Embracing the Full Catastrophe: Writing About Loss and Finding Belonging with Casey Mulligan Walsh

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Have you ever been told what you’re writing is too dark, too sad, or that it needs more levity? Have you wondered how a story of tragedy can grow into something more than the sum of its parts?

Join me and my client, Casey Mulligan Walsh as we discuss her revision process, what it took to embrace both the heartbreaking and beautiful aspects of her life, and how she’s become a small press author whose book debuted at number two in Amazon’s Grief and Loss category, just behind Mary Frances O’Connor. Grab your pen, open your heart, and get ready to learn about how revision can change you and where literary citizenship can take you on this week’s episode of the Writing Your Resilience podcast.

Episode Highlights

• 2:35: Crafting a Book That’s More Than Loss
• 4:10: The Lessons of Revision
• 12:41: The Power of Context
• 15:15: The Importance of Trusted Critique Partners
• 21:40: Building Your Creative Intuition
• 24:35: Navigating the False Victory
• 26:38: Using Your Author Platform to Build a Launch Team
• 36:15: The Impact of Illness on Your Resilience

Resources for this Episode: 

• In a Flash Literary Magazine (seeking submissions now!)
• “How to Know If Your Memoir is Boring” by Allison K. Williams 
• Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle
• The Situation and The Story by Vivian Gornick

Casey’s Bio: Casey Mulligan Walsh is the author of The Full Catastrophe: All I Ever Wanted, Everything I Feared. She writes about life at the intersection of grief and joy, embracing uncertainty, and the nature of true belonging. She has written for The New York Times, HuffPost, Next Avenue, Modern Loss, Hippocampus, Barren Magazine, and numerous other literary journals and anthologies. Her essay, “Still,” published in Split Lip, was nominated for Best of the Net. She is a founding editor of In a Flash literary magazine and serves as an ambassador and Board member for the Family Heart Foundation. Casey lives in upstate New York with her husband, Kevin, a chatty orange tabby, and too many books to count. When not traveling, they enjoy visits from their four children and ten grandchildren—the very definition of “the full catastrophe.”

Connect with Casey:

• Website: www.caseymulliganwalsh.com
• Book Website: https://embracingthefullcatastrophe.substack.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/casey.m.walsh.1/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caseymulliganwalshwriter/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caseymulliganwalsh/

Connect with your host, Lisa:
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Produced by Espresso Podcast Production