『#168 The Making of A Modern Love Essay, "Negotiating the End of Us" with Leslie B. Blanchard』のカバーアート

#168 The Making of A Modern Love Essay, "Negotiating the End of Us" with Leslie B. Blanchard

#168 The Making of A Modern Love Essay, "Negotiating the End of Us" with Leslie B. Blanchard

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 Modern Love essays aren't accidents, they're built from a bold hook, clear structure, and often, the courage to write through grief. In this episode of Freelance Writing Direct, Estelle Erasmus talks with her student, writer Leslie B. Blanchard, about the journey of her New York Times Modern Love essay, "Negotiating the End of Us," from a quick in-class prompt to publication. Leslie shares how the opening line "He always said he would die young" became the spine of the piece, and how focusing on the negotiation around death made her grief story stand out in an inbox flooded with loss. As Estelle often teaches her students, the right entry point can transform a personal story into one an editor cannot ignore, and Leslie's piece is a powerful example of that. This episode is for writers who want to turn deeply personal material into publishable essays—and need to see exactly how community, revision, and coaching make that possible. Takeaways: How a 10-minute classroom exercise grew into a Modern Love essay [2:50] Why a specific, original hook is essential when writing about grief [6:21] How Leslie found the structure and emotional center of her piece [10:29] Craft choices that tightened the piece: cutting digressions, choosing one central metaphor, and having "bargaining" in the final line. [20:07] How workshops, careful line edits, community, and supportive coaching can turn a private story into a publishable essay and help a writer trust their voice. [27:47] About Leslie B. Blanchard Leslie tackles the complexities of marriage and child-rearing with a transparency that will leave you simultaneously laughing as you brush away tears. She began writing about marriage to her high school sweetheart and life raising 5 children. She's since added the grief of widowhood, joy of grandchildren and comfort of remarriage to her cache of insights. She's been interviewed on NPR, spoken at "Listen To Your Mother" and been published in The New York Times' Modern Love, Next Avenue, Huffington Post, BonBon Break, Today Parenting, Your Teen Magazine and Scary Mommy. She also a collaborated on, "Lose The Cape - It's a Teen Thing!" Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bxezcEqnWK4 Connect with Leslie Her Modern Love essay: Negotiating the End of Us: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/style/modern-love-negotiating-the-end-of-us.html Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/leslieblanchard0408 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/agingersnapped Twitter: https://twitter.com/Yayamom43Leslie Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/AGingersnapped Get More from Estelle 🎓 Learn with Estelle: • NYU Zoom Course: Writing About Your Life Through Memoir & Essays — Learn more• Private Small-Group Memoir Class — JANUARY AND MARCH SOLD OUT. Next 6-week session begins May 2026. Email freelancewritingdirect@gmail.com for details and to get on the waiting list. 📰 Read & Subscribe • Substack:— NEW POST: How to Pitch Slate: Advice, Ideas and Examples on How to Write Articles and Essays from NYU My Editor-on-Call Event • Newsletter: Sign up at estelleserasmus.com for show updates + a free Pitching Guide. 🎤 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." Audiobook here 🎧 Listen: Freelance Writing Direct Podcast — 2025 Podcast of the Year (American Writing Awards) About Estelle Estelle Erasmus is an award-winning journalist,TEDx Speaker, author of Writing That Gets Noticed, and host of Freelance Writing Direct. A contributing editor for Writer's Digest and adjunct professor at NYU, her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, WIRED, PBS/Next Avenue, The Independent, and AARP The Magazine. She has served as editor-in-chief of five national magazines. Follow Estelle: • Instagram: @EstelleSErasmus • TikTok: @EstelleSErasmus • Twitter: @EstelleSErasmus • BlueSky: @estelleserasmus.bsky.social
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