#145 Solo Episode: Estelle’s Edge on Essays—Mining Your Life For Stories That Get Noticed  

Subscribe and Review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Estelle Erasmus

Listen:

In this solo episode of Freelance Writing Direct, I’m sharing the behind-the-scenes strategies I use to help my students, coaching clients, and readers turn lived experience into essays that editors want—and audiences remember.

Whether you’re writing about grief, joy, parenting, or those oddly poignant moments in line at the grocery store, I talk about how to shape an idea, find a fresh angle, and give your story a meaningful arc. I also share why I care just as much about your voice as I do about helping you get published.

And if journaling’s never been your jam? No worries. I have tips for that too.

In this episode, I cover:

  • How to combine unexpected ideas for a surprising and compelling hook

  • How to capture story-worthy material without keeping a journal

  • Why sensory language and scene-building elevate your work

  • The connection between craft and publication strategy (and why both matter)

  • How you can pitch a coaching episode or dive deeper through my Substack

Watch on YouTube

✨ Bonus: I also highlight the work of my student, Barbra Cosentino, whose essay began in my class and evolved into this gorgeous published piece:
 “My Mother, Floating in the Atlantic Ocean” – Next Avenue

Here’s my episode #118 with the Managing Editor of Next Avenue

And if you haven’t yet—please watch my TEDx Talk:
 How to Get Noticed in Your Writing and Beyond

In this bold and funny talk, I share how a chaotic moment with Thomas the Tank Engine became the spark for my message on standing out—on the page and beyond. 

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 NoticedBuy the Book | Listen to the Audiobook
📬 Subscribe on Substack – Craft tips, pitch advice & exclusive podcast extras. Latest post Stop Counting Your Words. Start Shaping Your Story and  How to Get Published in Cosmopolitan or Seventeen
🎧 Freelance Writing Direct – Interviews, insights & behind-the-scenes publishing tips 

Follow Estelle:
📸 Instagram | 🎵 TikTok | 🐦 Twitter | 🌐 BlueSky