Listen:
What happens when you’ve built a career in journalism—but your voice starts to feel erased in service of telling other people’s stories?
That’s the question award-winning journalist Lanier Isom brought to our conversation, and it led to a powerful exchange about balancing voice, platform, and purpose across a writing life.
Lanier opened up about where she’s stuck, and together we explored real strategies to help her move forward.
From managing time and tracking progress to shaping a meaningful memoir, this episode is full of practical tools and honest insights.
Have you ever felt like your voice was getting lost in your work? I’d love to hear about it—leave a comment or message me after you listen.
And if you’d like to be featured in a future coaching episode, email me at freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and put “Coaching Episode” in the subject line.
In This Episode
- The challenges of writing across genres—and how to stay organized
- Time-blocking strategies that actually work
- How to track your writing progress and momentum
- Why voice matters more than ever in building a platform
- Ways to shape reported stories into personal, memorable pieces
- What to consider before sharing personal work on Substack
- How to reframe a book project through the lens of support and meaning
Also, Mentioned in this episode: #77 Writing Personal stories with HuffPost’s Personal Noah Michelson
Watch on YouTube
About Lanier
A former educator, publicist and editor, Lanier Isom is an author and journalist living in her hometown, Birmingham, Alabama. She wrote, Grace and Grit, the life story of Alabama native and fair pay advocate, Lilly Ledbetter. The film LILLY, based on the book, was released by Blue Harbor Entertainment in select theaters this May. Isom’s articles, editorials, and essays have been featured in Al Jazeera, LA Times, Huffington Post, Salvation South and The Bitter Southerner. She’s a frequent contributor to Inside Climate News and al.com. She’s also the recipient of the Alabama Library Association Nonfiction Award and a 2023 Fellowship from the Alabama State Council on the Arts. This year, Alabama Media Professionals awarded her first place for her longform article on McIntosh, Alabama, a small town being poisoned by two chemical plants. She recently finished a memoir, which examines the personal and collective cost for a generation of silenced women confronting a southern school’s buried truths. You can find her on Substack, Instagram and Facebook @lanierisom.
Connect with Lanier
Connect with Estelle
If you haven’t yet—watch my TEDx Talk:
How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond
In this bold, funny, and widely shared talk, I blend personal storytelling with the real-world writing strategies I’ve developed as a longtime magazine editor, NYU professor, and writing coach. It all starts with a chaotic moment involving Thomas the Tank Engine—and builds into a powerful message about how to stand out in a crowded, noisy world, no matter the medium.
📺 Watch, comment, and share: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpcWmjpzSIQ
Student Work
Congratulations to Linda Wolff for co-authoring another hilarious McSweeney’s piece called “Fortune 500 Cookies”. Read it here.
About Estelle
Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist, author of Writing That Gets Noticed (named a “Best Book for Writers” by Poets & Writers), and host of Freelance Writing Direct—2025 Podcast of the Year (Education), American Writing Awards. A Contributing Editor for Writer’s Digest and adjunct instructor at NYU, she’s written for over 150 outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP: The Magazine, and has served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines.
✨ Explore More:
📚 Writing That Gets Noticed – Buy the Book | Listen to the Audiobook
📬 Subscribe on Substack – Craft tips, pitch advice & exclusive podcast extras. Latest post How to Get Published in Cosmopolitan or Seventeen
🎧 Freelance Writing Direct – Interviews, insights & behind-the-scenes publishing tips
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