Freelance Writing Direct with Estelle: Conversations with authors, journalists, agents, novelists, memoirists, niche writers, publishers, writing teachers, assigning editors and media experts.

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

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

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

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

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

Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is THE BUSINESS OF BEING A WRITER (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing. In this episode: The ever changing publishing climate [3:52] How not to be a supplicant with agents or gatekeepers [5:14] Deciding on University or small presses and what they offer [13:33] What does hybrid publishing really mean and how to vet a company [14:27] The truth behind the costs of publishing [17:46] The rapid ascendance of audiobooks and what it means for authors [27:35] How AI is transforming the industry of audiobook production [30:39] The dark side of AI generated materials on Amazon and Jane's role in the fight against it [33:47] The potential struggles of selling a memoir and how to navigate them [20:02] What platform means for a writer and how to creatively work it [44:42] How to thrive as an entrepreneur in the new creator economy [44:03] Connect with Jane Website: http://janefriedman.com Pieces from Jane's Site Mentioned in the Episode Writing Lessons from Jane Austen https://janefriedman.com/writing-lessons-from-austen-story-questions-and-northanger-abbey/ How to Write a Hybrid Memoir https://janefriedman.com/how-to-write-a-hybrid-memoir/ Crafting Memoir with a Message https://janefriedman.com/crafting-memoir-with-a-message-blending-story-with-self-help/ Connect with Estelle: Watch Estelle's solo episode #90 on the U.S. Book Show (mentioned in this episode). https://estelleserasmus.com/90-bonus-episode-estelles-edge-on-the-u-s-book-show-2024/ ​​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 Sign up for Her Class at NYU Writing About Your Life Through Memoir, Essays and Articles https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Sign up for Estelle's Tantalizing Titles Craft Talk Webinar October 2 https://craft-talks.com/event/tantalizing-titles/ Estelle will be doing the closing session of the ASJA virtual conference on September 26th with renowned memoirist Abigail Thomas. Read 8 Things You Didn't Know about Abigail Thomas and Estelle Erasmus https://www.asja.org/abigail-thomas-and-estelle-erasmus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus

Wade Rouse is the USA TODAY, Publishers Weekly and #1 internationally bestselling author of 17 books, including five memoirs and 12 novels. His new novel, The Page Turner, will publish next spring from HarperCollins. Wade's books have been translated into nearly 25 languages and have been bestsellers across the world. His novel, The Secret of Snow, was recently optioned for a TV movie by the producers of the popular Netflix series, Ginny & Georgia. He chose his grandmother's name, Viola Shipman, as a pen name to honor the working poor Ozarks seamstress whose sacrifices changed his family's life and whose memory inspires his fiction. Wade's books have been selected multiple times as Must-Reads by NBC's Today Show as well as Michigan Notable Books of the Year. His memoirs and novels have been featured in the Washington Post, USA Today and on Chelsea Lately and chosen three times as Indie Next Picks by the nation's independent booksellers. Wade was a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards in Humor (he lost to Tina Fey) and was named by Writer's Digest as "The #2 Writer, Dead or Alive, We'd Like to Have Drinks With" (Wade was sandwiched between Ernest Hemingway and Hunter Thompson). Wade's most recent novels were The Wishing Bridge and Famous in A Small Town, both instant national bestsellers as well as summer and winter book picks by Good Morning America, Reader's Digest and Katie Couric. His most recent memoir, Magic Season, which detailed how the love of baseball and the St. Louis Cardinals was the only thing to bond him and his Ozarks father, was a Michigan Notable Book of the Year, a Barnes & Noble Father's Day selection, a USA Today summer reading selection, and a Best Book of Summer by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Wade is a noted humorist, whose nonfiction has been selected as part of the American Library Association's inaugural "Rainbow List" recognizing outstanding books with significant and authentic LGBTQIA+ content for readers. A former journalist, magazine writer and People reporter, his writing has appeared in a diverse range of publications and media, including Coastal Living, Time, All Things Considered, Good Housekeeping, Parade, Salon, Forbes, Writer's Digest and Publisher's Weekly. Wade earned his B.A. from Drury University and his master's in journalism from Northwestern University. He divides his time between Saugatuck, Michigan, and Palm Springs, California, and is also an acclaimed writing teacher who has mentored numerous students to become published authors. Wade hosts the popular Facebook Live literary happy hour, "Wine & Words with Wade," every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. EST on the Viola Shipman author page where he talks writing, inspiration and hope, takes readers on tours of the places that inspire his novels, throws costumed monthly office parties, and welcomes bestselling authors and publishing insiders. In this episode: Why he decided to use his grandmother's name as his pen name [2:01] The key differences between writing memoir and fiction [5:46] Honing the art of structuring memoir and fiction [12:23] Writing with different POV's and how it changes with his books [10:23] How his friendships and relationships with women impact his writing as a gay man [10:35] The way Wade made writing memoir less of an overwhelming process [15:45] How Wade's background as a journalist informs his writing [16:17] Creating throughlines for his books [21:07] The #1 question that he asks himself when it comes to writing [25:38] Wade's personal creative process for memoir and fiction [30:35] Dealing with imposter syndrome early in the process [31:57] The deeper reason behind why he writes books with positivity in a dystopian-focused publishing world [38:28] Advice for writers at any stage of their career [42:22] Connect with Wade: Website: Wade Rouse https://waderouse.com: Website: ViolaShipman.com (https://violashipman.com) FB: Viola Shipman (https://www.facebook.com/authorviolashipman/) FB: Author Wade Rouse (https://www.facebook.com/authorwaderouse/) Instagram: Viola_Shipman (https://www.instagram.com/viola_shipman/) IG: AuthorWadeRouse (https://www.instagram.com/authorwaderouse/) Bookbub: @violashipman (https://www.bookbub.com/authors/viola-shipman) 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 Sign up for Her Class at NYU Writing About Your Life Through Memoir, Essays and Articles https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Join her event at NYU on September 16th with Liz Elting, philanthropist and author of Dream Big and Win: Imbuing Memoir into Your Non-Fiction Book: When How-To Advice Just Isn't Enough for An Author https://events.nyu.edu/event/327539-imbuing-memoir-into-your-non-fiction-book-when Take her Tantalizing Titles Craft Talk Webinar on October 2nd https://craft-talks.com/event/tantalizing-titles/ Estelle will be doing the closing session of the ASJA virtual conference on September 26th with renowned memoirist Abigail Thomas. Read 8 Things You Didn't Know about Abigail Thomas and Estelle Erasmus https://www.asja.org/abigail-thomas-and-estelle-erasmus/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus

Jeannine Ouellette's lyric memoir, The Part That Burns, was a 2021 Kirkus Best Indie Book and a finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Award in Women's Literature. She is also the author of the picture book, Mama Moon. Her literary essays and short fiction have appeared widely in anthologies and journals, including Narrative, North American Review, Los Angeles Review of Books, Masters Review, Calyx, and many others. She holds an MFA in fiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts and is a Millay Colony for the Arts fellow and past juror. Her bestselling Substack, Writing in the Dark, is a passionate creative community for people who "do language," where writing is part of a deeper, vaster conversation about how attention, curiosity, playfulness, and surprise provide a portal to the profound on the path to becoming, because talking about "how to write better" without that larger context is kind of boring. Ouellette teaches writing at the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop and the University of Minnesota, where she also facilitates narrative health writing workshops for healthcare professionals and the public. She is working on a novel. In this episode: Finding her way into literary writing later in life [4:15] Creating art that blurs boundaries [7:20] Making magic with metaphor and the language of nature [9:34] Dealing with difficult childhood experiences through writing [9:51] Traversing the intersection of fiction and memoir [8:18] Using writing rules and constraints to build a world on the page [12:15] The workshop that broke Jeannine wide open [15:50] The risk of writing from the perspective of a child narrator [22:52] Writing about motherhood and being in one's body [27:22] Jeannine's story of the growth of her substack and advice for building a profitable digital newsletter [41:13] Connect with Jeannine: Substack Facebook Instagram X/Twitter Connect with Estelle: Watch Estelle's episode #81 with Maggie Smith (mentioned in this episode). The Art of Shaping a Compelling Story https://estelleserasmus.com/81-the-art-of-shaping-a-compelling-story-featuring-maggie-smith/ ​​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 Sign up for Her Class at NYU Writing About Your Life Through Memoir, Essays and Articles https://www.sps.nyu.edu/professional-pathways/faculty/1068-estelle-erasmus.html Join her event at NYU on September 16th with Liz Elting, philanthropist and author of Dream Big and Win: Imbuing Memoir into Your Non-Fiction Book: When How-To Advice Just Isn't Enough for An Author https://events.nyu.edu/event/327539-imbuing-memoir-into-your-non-fiction-book-when?fbclid=IwY2xjawFEnWNleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHayZ7DcHV5hE1dWDKx_7mxrzKunkeCmOLP5ncv5leyBYaYgN9nVARmaKGQ_aem_rc1K8aXMTNaDPdJ8t-QjCA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus

Rona Maynard found happiness at 65—a story she tells in her new memoir Starter Dog: My Path to Joy, Belonging and Loving This World. She first broke into print at 14 with a short story about bullying and still receives fan mail from teens who are reading it in class. Rona capped a stellar career in magazines with a decade at the helm of Chatelaine, Canada's leading magazine for women. Her editor's column won a loyal following. When she disclosed a struggle with depression, she helped kickstart a national conversation about mental health. After Chatelaine, Rona had to learn to unwind—and found that her best teacher was a rescue mutt who had received his basic training in a prison. She has been married more than 50 years and is a firm believer that road trips go better with a dog in the back seat. In This Episode: The important step Rona took while looking for her next chapter [3:19] How she tests the waters by sharing mini stories on Facebook [5:36] Giving your reader a reason to turn the page [7:48] Why beautiful writing isn't enough [8:07] Living in the moment with a dog and how Rona applied that to her life [9:02] Inviting readers into the book with your sense of mission [10:12] Working as an editor-in-chief at Chatelaine and what that showed her about herself [11:20] Discovering what makes her day glow and finding purpose [13:01] Mining the conflict in your story [15:00] Rona's advice for organizing your writing and effectively using tools like Scrivener [16:15] Writing your stories, even when the memories are hard [29:04] Why she doesn't do the "vomit" draft [31:49] Connect with Rona Substack: https://ronamaynard.substack.com/ Website:http://www.ronamaynard.com Connect with Estelle: Sign up for Estelle's September 5th free Zoom AMA with journalist Aly Walansky from 4:30-5:30 PM ET, where they will discuss pitching, publishing, grabbing an editor's attention, working with editors, and getting noticed by pr people, and so much more. Email Estelle at freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com with your question for the AMA and to secure your spot. Watch Estelle's episode #99 with Aly Walansky https://estelleserasmus.com/99-notes-from-a-lifestyle-journalist-with-10k-substack-subscribers/ Watch Estelle's episode #38 with Cheryl Strayed https://estelleserasmus.com/38-cheryl-strayed-on-writing-and-tiny-beautiful-things/ ​​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 See Estelle's latest blog post with news https://estelleserasmus.com/a-few-pieces-of-exciting-news/ Get Her Book Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published: https://rb.gy/5ihwp0 Pre-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 Estelle's latest substack post on Micro Memoir https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/if-you-are-writing-a-micro-memoir Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus

Elissa Bassist is the editor of the "Funny Women" column on The Rumpus and the author of the award-deserving memoir Hysterical. As a founding contributor to The Rumpus, she's written cultural and personal criticism since the website launched in 2009. Most recently her writing appears in her newsletter, Tragedy Plus Time. Elissa teaches humor writing at The New School, 92NY, Lighthouse Writers Workshop, and elsewhere, and she is probably her therapist's favorite. Her next book is INSIDE JOKES: A Comedy and Creativity Guide for All People, coming in 2026. In This Episode: Writing with humor on heavy topics aka "traumedy" [3:08] Why Elissa wrote Hysterical [4:11] The Importance of external validation [4:41] The value of researching her book and how Elissa did it [6:28] Cultivating an external world for your book in the midst of great interiority [8:30] Why its essential to work with an agent and editor who understands you [12:01] Standing up to your editor and agents and why you might need to break up with them [12:57] The benefits of stalking (and writing about) your obsessions [18:16] An unusual horror film that put her life in perspective [21:39] Explaining why the footnote was the essay [23:24] The life affirming advice she received from Cheryl Strayed [25:26] Elissa's role at The Rumpus [26:14] Her next big project [31:45] Connect with Elissa Website | Classes | Newsletters Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Elissa's viral piece on the Human Centipede for The Paris Review https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2012/11/01/the-human-centipede-or-how-to-move-to-new-york/ Connect with Estelle: Watch Estelle's episode #38 with Cheryl Strayed (who gave the advice to Elissa she mentions in Episode #101) https://estelleserasmus.com/38-cheryl-strayed-on-writing-and-tiny-beautiful-things/ ​​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 See Estelle's latest blog post with news https://estelleserasmus.com/a-few-pieces-of-exciting-news/ 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 Estelle's latest substack post on Micro Memoir https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/if-you-are-writing-a-micro-memoir Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@EstelleSErasmus