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.substack.com/p/live-with-estelle-erasmus-and-rona Sign up for my substack to get notified of my upcoming guests and dive with us into the magazine archives to hear behind-the-scenes stories you won't hear anywhere else. Now for today's episode: How do you distill an entire life into just seventy 70-word stories? In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle Erasmus talks with writer, editor, psychotherapist, and GrubStreet instructor Deborah Sosin about her innovative memoir, Escape Velocity. Inspired by her 70th birthday, Deborah challenged herself to write seventy stories of exactly 70 words each, transforming a creative constraint into a deeply moving exploration of family, identity, generational trauma, aging, and self-discovery. Together, they discuss how tiny stories can carry enormous emotional weight, creating a narrative arc through recurring themes, deciding what to leave on the page and what to leave out, and why limitations can spark creativity. Deborah also shares her path to self-publishing, collaborating with illustrator Anna Hall, and finding the freedom to tell her story on her own terms. Whether you write memoir, personal essays, or flash nonfiction, this conversation offers inspiration and practical insights into making every word count. In this episode: Why Deborah wrote seventy stories of exactly 70 words each How constraints can strengthen your writing Techniques for building a larger narrative from small moments The role of recurring themes and emotional throughlines in memoir Deborah's journey from concept to self-published book Watch on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrYMaSJvVGY About Deborah Sosin Deborah Sosin, LICSW, is a writer, editor, psychotherapist, and GrubStreet instructor. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe Magazine, Salon, Cognoscenti, Brevity Blog, Oldster Magazine, Short Reads, The Manifest-Station, two anthologies, and numerous other publications. She is a volunteer reader for In Short: A Journal of Flash Nonfiction. Debbie also authored the award-winning picture book Charlotte and the Quiet Place (Gold INDIEFAB and Silver IPPY); and a clinical workbook, Sober Starting Today. Debbie has an MFA from Lesley University and an MSW from Smith College School for Social Work. Her new memoir, Escape Velocity: How One 70-Year-Old Push-Pulled Her Way Out of Her Too-Much-Not-Enough Family (70 Micro-Memoirs, 70 Words Each), with illustrations by Anna Hall, released in February 2026. Deborah lives outside of Boston. Links Website Substack: Write it Like It Is Get More From Estelle Erasmus My next Editor-on-Call event with NYU is on Wednesday, September 16, with Electric Literature Executive Editor and Publisher Denne Michele Norris. Sign up here: https://events.nyu.edu/event/400238-light-up-your-literary-life-with-electric-literatures Private Small-Group Memoir/Essay Class My next six-week session beginning in September 2026 is sold out. Please email me to be added to the waiting list for the next session. Contact freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com for details. 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." Listen/Watch Freelance Writing Direct Podcast — 2026 Podcast of the Year, Business (American Writing Awards) https://estelleserasmus.com/podcast About Estelle Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist, TEDx speaker, and author of Writing That Gets Noticed. She is the host, founder, and executive producer of Freelance Writing Direct, an adjunct professor at NYU, and the former editor-in-chief of five national magazines with a combined reach of 10 million readers. Her work has appeared in more than 150 publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP The Magazine. Follow Estelle Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus Twitter/X: @EstelleSErasmus Bluesky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review Freelance Writing Direct, and share it with the writers in your life.
