Writing Through Shame: Hannah Sward on Memoir, Resilience, and Being Present

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This week, I’m thrilled to introduce you to a powerful voice in memoir, Hannah Sward, author of Strip. In today’s conversation, Hannah takes us behind the scenes of her writing process—how she wrote her first draft by hand, in one long, unfiltered sentence; how she found the courage to put her full truth on the page; and how she distilled years of experience into a memoir that moves with incredible precision and power. You’ll also learn transcription tricks, sex scene-writing tips, the unexpected doors publishing your book can open, and some somatic techniques for navigating your vulnerability.

Episode Highlights

• 4:46 Hannah’s memoir writing process
• 10:16 Transcription tips
• 17:47 Somatic strategies for writing vulnerable scenes, including sex scenes
• 23:35: Placing insights into your book
• 24:37 Tricks for writing concisely 
• 28:57 The post-publication life of your book 
• 34:39 Writing what’s next 

Resources for this Episode: 

• “My life after meth: Learning to open and close the curtains” by Hannah Sward
• “The Sharp Edge of A Shell” by Hannah Sward
• “Making Even The Smallest Mistake Filled Me With Terror. Then 2 Little Words Changed My Life.” by Lisa Cooper Ellison

Hannah’s Bio: Hannah Sward, daughter of the late poet Robert Sward, is the IPPY Gold winning author of Strip: A Memoir. For the past 25 years, Sward’s work has been widely published in literary journals in the US, Canada, and the UK. Her most recent work can be read in the LA Times, HuffPost, The NY Times (Tiny Love Stories) and The Rumpus (Voices on Addiction). Sward is on the board at Right to Write Press, a nonprofit that supports emerging incarcerated writers. She believes strongly in good literary citizenship and is actively involved in the literary community. She lives in Los Angeles where she is working on her next book. Learn more at hannahsward.com

Connect with Hannah: 

• Website: hannahsward.com
• IG: @hannahswardauthor
• Threads: @hannahswardauthor
• BlueSky: summerjar.bsky.social

Connect with your host, Lisa:

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