and in Eve of Understanding, the award winning feature she wrote and directed, the narrative delves into childhood secrets and their ongoing repercussions. She hosts a weekly Instagram Live series inspired by George Ella Lyon’s poem, Where I’m From, where she’s welcomed over 160 writers and creatives. And her own Where I’m From poem provides the spine for her memoir in essays, currently in revision. Her writing has been published widely at outlets including The New York Times, Ms., The Rumpus and more. She is thrilled to be a contributor to the essay collections, Broken Free: Writers on Estrangement (Forthcoming from Catapult in 2026) and Comics Lit Vol. 1 , to host her podcast, Fine Cut for Femme On Collective and to be co-founding a Sibling Loss community and co-editing an anthology entitled, The Loss of a Lifetime: Advice from Grieving Siblings on Loss, Love and Hope. You can learn more about her through her website, www.alysonshelton.com and her Instagram @byalysonshelton
In this episode:
The genesis of her Where I'm From poetry series, inspired by George Ella Lyon's poem [1:18]
The importance of specificity when storytelling [8:05]
How storytelling through poetry and fiction can clarify complex relationships and help heal and process childhood trauma [12:32]
The difference between writing from the "scar" versus writing from the "wound" [16:19]
A discussion of anticipatory grief when it comes to estrangement [13:01]
Tips for writers on channeling difficult emotions into creative works [15:54]
Alyson’s personal experience towards growth and self-acceptance [17:27]
Advice for writers on how to have give themselves self-care while writing memoir [26:17]
Connect with Alyson Shelton
Website:
https://www.alysonshelton.com
Where I’m From Poems
https://www.alysonshelton.com/where-im-from.html#/
Jeannine Ouellette’s episode referenced #103
Launching into New Dimensions with Embodied Writing
https://estelleserasmus.com/103-launching-into-new-dimensions-with-embodied-writing/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwAksUboWwYOEM785ZQMpRw/videos
Estelle’s Episode of Where I’m From #163
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiHBtSDWEpI
Instagram
https://instagram.com/byalysonshelton
Connect with Estelle Erasmus
Her latest substack Post: My Predictions for Publishing in 2025
https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/my-predictions-for-publishing-for
Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email [email protected] and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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Athena Dixon is the author of essay collections The Incredible Shrinking Woman and The Loneliness Files and her work appears in publications such as Harper's Bazaar, Shenandoah, Grub Street, Narratively, and Lit Hub among others. She is a Consulting Editor for Fourth Genre and the Nonfiction/Hybrid Editor for Split/Lip Press.
In this episode:
How the Pandemic pushed Athena into writing essays [3:26]
The extreme loneliness epidemic in our country [5:35]
How Athena explored loneliness in throughlines of grief, the concept of a “split self”, and journals [7:57]
Why she used a multi-tiered braided essay in the collection [10:15]
How she used the vessel of the body to play with the fear of the heart [11:09]
The influence of her fanfiction fixation on Athena’s writing and ability to daydream a new reality [14:11]
Her use of intention and ritual as a roadmap for bringing romance to fruition [16:51]
Athena’s editorial work with Fourth Genre and Split Lip Press [24:44]
Why Athena now values her loneliness and moments of isolation as a tool in her tool kit [25:47]
Advice for identifying a strong throughline in your essay collection [32:45]
Keys to figuring out the right format for your stories, when deciding between memoir or a memoir in essays [35:42]
Buy The Loneliness Files on Estelle’s Bookshop
https://bookshop.org/p/books/loneliness-files-cl-athena-dixon/19712061?aid=98827&ean=9781959030126&listref=authors-who-have-appeared-on-freelance-writing-direct
Connect with Athena
Website:
www.athenadixon.com
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/the_muse_paper/?hl=en
TikTok
https://tiktok.com/@AthenaDIxon
BlueSky
https://bsky.app/profile/athenadixon.bsky.social
Split Lip Press
https://www.splitlippress.com/
Fourth Genre Magazine
https://fourthgenre.org/
Episode mentioned with Jeannine Ouellette
#103 Launching into New Dimensions with Embodied Writing
https://estelleserasmus.com/103-launching-into-new-dimensions-with-embodied-writing/
Connect with Estelle Erasmus
Her latest substack Post: My Predictions for Publishing in 2025
https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/my-predictions-for-publishing-for
Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email [email protected] and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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Christie Tate is an essayist and author who writes creative nonfiction and memoir. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Group, which was a Reese’s Book Club selection and has been translated into 19 languages. She is also the author of B.F.F.-- A Memoir of Friendship Lost & Found. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and elsewhere. Her essays have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, and Kiese Laymon selected her essay, Promised Lands, as the winner of the New Ohio Review’s 2019 nonfiction contest. She writes about addiction, eating disorders, friendship, alienation, recovery, and her Grandma’s farm in Forreston, Texas. She grew up in Dallas and now lives in Chicago with her family. She has finally stopped telling people that she graduated first in her law school class. Please don’t hate her because she has no pets.
In This Episode:
The inspiration behind Christie’s memoir, Group, and its impact on readers worldwide [3:08]
The inciting incident that drove the rest of her book [4:24]
How she initially started with a prologue that became her ending and why she made that choice [5:41]
Why vulnerability and honesty are crucial in her storytelling [6:02]
The ticking time bomb that informed her memoir and why that’s key to building dramatic tension [7:37]
How group therapy transformed her life and how ‘prescriptions’ offered a structure for her writing [8:54]
The key to using detail and specificity to bring readers into the story [11:33]
Her advice for aspiring writers: go where the “heat” is, and how to do that [28:13]
How Christie found her throughline and worked it into the memoir [29:27]
The power of images in writing [32:36]
What to do when you get stuck and how being a reader before a writer, helps [33:54]
Connect with Christie Tate
Website: https://www.christietate.com/
Books: https://www.christietate.com/writetogetherworkshops-1
Buy Group on Estelle’s Bookshop
https://bookshop.org/p/books/group-how-one-therapist-and-a-circle-of-strangers-saved-my-life-christie-tate/15065918?ean=9781982154622
Connect with Estelle Erasmus
Her latest substack Post: My Predictions for Publishing in 2025
https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/my-predictions-for-publishing-for
Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email [email protected] and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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Hannah Sward, daughter of the late poet Robert Sward, is the IAN awarding-winning author of Strip: A Memoir. Strip, Swards first book, has received the attention of authors such as Nobel Prize winner, J.M. Coetzee, Melissa Broder, and NYT Bestselling novelist Caroline Leavitt who called Sward, “One of the most moving and honest memoir writers. So eloquent, so brave.”
Sward has spoken on dozens of podcasts and panels with special appearances on NBC CA Live and C-SPAN BookTV. Published in literary journals for the past twenty years, she was a regular contributor at The Fix and Erotic Review. Her most recent work can be read in the LA Times, NY Times (TLS), Huff Post, The Rumpus and others.
Sward is on the board at Right to Write Press, a nonprofit that supports emerging incarcerated writers. She lives in Los Angeles where she is working on a short story collection about love and jealousy.
In this episode:
Hannah Sward’s life story and the inspiration behind her memoir, Strip. [2:33]
The impact of loneliness and addiction on childhood and young adulthood [3:35]
Refusing to center in shame, despite fraught scenarios [6:30]
How Hannah started writing her memoir, and traversed the path of sobriety [6:50]
The benefits of mentorship [7:49]
Structuring a book in short chapters [8:33]
Her 2 page a day process for putting down her truth [8:48]
Excavating childhood memories [10:36]
Distilling scenes and setting from her dad’s poetry [11:50]
The scene she had to rewrite till she got it right [13:39]
Navigating family reactions, especially with difficult topics [16:02]
Looking at older work and readying it for publication [22:18]
Hannah’s next project [25:12]
Get Strip on Estelle’s Bookshop
https://bookshop.org/p/books/strip-a-memoir-hannah-sward/18101649?ean=9781948954679
Episodes Mentioned
Episode #120
Writing Days of Wonder Featuring Caroline Leavitt
https://estelleserasmus.com/120-writing-days-of-wonder-featuring-caroline-leavitt/
Episode #87
Writing Memoir that Reads Like a Novel and Captivates on Every Page with Joanna Rakoff
https://estelleserasmus.com/87-writing-memoir-that-reads-like-a-novel-and-captivates-on-every-page-featuring-joanna-rakoff/
Connect with Hannah Sward
Website
https://www.hannahsward.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/hannahswardauthor
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/hannahswardauthor
Threads
https://www.threads.net/@hannahswardauthor
Connect with Estelle Erasmus
Her latest substack Post: My Predictions for Publishing in 2025
https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/my-predictions-for-publishing-for
Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email [email protected] and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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Krishan Trotman is the co-author of the Queens of the Resistance series and Vice President, Publisher of Legacy Lit, an imprint at Hachette Book Group in New York. She was recently profiled in the New York Times and Essence magazine as one of the few African American publishing executives. She has committed over fifteen years to publishing books by and about multicultural voices and social justice. Throughout her career, she has proudly worked with leaders and trailblazers on this frontier such as John Lewis, Stephanie Land, Malcolm Nance, Zerlina Maxwell, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Al Roker, Ed Gordon, Lindy West, and other dynamic celebrity and bestselling authors. She is the self-described Beyoncé of Books, and mom to her son Bleu.
In this episode:
The importance of partnership in publishing and how to make it work [2:41]
How to navigate your book’s cover design conundrums [3:50]
The benefits of acting proactively [9:45]
Legacy Lit's mission and the true meaning of diversity in publishing [13:22]
How Krishan sources writers for Legacy Lit and what to do to get on her radar [15:55]
How publishers support their authors and uplift voices that might not be heard [16:01]
How Krishan uses her spidey sense to make deals [17:58]
An big announcement about Legacy Lit the types of books they are acquiring [19:53]
How Audiobooks can make a difference [26:30]
What will make you a writer that will get a publishing contract? [35:08]
Connect with Krishan and Legacy Lit
Website
https://www.krishantrotman.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/KrishanTrotmanInks
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/krishantrotman
LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/krishan-trotman-14936934/
Threads
https://www.threads.net/@krishantrotman
Legacy Lit
Website
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/landing-page/about-legacy-lit/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/legacylitbooks/?hl=en
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/legacylithbg/
Twitter
https://x.com/legacylitbooks/status/1794073420914913357
Connect with Estelle Erasmus
Estelle’s episode #119 analyzing the publishing landscape
Estelle’s Edge on Steering Through the Publishing Gauntlet
https://estelleserasmus.com/119-solo-episode-estelles-edge-on-steering-through-the-publishing-gauntlet/
Estelle’s substack post on getting her audio book dea
If You Are Thinking About Doing an Audiobook:
https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/if-you-are-thinking-of-doing-an-audiobook
Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email [email protected] and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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Caroline Leavitt is the New York Times bestselling author of 13 novels, most recently Days of Wonder, which was a CBS/Mary Calvi bookclub pick, the recipient of a MidAtlantic Arts Foundation grant, and which was translated into Russia and has a shopping agreement for film. The co-founder of A Mighty Blaze, the book program begun the day of lockdown, she writes a column blog “Runs in the Family” for Psychology Today, and is a book critic for people and the recipient of a New York Foundation of the Arts Fellowship. She teaches story structure for the novel at UCLA Writers Program Extension and works with private clients. Her work has appeared in the New York Times “Modern Love,” New York Magazine, Salon, Lit Hub, The Millions and many anthologies.
Caroline is longlisted for the 2025 Joyce Carol Oates Literary Prize.
In this episode:
The Inspiration Behind 'Days of Wonder'
Caroline’s process for crafting her story with themes and structures
Turning trauma into art
Navigating dual timelines
The art of multiple POVs in her writing
Writing with themes of change, redemption, and societal perception
The importance of perseverance in the writing industry
Caroline’s advice for aspiring writers
Connect with Caroline
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/carolineleavitt/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/carolineleavitt
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@carowriter99
Website: www.carolineleavitt.com
Connect with Estelle Erasmus
Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email [email protected] and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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The publishing industry is going through a groundbreaking sea change, reminiscent of the early days of the Internet. In this episode, Estelle Erasmus speaks about the current state of the publishing landscape, changes she is seeing, how to traverse them, and what to expect going forward.
Estelle discusses the significant challenges faced by editors and writers due to the rise of AI, ongoing layoffs with media companies, the diminishing presence of print magazines, and the increasing presence of the digital world.
In this episode:
Estelle’s insights on the changes within the publishing industry.
The decline of print magazines and the rise of social media, and what that means now
The importance of good writing skills - and how to use it to break through the noise
Exploring Substack and new publishing models
What book publishers find valuable. Hint: it’s not necessarily social media followers
The future of legacy media
How to keep an audience’s/reader’s attention
Connect with Estelle Erasmus
Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email [email protected] and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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Julie Pfitzinger has been with Next Avenue, a digital publication of Twin Cities PBS, for seven years and is the Managing Editor and Senior Editor for Features. She has worked as a writer and editor for more than 25 years; her work has appeared in publications including the Star Tribune and Minnesota Parent. For several years, she was a managing editor for the community lifestyle magazine group at Tiger Oak Media in Minneapolis, where she also served as writer and editor for Saint Paul Magazine and other Tiger Oak publications.
In this episode:
Julie’s 25-year career in writing and editing [2:33]
What types of articles Next Avenue publishes [3:47]
The changing demographic of Next Avenue’s readers [4:37]
The topics the publication covers, including retirement, health, volunteering, money, caregiving, relationships and lifestyle [4:37]
How and where to pitch observational personal essays and articles [6:49]
The way that Next Avenue prefers to cover parenting in stories and why the holidays is such a key time [6:57]
When humor pieces work [9:51]
What makes an older story relevant? [10:23]
The pandemic’s impact on older generations and what kinds of pitches on COVID work [15:40]
The specific (but easy) pitching portal, word count, pay and rights [20:41]
Why Next Avenue doesn’t do roundups [24:07]
Criteria for writing about travel for the publication [24:14]
Julie’s joy at working with writers [37:22]
Connect with Julie
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/julie.pfitzinger?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Connect with Next Avenue
Next Avenue Submission Guidelines
https://www.nextavenue.org/submission-guidelines/
Pitching Portal for Next Avenue
https://airtable.com/apppNGXCs7kzbdiJr/shrvCs3ijylnpcTnH
Stories Mentioned in This Episode
The Founding Mothers of NPR
https://www.nextavenue.org/founding-mothers-of-npr/
My Parenting Strategy Was Too Effective
https://www.nextavenue.org/it-turns-out-my-parenting-strategy-was-too-effective/
Sorry Nobody Wants Your Parents’ Stuff
https://www.nextavenue.org/nobody-wants-parents-stuff/
Lying for Love: The Psychology of Catfishing
https://www.nextavenue.org/lying-for-love-the-psychology-of-catfishing/
Two Adoptions, One Family: A Story of Two Brothers
https://www.nextavenue.org/two-adoptions-one-family-a-story-of-two-brothers/
Don’t Tell Me To Stop Saying ‘Don’t’
https://www.nextavenue.org/dont-tell-me-to-stop-saying-dont/
Estelle’s new Essay on Next Avenue
Lessons from a Babysitter with a Restless Spirit
https://www.nextavenue.org/lessons-from-a-babysitter-with-a-restless-spirit/
Connect with Estelle Erasmus
Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email [email protected] and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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Ann Garvin, Ph.D. is the USA Today Bestselling author, finalist for the Thomas Wolf Fiction Prize, and freelance contributor at the New York Times. Ann is a nurse, scientist, educator and author of six funny and sad novels. She writes about women who do too much in a world that asks too much from them. She currently teaches creative writing at Drexel University in their low residency MFA program and is the founder of the multiple award-winning Tall Poppy Writers.
In this episode:
The background of Bummer Camp [2:26]
How Ann structured the transformation of each character in her novel [5:27]
The way she built in conflict and roadblocks for each of her characters [8:34]
How Ann equates structuring her book to painting a wall [13:09]
What Ann does when she underwrites to fill in the gaps [17:58]
Focusing on action and movement in the book [20:47]
How Ann uses the endings of chapters to “open the door” to the next chapter [22:17]
Ann’s groundbreaking way of promoting the book [29:17]
Connect with Ann
https://anngarvin.com
Twitter:
https://x.com/AnnGarvin_
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/anngarvin_/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/AnnWertzGarvin?ref=br_tf
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ann.w.garvin
Ann’s Modern Love essay
He Wanted To Date Younger Women
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/07/style/modern-love-he-wanted-to-date-younger-women.html
Buy Bummer Camp on Estelle’s Bookshop
https://bookshop.org/p/books/bummer-camp-ann-garvin/21144547?aid=98827&ean=9781662518560&listref=authors-who-have-appeared-on-freelance-writing-direct&
Connect with Estelle Erasmus
Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email [email protected] and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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Abigail Thomas has four children,12 grandchildren, two great grandchildren, eleven books, and a high school education. She was asked to leave Bryn Mawr freshman year when she told the Dean she was pregnant, and she never went back. She had always wanted to be a writer, but for a long time the closest she came was bopping around her kitchen to Paperback Writer, by the Beatles. When she was forty-eight, after an interesting adventure, when she got home, she left her ego outside, and began to write a story. It didn't work, but instead of crumpling it up saying "who do you think you are?" sat in a different chair, and another, and at the end of the afternoon, she had written a story. It was published in the Columbia Journal of Poetry and Prose. She had learned you have to keep at it. Writing is work of the best kind.
She has written two short story collections, one novel and four works of non-fiction, including the memoirs Safekeeping; A Three Dog Life; What Comes Next and How to Like It; and a book about writing, Thinking about Memoir.
Still Life at Eighty: The Next Interesting Thing is her latest memoir, published by Scribners in November 2024.
In this episode:
Abigail’s new book, Still Life at Eighty, now published by Scribner [1:11]
What gravitas means to Abby [3:44]
Why Abby’s go to reference is always the dictionary [3:59]
The gifts Abby sees in aging [9:06]
The meaning of ambition and weaving [7:04]
How guilt grows up and becomes regret and how Abby really feels about guilt [15:02]
What compels her to write [18:27]
Using a person’s voice as a framing device [25:43]
The importance of vulnerability and creativity in your writing [27:22]
The meaning of her two tattoos and the third one she wants to get [31:30]Connect with Abigail Thomas:
Website: https://www.abigailthomas.net
Substack Abigail Thomas/What Comes Next?: https://abigailthomas.substack.com
Abigail on the Joe Donahue podcast
https://www.wamc.org/podcast/the-roundtable/2024-11-20/abigail-thomass-still-life-at-80
Estelle’s prior Episode #83 with Abby
https://estelleserasmus.com/83-writing-your-way-into-an-engaging-and-enthralling-story-featuring-abigail-thomas/
Connect with Estelle Erasmus
Check out Estelle's latest Substack post Debunking The Myths of Writing
https://open.substack.com/pub/estelleserasmus/p/debunking-the-myths-of-writing
Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email [email protected] and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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Deborah Copperud is a freelance writer, independent podcast producer, and former reference librarian. Her writing has been published in Glamour, Racket, Defenestration, Great River Review, Potomac Review, Door Is A Jar, Another Chicago Magazine, and Blue Earth Review, and her Substack newsletter Deborah Copperud Shops at Target. Her work is forthcoming in The Rumpus and Good Tape. She co-hosts the It's My Screen Time Too and Spock Talk podcasts and teaches podcasting for Minneapolis Community Education. Copperud is currently at work on an essay collection about volunteering, a subject she’s uniquely qualified to cover, having volunteered as a preschool choir accompanist, Democratic party activist, elementary school library book shelver, rock band cellist, potluck block party organizer, and Chess Club scorekeeper. Copperud holds a B.A. in English from the University of Minnesota and a master’s in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She enjoys jogging and biking around the Chain of Lakes in Minneapolis, where she lives with her husband and three children.
In This Episode:
What lane to choose when there are so many?
An exercise that Estelle suggests to do for clarity
Why information is power and how to accrue it
Building an information network
Finding agents by thinking outside the box
Changing your mindset to a positive one
Finding the hook in your writing
Framing a story in a timely way
Adding in layers to create depth in an essay
Using mind mapping to find your focus
Getting the SEO juice in your title
Connect with Deborah
Substack: https://deborahcopperud.substack.com/
Deborah’s piece for Glamour
Best Acne Podcasts: Treating Acne Through the Ears
https://www.glamour.com/story/best-acne-podcasts
Episode Mentioned
Coaching Episode #84
Estelle’s Edge: Coaching to Get Your Writing Noticed with Anna Medaris
https://estelleserasmus.com/84-estelles-edge-live-coaching-to-get-your-writing-noticed/
Estelle's article on the AARP/The Ethel
How Penny Marshall's "Laverne" Was the Role Model That Saved Me
https://www.aarpethel.com/fulfillment/why-penny-marshalls-laverne-was-the-role-model-that-saved-me
Connect with Estelle Erasmus
Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email [email protected] and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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Betsy Lerner is the author of the recently released novel, Shred Sisters (Grove Press, October 2024). She is also the author The Bridge Ladies, The Forest for the Trees and Food and Loathing. With Temple Grandin, she is the co-author of the New York Times bestseller Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns and Abstractions. She received an MFA from Columbia University in Poetry where she was selected as one of PEN’s Emerging Writers. She also received the Tony Godwin Publishing Prize for Editors. After working as an editor for 15 years, she became an agent and is currently a partner with Dunow, Carlson and Lerner Literary Agency.
The surprising origin of the Shred Sisters and the reason a temporary title became so much more [3:51]
How Betsy’s life informed the book’s backstory and is reflected in multiple characters [7:16]
Writing a coming of age story with a twist [7:22]
The difference between writing fiction and nonfiction, and why Betsy enjoys this latest genre so much [7:57]
The value of good transitions to move the reader along and hook them into the story [10:46]
Betsy’s ‘acorn’ theory and how she dropped seeds throughout her book [15:22]
The key to structure and why many writers struggle with it [21:51]
What Betsy really thinks about the process of revision and why slowing down is essential [24:06]
The other side of her work, acting as a literary agent [25:01]
How Betsy ended up going viral on TikTok and becoming a book influencer [26:28]
Betsy’s dream for her book, and who she would cast in the movie [32:50]
Why a writer should never write for an audience [36:32]
Connect with Betsy
Photo Credit: Maryana Karayim
Website: https://betsylerner.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@betsylerner
The New York Times Book Review of Shred Sisters
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/30/books/review/shred-sisters-betsy-lerner.html
Connect with Estelle Erasmus
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
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Kristi Coulter is the author of EXIT INTERVIEW: THE LIFE & DEATH OF MY AMBITIOUS CAREER, out now in paperback. Her previous book, the memoir-in-essays NOTHING GOOD CAN COME FROM THIS, was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. Kristi's work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Paris Review, Elle, Longreads, and many other publications. Her Substack newsletter, Loose Canon, offers personal and irreverent commentary on film and music. She is a former resident at Ragdale and the Mineral School and has taught writing at the University of Washington, University of Michigan, Hugo House, and the Work Room. Kristi lives in Seattle and Los Angeles.
In this episode:
Picking the perfect title and a trick on how to do it [2:48]
Why Kristi wrote her book using the present tense and the challenges that imposed [6:27]
Deciding what to leave in and what to take out [12:42]
How Kristi incorporated historical context into her book to make a point without preaching to the reader [13:41]
Incorporating humor in memoir writing and playing with forms [18:34]
Finding the perfect equation between scene and summary [21:42]
Making the narrator relatable, not likable [23:29]
Kristi’s advice for aspiring Memoir Writers [27:52]
The benefits of writing chapters out of sequence [28:05]
Understanding the meaning of that first “Discovery Draft” [28:28]
Selling a book on proposal. What you need to know [30:56]
The art of writing a synopsis [32:36]
The impact Kristi’s book is having on women at Amazon and beyond [33:59]
Connect with Kristi
Instagram: https://instagram.com/kristi.c.coulter
Threads: @kristiccoulter;
Facebook:
https://facebook.com/kristicoulter
Podcast Guests Mentioned in This Episode
#52 Claire Dederer
https://estelleserasmus.com/a-conversation-with-claire-dederer-about-monsters/
#101 Elissa Bassist
https://estelleserasmus.com/101-the-makings-of-a-hysterical-story-featuring-elissa-bassist/
Connect with Estelle Erasmus
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
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Caroline Leavitt is the New York Times bestselling author of 13 novels, most recently Days of Wonder, which was a CBS/Mary Calvi bookclub pick, the recipient of a MidAtlantic Arts Foundation grant, and which was translated into Russia and has a shopping agreement for film. The co-founder of A Mighty Blaze, the book program begun the day of lockdown, she writes a column blog "Runs in the Family" for Psychology Today, and is a book critic for people and the recipient of a New York Foundation of the Arts Fellowship. She teaches story structure for the novel at UCLA Writers Program Extension and works with private clients. Her work has appeared in the New York Times "Modern Love," New York Magazine, Salon, Lit Hub, The Millions and many anthologies.
Annabelle Gurwitch is a New York Times Bestselling author, actress and activist whose most recent collection of essays "You're Leaving When? Adventures in Downward Mobility" is a 2021 New York Times Favorite Book for Healthy Living, a Good Morning America Must Read and a finalist for The Thurber Prize for American Humor Writing 2022. She's written for The New Yorker, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, and Hadassah amongst other publications. Her five books include the New York Times bestseller and Thurber Prize finalist "I See You Made an Effort." She's written and developed adaptations of her books for HBO, F/X, NBC, Lifetime networks. She's currently writing a film for the Hallmark Channel with Emmy winning tv producer Neena Beber based on "You're Leaving When?" for Andi MacDowell to star in.
Annabelle has been chronicling living with stage iv lung cancer and inequities in healthcare in the New York Times and Washington Post since her out-of-the-blue diagnosis during covid.
In this episode:
Caroline Leavitt and Annabelle Gurwitch’s essays for the anthology [3:20]
Caroline and Annabelle’s experiences with anti-Semitism [4:27]
The impact of a children’s storyteller on Caroline’s understanding of what it means to be Jewish [8:16]
The importance of art and storytelling in fostering empathy and understanding [12:41]
The call of our ancestral DNA during this fraught moment [22:24]
Advice for jewish writers navigating this challenging and important time in Jewish history [24:36]
The power of three little words [29:09]
Connect with Caroline Leavitt
Twitter. @leavittnovelist
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/carolineleavitt/
Threads https://www.threads.net/@carolineleavitt?hl=en
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/carolineleavitt
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@carowriter99
Website: Https://www.carolineleavitt.com
Connect with Annabelle Gurwitch
photo credit jeff vespa
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/annabellegurwitchauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annabellegurwitch1/
X: https://x.com/lagurwitch?lang=en
Website: https://www.annabellegurwitch.com/
About On Being Jewish Now
Zibby Owens has edited a new anthology, which Zibby Books is publishing, called On Being Jewish Now: Reflections from Authors and Advocates. Profits will be donated to Artists Against Antisemitism, a 501(c)(3) founded by Alison Hammer that Zibby joined as a Founding Member after the attacks on October 7th, 2023.On Being Jewish Now (coming 10/1) is a collection of essays about what it means to be Jewish and how Jewish life has changed since October 7th. Zibby came up with the idea for this anthology in response to feeling powerless against the spread of antisemitism. “Writing — and reading — is how so many of us process and make sense of the world,” she said. And so Zibby thought, I’ll ask writers to reflect on what it means to be Jewish now.
Seventy-five contributors came together in four weeks to share their stories of love, family, joy, fear, and pain, and the common threads that course through the Jewish people: resilience and humor. Contributors include Mark Feuerstein, Jill Zarin, Steve Leder, Joanna Rakoff, Amy Ephron, Lisa Barr, Annabelle Gurwitch, Daphne Merkin, Bradley Tusk, Sharon Brous, Jenny Mollen, Nicola Kraus, Caroline Leavitt, and many others.
Among them: descendants of Holocaust survivors, several Israelis, and one author who lost a cousin in the war. There are men and women, multiple bookstore owners, several celebrities, and some female founders. One African American contributor shares his thoughts on being a Jewish Black man.
The e-book and audiobook, narrated by the contributors, was published on October 1st, the trade paperback on November 1st.
“This is about healing,” says Zibby. “About coping and connecting. In the only way I know how.”Zibby Owen’s episode #36 on Freelance Writing Direct
https://estelleserasmus.com/36-zibby-owens-is-upending-the-publishing-world/
Connect with Estelle Erasmus
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
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Lisa Cooper Ellison is an author, speaker, trauma-informed writing coach, and host of the Writing Your Resilience podcast. She works and writes at the intersection of storytelling and healing, and combines her personal experiences with suicide loss and CPTSD with her clinical training to help writers turn tough experiences into art. Her essays and stories have appeared on Risk! and in The New York Times, HuffPost, Hippocampus Literary Magazine, and Kenyon Review Online, among others.
In this episode:
How Lisa became a trauma-informed writing coach after she dealt with a debilitating health issue [3:54]
The emotional impacts of writing about tough topics [10:21]
How the nervous system is impacted when writing about trauma [11:27]
The meaning making process; owning our meltdowns and moments [12:13]
Estelle’s experience with writing about her ectopic pregnancy and how it required emotional distance and time [12:47]
How writers can protect themselves and practice self-care while writing difficult stories about themselves or loved ones [14:06]
Lisa’s experience with writing her own memoir and being a volcano writer [20:34]
Lisa’s article in HuffPost Personal on emotional flashbacks and defining them [21:00]
How Lisa protects her own mental health through somatic processing [29:56]
Why a beat sheet is your BFF for structuring your memoir, and understanding your book’s essential questions [37:59]
Connect with Lisa
Website: https://lisacooperellison.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisacooperellison/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-cooper-ellison-b5483840/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisacooperellison/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lisacooperellison
Lisa’s article on HuffPost Personal
Making the Smallest Little Mistake Filled Me With Terror: Then 2 Little Words Changed My Life
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/emotional-flashback-dread-doom-therapy_n_66cb7ae8e4b0f0ded8061ba6
Estelle’s episode Writing That Gets Noticed on Lisa’s podcast Writing Your Resilience
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU-Wpm27PhU
Connect with Estelle
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
People mentioned who had episodes on Estelle’s podcast
Linda Lowen, episode #31 Getting Your Writing Career in Gear When on a Tight Deadline
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freelance-writing-direct-conversations-with-authors/id1647429472?i=1000610817037
Jane Friedman, episode #105 A Look Inside Publishing: Hybrid, Audiobooks, AI & More
https://estelleserasmus.com/105-a-look-inside-publishing-hybrid-audiobooks-ai-more-featuring-jane-friedman/
Minna Dubin, episode #61 All About Mom Rage
https://estelleserasmus.com/61-all-about-mom-rage-with-minna-dubin/
Estelle’s article in Brevity
Don’t Blow Up Your Life for a Byline
https://brevity.wordpress.com/2020/05/19/dont-blow-up-your-life-for-a-byline/
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Carinn Jade is a lawyer, writer, and cohost of the Pop Fiction Women podcast. Her essays have been published in the New York Times, Daily Worth, and Motherwell. She has attended the GrubStreet Novel Generator, Yale Writers' Conference, and the Northern California Writers' Retreat. Carinn grew up on the North Fork of Long Island and lives with her family in New York City. The Astrology House is her first novel.
In this episode:
The origin of this thriller based around an astrology-themed retreat [3:21]
Her use of time constraints as a plot device to build dramatic tension [8:36]
Books Carinn read that informed her idea of the book’s structure and premise [8:48
Carinn’s process of writing multiple POVS in short chapters [11:00]
How her literary go-to The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and other realityTV was one of many touchstones and guided her in writing dramatic scenes[11:43]
How she dropped clues to characters throughout the book [12:54]
Why she included astrology cheat sheets as a plot device and touchstone [15:28]
How much of Carinn is in her novel [18:21]
Building tension and twists into each page [19:44]
The art of writing authentic dialogue [22:01]
The process of revision and what that required [23:11]
Carinn’s querying journey and how she found her agent [26:16]
The synchronicities between being a lawyer and a writer [31:09]
Photo credit: Erin Schiffman
Connect with Carinn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carinnjade/
X: https://x.com/carinnjade?lang=en
Pop Fiction Women website: https://popfictionwomen.com/about-us/
Buy Her Book on Estelle’s Bookshop
https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-astrology-house-carinn-jade/20704948?aid=98827&ean=9781668045961&listref=authors-who-have-appeared-on-freelance-writing-direct&
Connect with Estelle
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
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Priscilla Gilman is the author of two memoirs, The Anti-Romantic Child (Harper, 2011) and The Critic’s Daughter (Norton, 2023) and a former professor of English literature at Yale University and Vassar College. The Critic's Daughter was a Washington Post Best Book of 2023, a New York Times Book Critics' Favorite Book of 2023, a Good Morning America Must-Read, one of the Los Angeles Times' book critic and Book Maven Bethanne Patrick's Top 10 Non-Fiction Books of 2023, one of the "18 Books Lilith magazine Loved in 2023," and 3rd on Bookreporter's Harvey Freedenburg's Favorite Books of 2023. Nick Hornby called The Critic’s Daughter “beautiful: honest, raw, careful, soulful, brave and incredibly readable," and Kiese Laymon declared: “The Critic’s Daughter is an exquisite and rare example of how the memoir needs as much inventiveness in scope and form as our most lush fiction and poetry…I’ve read few books in my life as skillfully executed and willfully conceived as The Critic’s Daughter.” Gilman’s writing has appeared in the New York Times, O, the Oprah Magazine, and elsewhere. She lives in New York City.
In this episode:
Priscilla’s search for her father as the genesis for 'The Critic's Daughter'
Outlining the ways she lost her father throughout her life
Her hypervigilance as a result of a childhood spent with famous and powerful parents
Crafting an elegy for a lost New York
“Streaks of love” and loss as throughlines of her book
Setting up the book as a series of acts straight from the theater
Reflecting on the brilliance of her father's writing and power as a critic while writing her own story
The challenges of navigating a personal and public persona
Priscilla’s journey to processing grief and healing as she “brought her father back” and gained clarity on his life through research and writing his story
Connect with Priscilla
Website: www.priscillagilman.com
Episode #52 Mentioned in this podcast
A Conversation with Claire Dederer About Monsters
https://estelleserasmus.com/a-conversation-with-claire-dederer-about-monsters/
Connect with Estelle
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Sign up for Estelle’s NYU Classes
https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/e/1068-estelle-erasmus.html
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
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Robin Finn, MPH, MA, is an award-winning writer, teacher, and coach, and the founder of Heart. Soul. Pen.® women’s writing workshops and Hot Writing™ where midlife and menopause inspire the desire to say what you mean without apologizing. She is the author of the new book, Heart. Soul. Pen.: Find Your Voice on the Page and in Your Life and the novel, Restless in L.A. Robin’s writing has appeared in national and international press, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the L.A. Times. A cum laude graduate of UCLA, she holds master’s degrees in public health from Columbia University and in spiritual psychology from the University of Santa Monica. Robin teaches workshops across the U.S. and beyond to help women unleash their radical self-expression and grow, heal, and connect through writing. She lives in Los Angeles with her family and is a longtime advocate for children with ADHD and learning differences.
In this episode:
The importance of spiritual psychology in writing [2:37]
How beliefs impact our writing and revealing ourselves [5:39]
Designing a writing ritual that works for you [9:42]
Finding talismans for your creative work [13:00]
Anchoring to your intention when putting words on paper [13:29]
Diving into the promise of “trigger lines” [16:04]
Art School Trauma and how to avoid it [17:59]
At what point should writers get critical feedback? [19:57]
Advice for memoirists on telling your stories and radical self expression [21:46]
How to find inspiration through story prompts [23:48]
Connect with Robin
Website: https://www.robinfinn.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/robinfinnauthor
Facebook: https://facebook.com/robinfinnauthor
Connect with Estelle:
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
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ALIZA LICHT is an award-winning marketer, bestselling author, podcaster, personal branding expert, and the founder of LEAVE YOUR MARK, a multimedia brand and consultancy. She advises businesses and mentors individuals on brand building and career development. Licht leverages over two decades of expertise in marketing, communications, and digital strategy in the fashion industry. She was named one of "America's Next Top Mentors" by The New York Times and Business Insider's "Top 20 Most Innovative Career Coaches." As a social media pioneer and one of the first fashion influencers, Licht created and was the voice of the anonymous social media phenomenon DKNY PR GIRL. Licht is a sought-after keynote speaker and sits on several industry boards. Her first book, Leave Your Mark, was published in 2015. Her new book, On Brand: Shape Your Narrative. Share Your Vision. Shift Their Perception is a comprehensive roadmap to building your personal brand. She lives in New York City with her husband, two children, and two dogs. Find her online at alizalicht.com and @alizalichtxo.
In this episode:
The importance of personal branding in a chaotic publishing terrain
The evolution of Aliza’s “DKNY PR Girl” brand on old-school Twitter
Being the first fashion influencer
Creating a micro brand and brand guardrails
Finding permission to play
Addressing Founder and last name syndrome
Navigating the complex algorithms of social media
Advice on platform building for aspiring authors
Creative branding social media strategies to hook your audience
Does controversy sell?
The way Aliza worked branding and a signature look into her social media posting
How Aliza became an accidental activist when it comes to addressing the scourge of anti-semitism
Measuring each step you take against your own personal values.
Connect with Aliza
Website: https://alizalicht.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/alizalichtxo
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@alizalichtxo
X: https://twitter.com/alizalicht
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@alizalichtxo
Mentioned On the Podcast
Liz Elting’s episode #68 on Freelance Writing Direct
Dream Big and Win with Liz Elting
https://estelleserasmus.com/68-dream-big-and-win-with-liz-elting/
Aliza’s Linkedin Post that she references
Being a Jewish Activist Wasn’t On Brand for Me
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/being-jewish-activist-wasnt-brand-me-aliza-licht-jjpse/
Estelle’s article on Shondaland
I’m Learning to Listen in New Ways
https://www.shondaland.com/live/family/a46102451/im-learning-to-listen-in-new-ways/
Connect with Estelle:
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests
Follow Estelle:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EstelleSerasmus
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Ruth Bonapace’s surrealistic comic novel The Bulgarian Training Manual is an Elle Magazine 2024 top summer read. Publisher’s Weekly called it a “whimsical delight.” Her work has appeared in The Southampton Review, The Saturday Evening Post, Hippocampus, The New York Times and elsewhere. A former women's magazine editor and sports writer, Ruth has an MFA from Stony Brook University.
In this episode:
The concept of The Bulgarian Training Manual, and how it morphed from a short story to a full length book
Putting local angle, sites, personalities and pop culture into a novel
Imbuing research into a fictional story
Advice from a popular novelist that gave Ruth the freedom to write without worry
Incorporating magic, fairy tales, myth and archetypes into story
Ambiguity and shape shifting as a throughline and plot device
Focusing on characters’ organic transformations
Working speculative elements and whimsy into a story
The historical genesis of the fad diet from the book
The power of going down rabbit holes while writing
How Ruth found her publisher, Clash Books
Other episodes referred to:
Episode #89 Level Up Your Novel By Mastering Visual Imagery and Research Featuring Amanda Churchill
https://estelleserasmus.com/89-level-up-your-novel-by-mastering-visual-imagery-and-research/
Episode #95 The Catalysts and Craft for Charting and Plotting Novels Featuring Ann Hood
https://estelleserasmus.com/95-the-catalysts-and-craft-for-charting-and-plotting-novels-featuring-ann-hood/
Episode #35 Flying High with Storyteller Ann Hood
https://estelleserasmus.com/35-flying-high-with-storyteller-ann-hood/
Connect with Ruth
Website: https://www.ruthbonapace.com
X: https://x.com/ruthbonapace
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthbonapace/
Connect with Estelle
FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode at
https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for her newsletter.
Sign up for Estelle’s Personal Essay Class for Writer’s Digest
https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-personal-essay-101-fundamentals
Get Her Book
Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0
Order Her Audiobook:
https://shorturl.at/4uG2P
Sign up for her Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities). Paid subscribers receive opportunities for pitch reviews, plus bonus clips from Freelance Writing Direct guests.
Her latest post is on How to Pitch The Cut
https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/how-to-pitch-the-cut-advice-ideas?r=aydx
Take Estelle’s Tantalizing Titles Craft Talk Webinar on October 2nd and learn to write compelling headlines for your essays and articles
https://craft-talks.com/event/tantalizing-titles/
Read her article A Good Title Is Vital: Getting The Hang of Writing Headlines on the Brevity Blog
https://brevity.wordpress.com/2024/09/19/a-good-title/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFY9uJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHdGEWO7rDBO8DFsPsPtmbO6xCZnqHdgQQ36iq_vNZP3xdgRjdz2AkPoHeg_aem_mBJph-U49oW2NCRDpG4aQg
Follow Her on Social Media
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus
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