#79 Being Vulnerable on the Page and Finding Empathy in Your Heart Featuring Amy Ferris

Amy Ferris is an author, a writer, a screenwriter, an editor and a playwright. Her memoir, Marrying George Clooney, Confessions From a Midlife Crisis (Seal Press) was adapted into an Off-Broadway play in 2012. Amy has written for both the small screen (TV) and the big screen (Feature Films). As a screenwriter, she nominated for a Best Screenplay Award (BET, Black Reel Award) for her adaptation of the film, Funny Valentines (Director, Julie Dash) As an editor, she curated the anthology Shades of Blue, Writers on Depression, Suicide and Feeling Blue (Seal Press), and co-edited the anthology, Dancing at the Shame Prom (Seal Press). She co-authored Old School Love (HarperCollins, 2020) with Rev Run of RUN DMC fame. Amy serves on a variety of advisory boards supporting women and the Arts. She co-founded The Milford Readers & Writers Festival, is on the Advisory Board of the Women's Media Center (Founded by Jane Fonda, Gloria Steinem and Robin Morgan) and is on faculty at The Kauai Writer's Conference.

in 2019 she was named one of Women's eNews 21 LEADERS FOR THE 21st CENTURY, in 2021 she was a recipient of NextTribe's The 12 Women Who Changed the World, and in 2022, Amy was awarded and honored by the Thoughtful Book Festival as Inspirational Woman in Media.

Her new memoir, Mighty Gorgeous - A Little Book About Messy Love, is published by SheWritesPress.

In this episode:

• Amy's search for self-worth [3:25]
• Using social media (particularly Facebook) to build community [4:48]
• The truth behind imposter syndrome [20:30]
• The power in writing with vulnerability [26.59]
• Where to get into a story for maximum impact [30.25]

Connect with Amy:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054335055726

Book: Mighty Gorgeous

https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Gorgeous-Little-Book-About-Messy-Love/dp/1647425530

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ferris_a/

FREE PITCHING GUIDE: Find out more about this episode #76 at https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast. You also get a free pitching guide if you sign up for my newsletter.

Connect with Estelle:

Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://estelleserasmus.com/books/writing-that-gets-noticed/

Sign up for my Substack https://estelleserasmus.substack.com (with craft advice and writing opportunities)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus

New Article Estelle Referred to

I'm Learning to Listen in New Ways (Shondaland)

https://www.shondaland.com/live/family/a46102451/im-learning-to-listen-in-new-ways/

New Article

What to Do PreLaunch to Get Your Book Noticed (Writer's Digest)

https://www.writersdigest.com/getting-published/what-to-do-pre-launch-to-get-your-book-noticed