In memoir, the most memorable stories and essays reverberate long after the last page is read. Thatâs because they use what Estelle Erasmus calls The Echo Effectâa craft technique she coined to describe the intentional repetition of key images, themes, emotions, or phrases across time to reveal growth, connection, and change.
When used effectively, echoes transform a linear retelling into a layered emotional journey. They help writers tie the beginning and end of their story together, reinforce the central message, and make the narrative feel inevitable and complete.
In this live webinar, Estelle Erasmusâaward-winning writing professor at NYU, TEDx Speaker, former magazine Editor-in-Chief, and author of Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published (named a Poets & Writers âBest Book for Writersâ)âwill teach you how to identify, strengthen, and strategically place echoes in your memoir or essays so your work feels resonant and artfully constructed.
In this interactive live webinar, drawing on examples from guests of her award-winning podcast Freelance Writing Direct and other acclaimed memoirs and essays, Estelle will show participants how to apply The Echo Effect to their own pages, using a variety of techniques and exercises. This powerful approach has already helped her students publish work in top outletsâincluding a recent Modern Love essay in The New York Times and an award-winning essay in The Kenyon Reviewâby deepening reflection and resonance on the page.
There will be time for questions and answers, and a special review offer.
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Meet the instructor
Estelle Erasmus
Estelle Erasmus is a 2025 TEDx Speaker, an award-winning writing professor at New York University, and the author of Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published, named a âBest Book for Writersâ by Poets & Writers. An award-winning journalist, she has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Slate, Next Avenue/PBS, HuffPost, Business Insider, Marie Claire, WIRED, AARP the Magazine, and more. Her essays for The New York Times and The Washington Post have gone globally viral, and she has appeared on Good Morning America and Fox News, with her work mentioned on The View.
She hosts the award-winning Freelance Writing Direct podcast and teaches memoir, nonfiction, and personal essay writing for Writerâs Digest and NYU. Estelle is currently writing a memoir based on her years as the âDating Divaâ in the 1990s and early 2000s magazine world.
Find her at estelleserasmus.com, on Substack at estelleserasmus.substack.com, and on social media at @EstelleSErasmus (Instagram, X/Twitter, TikTok)
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