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

What makes readers care about flawed characters making questionable decisions? In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle Erasmus talks with bestselling author Vanessa Hua about her new novel Coyoteland and the craft behind creating emotionally layered fiction filled with tension, community, family dynamics, and difficult choices. They discuss: • Writing omniscient and multiple point-of-view narration • Why flawed characters create compelling stories • Building escalating stakes in fiction • Using setting as an active force in storytelling • How journalism shaped Vanessa's fiction writing • Reverse-engineering stories to improve craft • The importance of empathy in storytelling • Writing family, community, and social tension • Balancing multiple writing projects at once • Why movement and listening to your manuscript aloud can strengthen revision Vanessa also shares insights into writing morally complex characters while exploring the hidden pressures shaping modern communities and relationships. Watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/KP9W2VZT5Nk About Vanessa Hua Vanessa Hua is the author of the national bestsellers A River of Stars and Forbidden City, as well as the story collection Deceit and Other Possibilities, a New York Times Editors' Pick. A National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellow, she has also received a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers' Award, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, a California Arts Council Fellowship, and a Steinbeck Fellowship in Creative Writing, as well as honors from the de Groot Foundation, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Asian American Journalists Association, among others. Previously, she was an award-winning columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. She teaches at the Warren Wilson MFA Program, Sewanee Writers Conference, and elsewhere. Her book of narrative nonfiction, Uprooted, is forthcoming. Links & Resources: Vanessa: Website: http://www.vanessahua.com Instagram: @mononoke97 Facebook: @vanessahuawriter Bluesky: r@vanessahua.bsky.social Estelle Website: https://estelleserasmus.com Watch Estelle's TEDx Talk How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpcWmjpzSIQ Instagram/X/TikTok/BlueSky: @EstelleSErasmus NEW Substack post: A Recap of the Editor-on-Call Event with Susan Dabbar of PROVOKEDmagazine. All the intel you need to get published there including a free pitching guide and portal link. https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/how-to-pitch-provokedmagazine-inside Subscribe for exclusive info and podcast clips: https://estelleserasmus.substack.com About Estelle Erasmus Estelle Erasmus is an NYU writing professor, former magazine editor-in-chief, TEDx speaker, and the author of Writing That Gets Noticed, named a Best Book for Writers by Poets & Writers. She is also the host of the award-winning podcast Freelance Writing Direct, where she shares insider strategies on craft, publishing, and building a writing career. Enjoying the show Follow, rate, and review Freelance Writing Direct on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch full episodes on YouTube.

Freelance Writing Direct chats with Tia Levings about writing a memoir of escape, and how strong scenes, structure, and editorial choices turn personal experience into a powerful narrative. Tia Levings is the New York Times bestselling author of A Well-Trained Wife, a memoir about her escape from Christian patriarchy and high-control religious culture. She writes about religious trauma, evangelical influence, and the cultural forces shaping women's lives today. Her work has appeared in Teen Vogue, Salon, Newsweek, and The Huffington Post, and she was featured in the Shiny Happy People docuseries. Her next book, I Belong to Me, releases May 2026. In this episode, Estelle Erasmus and Tia Levings discuss: How to turn lived experience into a compelling, page-turning memoir Why choosing the right scenes matters more than including everything that happened The difference between situation and story, and how it shapes narrative drive How to weave research and cultural context into memoir without slowing the pace Writing about trauma while maintaining momentum and reader engagement The role of developmental editing in strengthening structure and emotional build How to create a memoir that resonates beyond your personal experience Why memoir is not a "parade of bad things," but a search for meaning and connection Crafting chapter endings that keep readers turning the page Building a platform and expanding your story into broader cultural impact Tia also shares how she broke free from a high-control environment, how visibility became a form of safety, and how storytelling can create both personal healing and collective awareness. Watch on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6kJKMI77Go Links & Resources: Follow Tia Levings on social media: @TiaLevingsWriterEstelle's website: https://estelleserasmus.com Watch Estelle's TEDx Talk How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpcWmjpzSIQ NEW Substack post: A Recap of the Editor-on-Call Event with Susan Dabbar of PROVOKEDmagazine. All the intel you need to get published there. https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/how-to-pitch-provokedmagazine-inside Subscribe for exclusive info and podcast clips: https://estelleserasmus.substack.com About Estelle Erasmus Estelle Erasmus is an NYU writing professor, former magazine editor-in-chief, TEDx speaker, and the author of Writing That Gets Noticed, named a Best Book for Writers by Poets & Writers. She is also the host of the award-winning podcast Freelance Writing Direct, where she shares insider strategies on craft, publishing, and building a writing career. Enjoying the show Follow, rate, and review Freelance Writing Direct on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch full episodes on YouTube.

In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle Erasmus sits down with literary agent Sally Ekus, senior agent at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, where she leads a boutique division specializing in cookbooks, lifestyle, and select nonfiction. With over 350 book deals under her belt and deep roots in the publishing world, Sally shares what truly makes a proposal stand out, how the industry is evolving in real time, and why enthusiasm and voice still matter more than ever. Together, Estelle and Sally explore the shift from traditional publishing models to today's fast-paced, data-driven landscape—and what writers must do now to get noticed. You'll hear a candid, behind-the-scenes look at how agents think, how deals happen, and how writers can position themselves for success. In this episode, we discuss: What literary agents are really looking for in a nonfiction proposal The importance of platform—and what to do if you don't have one How to craft a compelling concept that can drive a book deal What happens when a book goes to auction (and why the highest bid isn't everything) How publishers are using data and trends to shape acquisitions The evolving role of AI in publishing—and where Sally draws the line The financial and creative realities of producing cookbooks today Why enthusiasm, voice, and clarity are your greatest assets as a writer Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27dK8IRHT-8&t=5s About Sally Ekus Sally Ekus is a senior literary agent at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency, where she spearheads a boutique division focused on cookbooks, lifestyle, and nonfiction. She represents chefs, food writers, creators, and thought leaders, and has brokered hundreds of deals with major publishers including Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster. She is also the creator of the Not-So-Secret Agent Substack and founder of the How to Be a Cookbook Author community, where she shares insights into the publishing process and supports aspiring authors. Links & Resources: Sally's Substack: Not-So-Secret Agent https://notsosecretagent.substack.com How to Be a Cookbook Author https://www.ekusgroup.com/cookbookacademy Estelle's website: https://estelleserasmus.com Subscribe for exclusive info and podcast clips: https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Sign up for the NYU Editor-on-Call Event on April 22 with the Editor-in-Chief of Provoked Magazine. https://events.nyu.edu/event/384509-editor-on-call-ready-to-pitch-publish-and-g About Estelle Erasmus Estelle Erasmus is an NYU writing professor, former magazine editor-in-chief, TEDx speaker, and the author of Writing That Gets Noticed, named a Best Book for Writers by Poets & Writers. She is also the host of the award-winning podcast Freelance Writing Direct, where she shares insider strategies on craft, publishing, and building a writing career. Enjoying the show Follow, rate, and review Freelance Writing Direct on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch full episodes on YouTube.

What does the rise of authorpreneurship mean for writers today? In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle Erasmus sits down with Regina Brooks, founder and CEO of Serendipity Literary Agency and president of the Association of American Literary Agents, to explore how publishing is shifting and what writers need to understand now. From what agents look for in submissions to how platform, AI, and direct-to-consumer models are reshaping the industry, this conversation offers a clear-eyed look at how writers can move beyond simply writing a book to building a sustainable writing career. Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_luHYAPHp4&t=131s About Regina Regina Brooks is the founder and CEO of Serendipity Literary Agency, where she represents award-winning and bestselling authors and illustrators whose work has earned honors such as the National Book Award, the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, and the NAACP Image Awards. She also serves as President of the Association of American Literary Agents and is co-founder of the People of Publishing Conference in New York, helping lead industry conversations about rights, technology, and professional development across the publishing ecosystem. Regina brings a deep respect for the creative process and a sharp instinct for helping writers bring powerful ideas into the world. Connect with Regina Serendipity Literary Agency: https://www.serendipitylit.com/our_team/regina-brooks/ Regina Brooks' book: You Should Really Write a Book: How to Write, Sell, and Market Your Memoir https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780312609344/youshouldreallywriteabook/ Don't miss episode #184 From Silence to Story: Writing a Hostage Memoir 50 Years Later https://estelleserasmus.com/184-from-silence-to-story-writing-a-hostage-memoir-50-years-later/ And find the free resource guide from the panel I moderated at AWP: https://estelleserasmus.com/teaching-speaking/awp-2026-writing-and-publishing-resources/ Get More From Estelle Erasmus • Free NYU "Editor on Call" Event Join Estelle Erasmus and the editor-in-chief of PROVOKED on April 22 from 12:30–1:30 PM EDT to learn how to pitch and publish your work. Register here: https://events.nyu.edu/event/384509-editor-on-call-ready-to-pitch-publish-and-g • Private Small-Group Memoir Class Next 6-week session begins September 2026. (May session is sold out). Email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com for details. Recent Student Piece in The Cut: https://www.thecut.com/article/search-rescue-volunteer-missing-person-motherhood.html • Read & Subscribe Substack: NEW POST — Why Your Memoir Draft Still Feels Flat (And How to Fix It) https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/why-your-memoir-draft-still-feels • Newsletter Sign up at estelleserasmus.com for show updates and a free Pitching Guide. • Watch Estelle's TEDx Talk: How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpcWmjpzSIQ • Book Writing That Gets Noticed — named a Poets & Writers "Best Book for Writers." https://www.amazon.com/Writing-That-Gets-Noticed-Storyteller/dp/1608688364 • Listen Freelance Writing Direct Podcast — 2026 and 2025 Podcast of the Year (American Writing Awards) https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast/ About Estelle Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist,TEDx Speaker, author of Writing That Gets Noticed, and host of Freelance Writing Direct. An adjunct professor at NYU, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP The Magazine. She has served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines. Follow Estelle: • Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus https://instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus • TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus https://www.tiktok.com/@estelleserasmus • Twitter: @EstelleSErasmus https://x.com/EstelleSErasmus • BlueSky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social

Ghostwriting isn't dead. It's just napping. The smart writers know exactly where to wake it up. It can be one of the most lucrative paths for writers, but not all ghostwriting opportunities are created equal. In this solo episode, Estelle Erasmus reveals which ghostwriting gigs are thriving in 2026 and which ones are quietly disappearing. If you've ever been curious about ghostwriting (or you're already doing it and wondering about your future), this episode is essential listening. Estelle shares insider predictions about the market, explains why the "whisper network" matters more than you think, and breaks down exactly what it takes to land high-paying ghostwriting projects. In This Episode The surprising truth about which ghostwriting clients are worth pursuing—and which aren't Why AI is reshaping the ghostwriting landscape (and what this means for your income) Two key organizations every ghostwriter should know about The one skill that separates successful ghostwriters from everyone else Real talk about ghostwriting earnings: what you can actually make How to position yourself as the go-to ghostwriter (even if you're just starting out) Resources Mentioned Gotham Ghostwriters https://gothamghostwriters.com/ Association of Ghostwriters https://associationofghostwriters.org/ Jane Friedman's Newsletter https://janefriedman.com/ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/g0DUVX2Xg_E Get More From Estelle Erasmus • Free NYU "Editor on Call" Event Join Estelle Erasmus and the editor-in-chief of PROVOKED on April 22 from 12:30–1:30 PM EDT to learn how to pitch and publish your work. Register here: https://events.nyu.edu/event/384509-editor-on-call-ready-to-pitch-publish-and-g • Private Small-Group Memoir Class Next 6-week session begins September 2026. (May session is sold out). Email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com for details. • Read & Subscribe Substack: NEW POST — Why Your Memoir Draft Still Feels Flat (And How to Fix It) https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/why-your-memoir-draft-still-feels • Newsletter Sign up at estelleserasmus.com for show updates and a free Pitching Guide. • Watch Estelle's TEDx Talk: How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpcWmjpzSIQ • Book Writing That Gets Noticed — named a Poets & Writers "Best Book for Writers." https://www.amazon.com/Writing-That-Gets-Noticed-Storyteller/dp/1608688364 • Listen Freelance Writing Direct Podcast — 2026 and 2025 Podcast of the Year (American Writing Awards) https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast/ About Estelle Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist,TEDx Speaker, author of Writing That Gets Noticed, and host of Freelance Writing Direct. An adjunct professor at NYU, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP The Magazine. She has served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines. Follow Estelle: • Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus https://instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus • TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus https://www.tiktok.com/@estelleserasmus • Twitter: @EstelleSErasmus https://x.com/EstelleSErasmus • BlueSky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social

What happens when a story that could be told as trauma is instead shaped as triumph? Blair Glaser joins Estelle Erasmus to discuss her journey from a Catskills ashram in the 1990s to published author, and how she turned her time in a spiritual organization into her memoir, This Incredible Longing: Finding Myself in a Near Cult Experience. Rather than writing a simple escape narrative, she explores spiritual longing, group dynamics, depression, leadership, and the unexpected skills she developed inside a restrictive system. Instead of focusing solely on abuse and escape, Blair takes a nuanced approach, examining how that experience helped her find her voice, build professional skills, and ultimately claim her self worth. This episode is essential listening for memoir writers wrestling with how to structure layered stories, navigate family fallout, and uncover the thematic thread that elevates personal experience into crafted memoir. In this episode: Why her memoir rejects the typical "cult survivor" narrative and how she found unexpected gifts within a harmful experience [02:55] The rookie mistake many memoirists make and how she corrected it in revision [12:05] How the ashram taught her to rise through the ranks, create transformational programs, and become a writer, even while struggling with depression [16:00] Why she defines spiritual awakening as "a kind of madness" that rarely makes sense to the people around you [25:25] How to write about depression and suicidal ideation without deadening the reader [27:00] Why writing from therapeutic distance made revisiting trauma feel reflective, even sweet, rather than painful [27:20] Her best advice for writers who do not have journals to draw from [28:15] The family fallout that followed publication and why she chose authentic storytelling over protection [30:00] How indie publisher Heliotrope Books cha Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AofD5lloQ_E About Blair: Blair Glaser is a writer and leadership consultant whose essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, People Magazine, Longreads, Oldster, Quartz, HuffPost, Inside Higher Ed, and others, as well as in literary magazines such as Brevity, Dorothy Parker's Ashes, In Short, and The Mantlepiece. She's read stories live at events such as Writer's Read, Generation Women, and The Woodstock Bookfest. Her debut memoir, This Incredible Longing, was published by Heliotrope in February 2026. She lives with her husband and dog-ter, Vanna White, in Venice Beach, CA. More can be found at www.blairglaser.com. Connect with Blair: Website: https://www.blairglaser.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blair_glaser/ Book: This Incredible Longing: Finding Myself in a Near Cult Experience: https://www.blairglaser.com/books Get More From Estelle Private Small-Group Memoir Class — Next 6-week session begins May 2026. Email me at freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com for details and to get on the waiting list. Read & Subscribe • Substack:— NEW POST: Why Your Memoir Draft Still Feels Flat: And How To Fix Ithttps://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/why-your-memoir-draft-still-feels Newsletter: Sign up at estelleserasmus.com for show updates + a free Pitching Guide. Watch: Estelle's TEDx Talk — How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpcWmjpzSIQ Book: Writing That Gets Noticed — named a Poets & Writers "Best Book for Writers." https://www.amazon.com/Writing-That-Gets-Noticed-Storyteller/dp/1608688364 Listen: Freelance Writing Direct Podcast — 2025 Podcast of the Year (American Writing Awards) https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast/ About Estelle Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist,TEDx Speaker, author of Writing That Gets Noticed, and host of Freelance Writing Direct. An adjunct professor at NYU, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP The Magazine. She has served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines. Follow Estelle: • Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus https://instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus • TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus https://www.tiktok.com/@estelleserasmus • Twitter: @EstelleSErasmus https://x.com/EstelleSErasmus • BlueSky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social

What do you do when your son's first birthday party becomes the same day you lose your mother? In this episode, Estelle Erasmus sits down with Jocelyn Jane Cox, author of Motion Dazzle, the award-winning memoir that follows a single day when celebration and grief collided. It's a day that would forever contain both darkness and light, joy and devastating loss. Here's what makes this conversation essential for writers: Jocelyn shares the conscious craft choices behind weaving seemingly unrelated threads—competitive figure skating, caregiving, dating disasters, and new motherhood—into a cohesive narrative anchored by a powerful central metaphor. She waited seven years to write it. She revised it 14 times. She made the bold choice not to name her mother until the final pages. And when traditional publishing didn't align, she pivoted to small presses and received two offers. If you're wrestling with how to structure a memoir, wondering when you're ready to write about grief, or trying to figure out how to braid multiple timelines into one story, this episode offers a clear, honest look at how it can be done with intention. This conversation also echoes themes from my recent piece in Electric Literature, "9 Memoirs about Dating, Desire, and Reclamation,"where I highlight nine memoirists exploring dating, desire, reclamation, love, loss, and identity in bold, personal ways. https://electricliterature.com/9-memoirs-about-dating-desire-and-reclamation/ In this episode: Why writing to her son (not to publishers) freed her to finish the first draft [3:23] How cutting 13,000 words strengthened her manuscript [8:12] The craft decision to use a single-day structure (like in Mrs. Dalloway) [9:25] How she turned the metaphor of "motion dazzle"—a zebra's survival mechanism—into the beating heart of her memoir [14:33] What she learned working with Estelle on a pivotal essay [24:48] The truth about writing essays to tighten your book (and build your platform) [29:12] Why she queried exactly 25 agents before recognizing her book was meant for a small press [30:35]\ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ljvor7U4icc About Jocelyn: Jocelyn Jane Cox is the author of Motion Dazzle: A Memoir of Motherhood, Loss, and Skating on Thin Ice (Vine Leaves Press, 2025), winner of the American Writing Awards in Best New Nonfiction. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing (fiction) from Sarah Lawrence College and has published in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, Newsweek, Slate, Writers Digest, and numerous literary magazines. Her fiction and nonfiction have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She lives with her husband and son near Nyack, NY and works as a book coach, memoir teacher, and college essay coach. Connect with Jocelyn: Website: https://www.jocelynjanecox.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelynjanecoxwriter/?hl=en Motion Dazzle: A Memoir of Motherhood, Loss, and Skating on Thin Ice: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/238249565-motion-dazzle Get More From Estelle NEW: My next free Editor on Call event in collaboration with NYU is open for registration.I'm delighted to be in conversation with Susan Dabbar, Publisher and Editor in Chief of PROVOKEDmagazine, about what makes a pitch stand out and how to position your work for publication there. Sign up here: Upcoming Webinar with Writer's Digest: Amplifying the Echo Effect in Memoir and Essays, February 26th, 1:00-2:30 pm ET If you want to understand how patterns, callbacks, and emotional echoes can deepen your work, join me for this brand new interactive craft webinar. Learn more and register here. https://writersdigestuniversity.mykajabi.com/amplifying-the-echo-effect-in-memoir-and-essays Learn with Estelle: • NYU Zoom Course: Writing About Your Life Through Memoir & Essays — Discover how to beat writer's block, shape a powerful narrative, pitch editors, and walk away with a ready-to-publish essay or memoir pages. https://www.sps.nyu.edu/courses/WRIT1-CE9800-writing-about-your-life-through-memoir-essays-and-articles.html Private Small-Group Memoir Class — January and March are sold out. Next 6-week session begins May 2026. Email me at freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com for details and to get on the waiting list. Read & Subscribe • Substack:— NEW POST: On Craft, Revision, and the Paragraph You Almost Cut https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Newsletter: Sign up at estelleserasmus.com for show updates + a free Pitching Guide. Watch: Estelle's TEDx Talk — How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpcWmjpzSIQ Book: Writing That Gets Noticed — named a Poets & Writers "Best Book for Writers." https://www.amazon.com/Writing-That-Gets-Noticed-Storyteller/dp/1608688364 Listen: Freelance Writing Direct Podcast — 2025 Podcast of the Year (American Writing Awards) https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast/ About Estelle Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist,TEDx Speaker, author of Writing That Gets Noticed, and host of Freelance Writing Direct. An adjunct professor at NYU, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP The Magazine. She has served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines. Follow Estelle: • Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus https://instagram.com/EstelleSErasmus • TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus https://www.tiktok.com/@estelleserasmus • Twitter: @EstelleSErasmus https://twitter.com/EstelleSErasmus • BlueSky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social

Great writing doesn't come from inventing drama. It comes from putting characters in situations where something meaningful is at stake. In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle talks with fiction writer and essayist Peter Mountford about his short story collection Detonator and the craft choices that make stories propulsive. Mountford discusses how place shapes his fiction, drawing from lived experience in Sri Lanka, Ecuador, Mexico, Scotland, and the U.S. He explains why many of the stories began as previously published pieces and how revising them later, with a teacher's eye, changed their emotional impact. This episode is for fiction and nonfiction writers who want their work to feel leaner, sharper, and more emotionally charged In this episode: How Detonator grew out of lived experience and real places [2:18] Guilt, death, sex, and humor as recurring narrative forces [15:24] The craft purpose of a nonfiction prologue in a fiction collection [15:55] How strong hooks give writers freedom to slow down later [19:19] Using secrets, requests, and moral pressure to create tension [21:06] Why "mini-scenes" often work better than full narratives [25:09] Revising previously published work with a teacher's eye [27:08] What makes Modern Love–style essays pitchable and effective [30:15] Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FvZLi7ehvdA About Peter: Peter Mountford is the author of the novels A Young Man's Guide to Late Capitalism (Washington State Book Award), The Dismal Science (NYT editor's choice), and his latest, a collection of short stories, Detonator (now out from Four Way Books). His work has appeared in the New York Times (Modern Love), Paris Review, Southern Review, The Atlantic, The Sun, Ploughshares, and Guernica. He teaches at University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe's MFA, and through Mountford Writing. Connect with Peter: Website: https://www.petermountford.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mountfordwriting/?hl=en Detonator: https://www.petermountford.com/detonator Coaching & Classes: https://www.mountfordwriting.com/ Modern Love Self Guided Class: https://www.mountfordwriting.com/how-to-write-a-new-york-times-modern-love-essay Get More from Estelle Upcoming Webinar with Writer's Digest: Amplifying the Echo Effect in Memoir and Essays, February 26th, 1:00-2:30 pm ET If you want to understand how patterns, callbacks, and emotional echoes can deepen your work, join me for this brand new interactive craft webinar. Learn more and register here. https://writersdigestuniversity.mykajabi.com/amplifying-the-echo-effect-in-memoir-and-essays Learn with Estelle: • NYU Zoom Course: Writing About Your Life Through Memoir & Essays — Discover how to beat writer's block, shape a powerful narrative, pitch editors, and walk away with a ready-to-publish essay or memoir pages. https://www.sps.nyu.edu/courses/WRIT1-CE9800-writing-about-your-life-through-memoir-essays-and-articles.html Private Small-Group Memoir Class — January and March are sold out. Next 6-week session begins May 2026. Email me at freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com for details and to get on the waiting list. Read & Subscribe • Substack:— NEW POST: On Craft, Revision, and the Paragraph You Almost Cut https://estelleserasmus.substack.com Newsletter: Sign up at estelleserasmus.com for show updates + a free Pitching Guide. Watch: Estelle's TEDx Talk — How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpcWmjpzSIQ Book: Writing That Gets Noticed — named a Poets & Writers "Best Book for Writers." https://www.amazon.com/Writing-That-Gets-Noticed-Storyteller/dp/1608688364 Listen: Freelance Writing Direct Podcast — 2025 Podcast of the Year (American Writing Awards) https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast/ About Estelle Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist,TEDx Speaker, author of Writing That Gets Noticed, and host of Freelance Writing Direct. An adjunct professor at NYU, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP The Magazine. She has served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines. Follow Estelle: • Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus • TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus • Twitter: @EstelleSErasmus • BlueSky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social

Did you know that cats have, in their feline way, shaped some of the greatest writing careers in literary history? Bob Eckstein and Nava Atlas join Estelle Erasmus to talk about their collaboration on Inspired by Cats: Writers and Their Mews(es), a visually rich book exploring the creative bond between writers and their feline companions. The conversation traces how the idea evolved from a shareable literary roundup into a full-scale book published by Norton. Bob and Nava unpack their creative process, from cleanly dividing roles between writing and illustration to navigating permissions, estates, and revisions. This episode is especially valuable for writers curious about collaboration, research-driven books, illustration partnerships, and finding inspiration beyond the page. In this episode: How Inspired by Cats: Writers and Their Mews(es) grew from a literary roundup into a full book [1:10] Why cats consistently emerge as ideal creative companions for writers [3:01] What Bob and Nava learned about collaboration, trust, and dividing creative roles [9:40] What working with estates, living authors, and editors really involves [12:30] Surprising discoveries about famous writers and their feline companions [20:15] The importance of curation and surprise when shaping a narrative-driven book [24:19] How tight word limits can sharpen writing instead of limiting it [30:46] What the project revealed about inspiration, discipline, and the writing life [32:20] Bob Eckstein previously appeared on Freelance Writing Direct to talk about his work and career, and listeners may enjoy revisiting that episode alongside this conversation. #86 The Way of an Author and Illustrator: Finding Inspiration in Art. https://estelleserasmus.com/86-the-way-of-an-author-and-illustrator-finding-inspiration-in-art-featuring-bob-eckstein/ Watch on YouTube:https://youtu.be/PDRCFOiCLn4 Inspired by Cats Writers and Their Mews(es): https://wwnorton.com/books/9781682689493 Bob Eckstein is a NY Times bestseller, award-winning illustrator, New Yorker cartoonist, and world's leading snowman expert. His newest books are Footnotes from the Most Fascinating Museums and Inspired by Cat: Writers & Their Mews(es). Connect with Bob Website Bob's Latest Book on Estelle's Bookshop Instagram Twitter TikTok Facebook Substack Podcast: The Cartoon Pad Nava Atlas has some twenty books to her credit. She's known for her many vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, most recently the 5th edition of Vegan Soups and Stews for All Seasons. Nava is also the author of visual nonfiction, notably Literary Ladies Guide to the Writing Life, which spun off to the web archive LiteraryLadiesGuide.com, dedicated to women's classic literature, with millions of views logged. Her latest book is Inspired by Cats: Writers and Their Mews(es), illustrated by Bob Eckstein. She's working on Women Writing Dangerously, a visual history of banning, censorship, and silencing of women's literature. She lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York state. You can find her at LiteraryLadiesGuide.com and TheVeganAtlas.com. Connect with Nava https://literaryladiesguide.substack.com https://theveganatlas.substack.com Get More from Estelle Upcoming Webinar with Writer's Digest: Amplifying the Echo Effect in Memoir and Essays, February 26th, 1:00-2:30 pm ET If you want to understand how patterns, callbacks, and emotional echoes can deepen your work, join me for this brand new interactive craft webinar. Learn more and register here. https://writersdigestuniversity.mykajabi.com/amplifying-the-echo-effect-in-memoir-and-essays 🎓 Learn with Estelle: • NYU Zoom Course: Writing About Your Life Through Memoir & Essays — Discover how to beat writer's block, shape a powerful narrative, pitch editors, and walk away with a ready-to-publish essay or memoir pages. https://www.sps.nyu.edu/courses/WRIT1-CE9800-writing-about-your-life-through-memoir-essays-and-articles.html Private Small-Group Memoir Class — January and March are sold out. Next 6-week session begins May 2026. Email me at freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com for details and to get on the waiting list. 📰 Read & Subscribe • Substack:— NEW POST: On Craft, Revision, and the Paragraph You Almost Cut https://estelleserasmus.substack.com • Newsletter: Sign up at estelleserasmus.com for show updates + a free Pitching Guide. 🎤 Watch: Estelle's TEDx Talk — How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpcWmjpzSIQ 📘 Book: Writing That Gets Noticed — named a Poets & Writers "Best Book for Writers." https://www.amazon.com/Writing-That-Gets-Noticed-Storyteller/dp/1608688364 🎧 Listen: Freelance Writing Direct Podcast — 2025 Podcast of the Year (American Writing Awards) https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast/ About Estelle Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist,TEDx Speaker, author of Writing That Gets Noticed, and host of Freelance Writing Direct. An adjunct professor at NYU, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP The Magazine. She has served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines. Follow Estelle: • Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus • TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus • Twitter: @EstelleSErasmus • BlueSky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social

After years of writing literary fiction, Barbara DeMarco-Barrett, author of Pool Fishing, saw her work shift when she turned to noir. Estelle Erasmus chats with Barbara about the genre shift that reignited her fiction and led to publication. Barbara shares how stepping into noir forced her to embrace plot, tension, and consequence, without sacrificing voice or depth. They touch on the big craft questions behind the book, including how place shapes story, how themes emerge across a collection, and how to build characters readers empathize with, even when those characters make bad choices. Barbara also reflects on the early days of Writers on Writing and how it grew from a radio show into a long-running podcast for writers. In this episode: The moment Barbara realized literary fiction wasn't enough [3:02] Why noir demands action, risk, and irreversible consequences [4:17] Why genre shifts can unlock new creative momentum [5:06] How place and atmosphere shape what happens on the page [8:20] Ways themes naturally emerge across a story collection [9:11] The accidental water motif that ties Pool Fishing together [10:54] Making flawed characters compelling [16:35] A practical approach to staying accountable while drafting a book [22:52] How Writers on Writing began as radio and became a podcast pioneer [26:18] Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iOL5c3VDMCI About Barbara: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett's recent debut collection of short stories, Pool Fishing, was published by Kelp Books. Her short story, "Rowboat," included in the book, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She has also published Palm Springs Noir (Akashic Books) and Pen on Fire: A Busy Woman's Guide to Igniting the Writer Within, a Los Angeles Times bestseller and winner of the American Society of Journalists and Authors best book award. "Crazy for You," published in Orange County Noir (Akashic), was included in USA Noir: Best of the Akashic Noir Series. Her short fiction has been published in Coolest American Stories, CrimeReads, Oyez Review, Literary Hatchet, Rock and a Hard Place, Broad River Review, and Dark City Crime & Mystery Magazine. Essays and articles have seen print in Inlandia, The Antarctica Review, The Ocotillo Review, The Writer, Los Angeles Review of Books, Poets & Writers,, San Jose Mercury News, and the Los Angeles Times. She teaches at various places, including Saddleback College and Gotham Writers Workshop, and has taught at UC-Irvine where she received a Distinguished Instructor Award. She is creator, executive producer, and host of the award-winning podcast, Writers on Writing. www.penonfire.com. Connect with Barbara: Website: https://penonfire.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbarademarcobarrett/?hl=en Pool Fishing: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205217838-pool-fishing Writers on Writing: https://open.spotify.com/show/3xsgsETgPlrGnmI9BmjC1I?si=62ce96ccabd14a35 Get More from Estelle Upcoming Webinar with Writer's Digest: Amplifying the Echo Effect in Memoir and Essays, February 26th, 1:00-2:30 pm ET If you want to understand how patterns, callbacks, and emotional echoes can deepen your work, join me for this brand new interactive craft webinar. Learn more and register here. 🎓 Learn with Estelle: • NYU Zoom Course: Writing About Your Life Through Memoir & Essays — Discover how to beat writer's block, shape a powerful narrative, pitch editors, and walk away with a ready-to-publish essay or memoir pages. Find out more information and register here. Private Small-Group Memoir Class — January and March are sold out. Next 6-week session begins May 2026. Email me at freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com for details and to get on the waiting list. 📰 Read & Subscribe • Substack:— NEW POST: How to Pitch Slate: Advice, Ideas and Examples on How to Write Articles and Essays from NYU My Editor-on-Call Event • Newsletter: Sign up at estelleserasmus.com for show updates + a free Pitching Guide. 🎤 Watch: Estelle's TEDx Talk — How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond 📘 Book: Writing That Gets Noticed — named a Poets & Writers "Best Book for Writers." Audiobook here 🎧 Listen: Freelance Writing Direct Podcast — 2025 Podcast of the Year (American Writing Awards) About Estelle Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist,TEDx Speaker, author of Writing That Gets Noticed, and host of Freelance Writing Direct. A contributing editor for Writer's Digest and adjunct professor at NYU, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP The Magazine. She has served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines. Follow Estelle: • Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus • TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus • Twitter: @EstelleSErasmus • BlueSky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social

Memoir often begins where certainty ends, and that is exactly where Abigail Thomas feels most alive on the page. In this thoughtful conversation between friends, Estelle Erasmus and Abigail explore what it means to write through uncertainty, follow curiosity, and let small surprising moments become the heart of a story. This episode is for writers who crave honesty on the page, who wrestle with self-doubt, and who want practical ways to turn ordinary moments and uncomfortable memories into powerful stories. In This Episode: How Abby's writing process starts with curiosity rather than structure [5:42] Why writing for yourself first can quiet doubt and deepen authenticity [10:42] The surprising moments that reshape a memoir while you're writing it [14:08] What aging and memory loss have taught Abby about storytelling [16:24] Estelle's own revelations while drafting her memoir [19:57] A simple exercise to unlock vulnerable, unexpected material [20:58] Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/dWoVEinON7c About Abigail Thomas 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. Connect with Abigail Thomas: Substack Abigail Thomas/What Comes Next?: https://abigailthomas.substack.com Estelle's prior Episodes with Abby #116 https://estelleserasmus.com/116-conversations-with-abby-ruminations-on-writing-featuring-abigail-thomas/ #83 https://estelleserasmus.com/83-writing-your-way-into-an-engaging-and-enthralling-story-featuring-abigail-thomas/ Get More from Estelle Upcoming Webinar with Writer's Digest: Amplifying the Echo Effect in Memoir and Essays, February 26th, 1:00-2:30 pm ET If you want to understand how patterns, callbacks, and emotional echoes can deepen your work, join me for this brand new interactive craft webinar. Learn more and register here. 🎓 Learn with Estelle: • NYU Zoom Course: Writing About Your Life Through Memoir & Essays — Discover how to beat writer's block, shape a powerful narrative, pitch editors, and walk away with a ready-to-publish essay or memoir pages. Find out more information and register here. Private Small-Group Memoir Class — January and March are sold out. Next 6-week session begins May 2026. Email me at freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com for details and to get on the waiting list. 📰 Read & Subscribe • Substack:— NEW POST: How to Pitch Slate: Advice, Ideas and Examples on How to Write Articles and Essays from NYU My Editor-on-Call Event • Newsletter: Sign up at estelleserasmus.com for show updates + a free Pitching Guide. 🎤 Watch: Estelle's TEDx Talk — How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond 📘 Book: Writing That Gets Noticed — named a Poets & Writers "Best Book for Writers." Audiobook here 🎧 Listen: Freelance Writing Direct Podcast — 2025 Podcast of the Year (American Writing Awards) About Estelle Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist,TEDx Speaker, author of Writing That Gets Noticed, and host of Freelance Writing Direct. A contributing editor for Writer's Digest and adjunct professor at NYU, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP The Magazine. She has served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines. Follow Estelle: • Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus • TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus • Twitter: @EstelleSErasmus • BlueSky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social

Some lives resist easy summary, and Heather Sweeney's was one of them. After two decades inside a military marriage, marked by relocations, solo parenting, and a gradual loss of personal direction, she knew she had a story, but not yet a shape. Estelle Erasmus talks with Heather about how she translated that long, complicated stretch of living into her memoir, Camouflage: How I Emerged from the Shadows of a Military Marriage. They discuss the early drafting that felt scattered, the challenge of seeing her own experience clearly, and why a straightforward linear structure ultimately gave the narrative its definition. Heather shares how moving chronologically helped her understand what moments carried weight, what could be left out, and how structure can reveal meaning that isn't visible in real time. In this episode: How Heather determined that a linear structure best served her story [1:33] How she found the true "start" of her memoir [3:00] How she used a three part structure built around beginnings and endings [5:18] How reader responses to her early essay revealed a gap in stories about military divorce [7:02] Why the book needed forward motion instead of fragmentation [11:31] How she balanced writing about real people with protecting privacy [12:00] Turning years of journals into a clean storyline [13:21] How she considered weaving in military history or prescriptive elements, and why she chose to keep the memoir focused and personal [15:03] What she's excited about next in her writing life [28:44] Why readers from all backgrounds connect with her story [30:06] Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GlBYpm9Ac2Y About Heather Sweeney: Heather Sweeney is the author of the memoir Camouflage: How I Emerged from the Shadows of a Military Marriage. She writes about divorce, life as a military spouse, parenting, and women's health, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, HuffPost, Business Insider, TODAY.com, Newsweek, Good Housekeeping, Healthline, Reader's Digest and Military.com, among many others. She lives in Virginia with her boyfriend and two college-aged kids. Connect with Heather: Order Camouflage on Estelle's Bookshop https://bookshop.org/a/98827/9798895653081 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writersweeney Substack: https://heathersweeney.substack.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-sweeney-5a15115b/ X/Twitter: https://x.com/WriterSweeney Get More from Estelle 🎓 Learn with Estelle: • NYU Zoom Course: Writing About Your Life Through Memoir & Essays — Learn more• Private Small-Group Memoir Class — JANUARY AND MARCH SOLD OUT. Next 6-week session begins May 2026. Email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com for details and to get on the waiting list. 📰 Read & Subscribe • Substack:— NEW POST: How to Pitch Slate: Advice, Ideas and Examples on How to Write Articles and Essays from NYU My Editor-on-Call Event • Newsletter: Sign up at estelleserasmus.com for show updates + a free Pitching Guide. 🎤 Watch: Estelle's TEDx Talk — How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond 📘 Book: Writing That Gets Noticed — named a Poets & Writers "Best Book for Writers." Audiobook here 🎧 Listen: Freelance Writing Direct Podcast — 2025 Podcast of the Year (American Writing Awards) About Estelle Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist,TEDx Speaker, author of Writing That Gets Noticed, and host of Freelance Writing Direct. A contributing editor for Writer's Digest and adjunct professor at NYU, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP The Magazine. She has served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines. Follow Estelle: • Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus • TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus • Twitter: @EstelleSErasmus • BlueSky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social

Queer history is family history, and Alysia Abbott's Fairyland proves how one father-daughter story can illuminate an entire era. In this conversation, Estelle Erasmus talks with Alysia about her acclaimed memoir of growing up with her single gay father in 1970s and 80s San Francisco, and how that memoir found new life as a feature film more than a decade later. In this discussion, they explore the love, art, grief, and legacy at the heart of the story. Alysia shares how her father built a queer literary community long before the internet, and how his journals, letters, poems, and comics helped her reconstruct their world on the page. Together, Estelle and Alysia explore the craft, history, and emotional truth that shaped both the memoir and its cinematic adaptation. In this episode: Writing memoir from a daughter's perspective inside a queer community shaped by AIDS and activism [4:12] Showing how Fairyland bridges counterculture and mainstream culture, bringing a once marginalized father-daughter story into national conversation [6:03] Exploring how memoir can serve a higher purpose by honoring a life, a community, and a legacy that might otherwise be lost [23:53] Capturing the cultural touchstones, from poetry readings to Pride to the queer arts scene, that defined a transformative era [25:33] Using journals, letters, interviews, and research to rebuild a vivid sense of time, place, and character [28:57] Navigating the leap from book to film while remaining a trusted collaborator rather than an obstacle [33:44] Crafting an ending that situates one family's story inside a larger shared queer history [41:47] Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sIyYiDxaGP8 About Alysia Alysia Abbott is the author of Fairyland, A Memoir of My Father, which was a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice and a winner of the ALA Stonewall Award and the Madame Figaro Prix Heroine. The feature film based on her memoir, directed by Andrew Durham and produced by Sofia Coppola, premiered at the Sundance Festival in 2022, played in theaters across the country last month, and is now streaming on major platforms. Her essays and reviews have been published in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, WBUR's Cognoscenti, Vogue and elsewhere. She has been awarded grants and fellowships from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Ragdale and the Virginia Center for the Arts. She currently teaches literature and memoir at Emerson College and MIT. Connect with Alysia: http://www.alysiaabbott.com/ Stream Fairyland here: https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/fairyland Get More from Estelle 🎓 Learn with Estelle: • NYU Zoom Course: Writing About Your Life Through Memoir & Essays — Learn more• Private Small-Group Memoir Class — JANUARY AND MARCH SOLD OUT. Next 6-week session begins May 2026. Email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com for details and to get on the waiting list. 📰 Read & Subscribe • Substack:— NEW POST: How to Pitch Slate: Advice, Ideas and Examples on How to Write Articles and Essays from NYU My Editor-on-Call Event • Newsletter: Sign up at estelleserasmus.com for show updates + a free Pitching Guide. 🎤 Watch: Estelle's TEDx Talk — How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond 📘 Book: Writing That Gets Noticed — named a Poets & Writers "Best Book for Writers." Audiobook here 🎧 Listen: Freelance Writing Direct Podcast — 2025 Podcast of the Year (American Writing Awards) About Estelle Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist,TEDx Speaker, author of Writing That Gets Noticed, and host of Freelance Writing Direct. A contributing editor for Writer's Digest and adjunct professor at NYU, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP The Magazine. She has served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines. Follow Estelle: • Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus • TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus • Twitter: @EstelleSErasmus • BlueSky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social