Freelance Writing Direct with Estelle

In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, award-winning author and memoirist Cinelle Barnes joins me to talk about how A Way Home evolved from a Philippines travel memoir into a layered story of travel, family, identity, recovery, and finding home after she suffered, and recovered from a brain aneurysm.

We discuss how she braided different threads and timelines together, found connections between seemingly disparate pa...

What makes humor work on the page? And how do you write about love after the meet-cute, when a relationship has lasted for decades?

In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, I talk with New York Times bestselling author Steven Rowley about his new novel, Take Me With You, a love story with a touch of science fiction that asks a fascinating question: If you had the chance to leave...

What does it take to build a career in journalism when the media landscape keeps shifting?

In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle Erasmus talks with her former NYU High School Academy student Abigail Meyers, a digital and multimedia storyteller whose work spans journalism, creative services, social media, advocacy, and political communications.

Estelle Erasmus speaks with Hyeseung Song, author of Docile: Memoirs of a Not-So-Perfect Asian Girl, about shaping nearly 40 years of life into a memoir, finding the right structure, and writing honestly about family, identity, and mental health. They also talked about how Hyeseung's life as an artist and painter info...

Award-winning screenwriter, storytelling coach, and developmental editor Michelle Tamara Cutler joins Estelle Erasmus to discuss the evolution of her forthcoming reported memoir, I Won't Let You Die Alone, and how she sold the book to Bloomsbury without an agent.

Michelle shares how a project that began with the death of her aunt transformed when caring for her aging mother gave the...

What happens when a personal challenge becomes a path back to yourself?

In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle Erasmus talks with Kate Washington, author of Midstream: A Life Remade in 50 Swims, about how a challenge to swim in 50 natural bodies of water before turning 50 became a memoir about midlife, change, and self-rediscovery.

Kate shares ...

Before we begin, an announcement: I'm so excited to be speaking with celebrity makeup artist Ramy Gafni today in the next episode of my Substack Live series, Musings on Magazines: The Story Behind the Story. Join us today, July 30, at 4 p.m. ET as we go behind the scenes of magazine m...

Before we begin an announcment:  I'm so excited to be speaking with celebrity makeup artist Ramy Gafni in the next episode of my Substack Live series, Musings on Magazines: The Story Behind the Story. Join us on Thursday, July 30, at 4 p.m. ET as we go behind the scenes of magazine makeovers, beauty photo shoots, and editorial life in the '90s and early 2000s, when print was king and I was a magazine e...

Welcome to the 200th episode of Freelance Writing Direct! I'm incredibly grateful to every guest who has generously shared their wisdom over the years, and to all of you who listen, watch, subscribe, review, and support the show. Reaching this milestone has been a joy, and I'm excite...

Welcome to new subscribers.

First, an announcement:

My first Substack Live in my new series Musings on Magazines: The Story Behind the Story was with former Chatelaine Editor-in-Chief Rona Maynard.  Here is the link to the video of our fun and fearless discussion:of our lives in magazines in the 90s and early aughts.  https://estelleserasmus.subst...

Welcome to new subscribers.

First, an announcement:

My first Substack Live in my new series Musings on Magazines: The Story Behind the Story was with former Chatelaine Editor-in-Chief Rona Maynard.  Here is the link to the video of our fun and fearless discussion:of our lives in magazines in the 90s and early aughts.  https://estelleserasmus.subst...

Welcome to new subscribers.

First, an announcement:

My first Substack Live will be with former Chatelaine Editor-in-Chief Rona Maynard on June 25 at 4 p.m. ET. Here is the link to the post: Musings on Magazines: The Story Behind the Story. https://estelleserasmus.substack.com/p/musings-on-magazines-the-story-behind

Sign up and dive into the m...

In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle Erasmus talks with acclaimed author Dionne Ford about her memoir Go Back and Get It, a powerful exploration of family history, ancestry, and identity. Dionne shares how journalistic research, personal reflection, and historical investigation came together to help her u...

What happens when you wake up one day dizzy and it never stops?

In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle Erasmus talks with acclaimed author Rachel Weaver about her powerful new memoir, Dizzy. Rachel shares how she navigated nearly two decades of chronic illness before finding relief, and how she transformed that experience into a compelling braided ...

Just in time for Pride month, in this heartfelt and often hilarious conversation, Estelle Erasmus talks with USA Today bestselling author Wade Rouse and his husband, Gary Edwards, about Wade's deeply personal new novel, That's What Friends Are For.

After publishing bestselling novels under the pen name Viola Shipman, Wade shares why he felt compelled to write this story under his ow...

In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle Erasmus speaks with Carolyn Roy-Bornstein about restorative writing, burnout, and healing through storytelling. 

Carolyn shares how writing became a lifeline after her son survived a devastating car accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury. She explains...

How to Get Published in The Persistent with Features Editor Paula Derrow

What makes a pitch stand out in today's crowded publishing landscape? And what exactly are editors looking for from writers right now?

In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle Erasmus speaks with writer and editor Paula Derrow, Features Editor at The Persistent, the feminist...

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...

In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle Erasmus speaks with author Jacque Gorelick about her debut memoir Map of a Heart: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Finding the Way Home, a powerful, braided narrative that weaves a present-day medical crisis with a deeply personal exp...