#115 Coaching Episode: Estelle’s Edge on Crafting Notable Narratives

Deborah Copperud is a freelance writer, independent podcast producer, and former reference librarian. Her writing has been published in Glamour, Racket, Defenestration, Great River Review, Potomac Review, Door Is A Jar, Another Chicago Magazine, and Blue Earth Review, and her Substack newsletter Deborah Copperud Shops at Target. Her work is forthcoming in The Rumpus and Good Tape. She co-hosts the It's My Screen Time Too and Spock Talk podcasts and teaches podcasting for Minneapolis Community Education. Copperud is currently at work on an essay collection about volunteering, a subject she’s uniquely qualified to cover, having volunteered as a preschool choir accompanist, Democratic party activist, elementary school library book shelver, rock band cellist, potluck block party organizer, and Chess Club scorekeeper. Copperud holds a B.A. in English from the University of Minnesota and a master’s in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She enjoys jogging and biking around the Chain of Lakes in Minneapolis, where she lives with her husband and three children.   In This Episode:   What lane to choose when there are so many? An exercise that Estelle suggests to do for clarity Why information is power and how to accrue it Building an information network Finding agents by thinking outside the box Changing your mindset to a positive one Finding the hook in your writing Framing a story in a timely way Adding in layers to create depth in an essay Using mind mapping to find your focus Getting the SEO juice in your title   Connect with Deborah   Substack: https://deborahcopperud.substack.com/   Deborah’s piece for Glamour Best Acne Podcasts: Treating Acne Through the Ears https://www.glamour.com/story/best-acne-podcasts    Episode Mentioned Coaching Episode #84  Estelle’s Edge: Coaching to Get Your Writing Noticed with Anna Medaris https://estelleserasmus.com/84-estelles-edge-live-coaching-to-get-your-writing-noticed/ Estelle's article on the AARP/The Ethel How Penny Marshall's "Laverne" Was the Role Model That Saved Me  https://www.aarpethel.com/fulfillment/why-penny-marshalls-laverne-was-the-role-model-that-saved-me Connect with Estelle Erasmus   Apply to be on Freelance Writing Direct in a coaching episode: email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com and state three of the issues you are dealing with that you would like Estelle’s help with.   ​​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  BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/estelleserasmus.bsky.social