Writing Your Resilience: Building Resilience, Embracing Trauma and Healing Through Writing

Send us a textHave you ever felt the need to write your story and share it with others? What if you believed breaking the silence would heal you, but family members want you to keep certain stories private? Could you find a way to respect their wishes while honoring your truth?  In this episode, I am joined by Stephanie Shafran, a writer who’s spent a lifetime being silenced and is now experiencing just this situation. We talk about writing what you need to write, deciding whether to publish, and respecting a family member’s need for privacy while still expressing yourself. Stephanie’s Bio: Stephanie Shafran’s poetry chapbook Awakening was released in 2020. Stephanie contributed to the 2021 anthology, A 21st Century Plague: Pandemic Poetry, edited by Elayne Clift. A member of Straw Dog Writers Guild and Florence Poetry Society, Stephanie resides in Northampton, Massachusetts. You can read her monthly blog posts at stephanieshafran.com. In 2017, Stephanie retired from a teaching and counseling career. Her degrees include a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Smith College, Master in the Art of Teaching from the University of Vermont, and Master of Counseling Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.Resources Mentioned During This Episode:It’s Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic PeopleEmbracing Our GriefEpisode Highlights2:50 Discovering You’re Not the Main Character4:04 Disenfranchised Grief7:00 Navigating Other’s Privacy with Our Need to Speak the Truth13:40 Identifying Your Audience17:00 Deciding Whether to Publish23:09 Stephanie’s Best Writing AdviceConnect with StephanieWebsite: stephanieshafran.comEmail: stephanieshafran@gmail.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/shafranstephanie/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.shafran.1Connect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textBefore you send your book to beta readers, listen to this episode!In it, you’ll meet Melissa Macomber, another Camp Structure alumni who’s working on her memoir. During this episode, we explore how to know when your book is ready for beta readers, the three types of beta readers you’ll need, how to choose beta readers wisely, and questions to ask them before sending out your work. Melissa’s Bio: Melissa is a writer currently working on a memoir about how to recognize your soulmate(s). You can find more of her short pieces and research on love, commitment and betrayal on her website.Resources Mentioned During This Episode: Crafting the Personal Essay and Resilient Editing Tips with Andrea FirthBianca Maris’s Beta Reader MatchupWriters Digest Article About Sensitivity ReadersWriting DiverselyThe Shit No One Tells You About Writing PodcastCrafting the Personal Essay and Resilient Editing Tips with Andrea FirthHidden Potential by Adam GrantOfficial Transcript Episode Highlights1:20 Maintaining Your Stamina2:59 Preparing Mentally for Beta Reader Feedback4:09 Working with Writers   9:30 Should I Send Them All or Part of My Manuscript11:55 Working with Members of Your Audience15:06 Finding Beta Readers16:05 Working with Sensitivity Readers19:52 Mistake allowancesConnect with Melissa: Website: melissamacomber.comConnect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textThis week, you’ll hear from Camp Structure alumni Shoshana Koch, a writer and speaker who’s working on a coming-of-age memoir. During this episode, we explore the challenges trauma survivors face when building an author platform, how to deal with rejection, and how to re-engage with a writing project after an extended break.Shoshana’s Bio: Shoshana is a psychologist, writer, and speaker who focuses on the intersection of trauma and addiction. She is editing a debut memoir set in an ‘80s childhood with her strung-out family (think “Lord of the Flies” meets “Trainspotting”) which examines how to mend the splinters of trauma’s shattering, claim our wholeness through the breaking, and live with the cost of the truth over the cost of lies. Resources Mentioned During This EpisodeBreaking the Silence with Melanie BrooksEpisode Highlights7:58 Writing from the Scar, Not the Wound9:19 The 100 Rejections Club14:06 The Impact of Grief Anniversaries on Our Writing Lives16:21 Writing in the Aftermath of Grief22:53 Feeling Like You’re Behind Connect with Shoshana:Shoshana’s Website: https://www.shoshanakoch.comShoshana's Substack: https://shoshanakoch.substack.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/shoshanadianekoch/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shoshanadianekoch/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shoshanakochSign up for Camp Structure: 14 Weeks to Find and Refine Your Memoir’s Narrative Arc: https://lisacooperellison.com/camp-structure-find-your-memoirs-narrative-arc/ Connect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textWelcome to season three of the Writing Your Resilience podcast! During seasons one and two, I interviewed experts and published authors who generously shared their wisdom on writing and healing. We’ll get back to that in season four. But sometimes it’s nice to know the people walking this journey alongside you. For my season three “Summer Shorts” series, you’ll meet ten writers in the trenches of the writing process and hear my advice to them.But I wanted to launch this season with one more expert–Estelle Erasmus, author of the craft book Writing That Gets Noticed. During our episode, we explore how to craft short pieces with the greatest chance for publication. You’ll also learn some savvy tricks for dealing with rejection.Bio: Estelle Erasmus, author of Writing That Gets Noticed: Find Your Voice, Become a Better Storyteller, Get Published, named a 2024 "Best Book for Writers" by Poets & Writers, is a professor of writing at New York University, the host of the Freelance Writing Direct podcast, a contributing editor for Writer's Digest, where she also teaches courses on writing essays and pitches, and judges the Writer's Digest Personal Essay contest. Her articles for the New York Times and The Washington Post have gone globally viral. She has appeared on Good Morning America and has had her articles discussed on The View. She has also taught, coached, and mentored many writers who have gone on to be widely published. She received the 2023 NYU School of Professional Studies Teaching Excellence Award, a 2023 Zibby Award for Best Book for the Writer, is an American Society of Journalists and Authors award winner, and was a cast member in the inaugural New York City production of the Listen to Your Mother storytelling show. Resources In This EpisodeHow to BullyProof Your ChildPlus Here I'm the Focus of the Well Newsletter re the Bullyproof StoryI'm Learning to Listen in New WaysFreelance Writing Direct with Ann HoodHighlights7:00 The Best Time to Work on Short Pieces10:00 The Power of Google Alerts13:00 Journaling with Purpose17:30: Vulnerability versus Pity 25:11 The Danger of Oversharing29:00 Confessing versus Confiding32:00 The Power of Accomplishment Lists33:48  Writing Timely Essays40:52 Handling Rejection51:25 Estelle’s best writing adviceConnect with EstConnect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textWelcome to the last episode of Season 2! This second season has been amazing, and I am so grateful for all of the featured guests and all of you listeners. Just as I did last season, I decided to sit behind the microphone and open myself up to answering questions.In this episode, you’ll meet Katie Rouse, a poet, memoirist, and former student in my Camp Structure course. During this episode, we explore the signals that your story is “finished” and ready to marinate. As you listen to our interview, here are some questions to consider: How do you know it's time to let a manuscript rest? Do you resist doing it? What fears do you face? What have you done to cope with them? If you've let your manuscript rest, what tells you it's time to pick it back up?Katie’s Bio: Katie Rouse is a marketing manager, poet, and freelance writer who writes about faith, doubt, and deconstruction. She  loves sending out weekly poems to email subscribers, as well as longer monthly letters. Her work has been published in Missive Mag, hyssop + laurel, and The Unmooring. She published her first book of poetry, Psalms of Deconstruction, in Fall 2021, and is working on her first memoir, which will recount her journey of deconstructing her faith while serving as a missionary in India.Resources Mentioned During This EpisodeKatie’s Poem “Psalm 9” from The Unmooring (See page 38)Episode Highlights1:15 Finding the “Good Enough” Completion Point4:55 Completing Your Work6:15 The Three Types of Rest10:15 Signals It’s Time to Return to Your Work12:36 Common Fears Writers Have Around Rest Connect with KatieWebsite: https://bit.ly/katierousewritesNewsletter: https://bit.ly/katierousewrites_subscribeInstagram: @katie.rose.rouseConnect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textDr. Ramani Durvasula, author of It’s Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People, shares her insights into narcissism, how narcissistic abuse survivors can heal and get support, and how to care for yourself when writing and promoting a book on tough topics. Ramani Durvasula, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist in California, the founder and CEO of LUNA Education, Training and Consulting, and professor emerita of psychology at California State University Los Angeles. She is the New York Times bestselling author of It’s Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People. She is also the author of multiple other books including Don’t You Know Who I Am: How to Stay Sane in the Era of Narcissism, Entitlement and Incivility and Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship with a Narcissist. She has lectured and trained therapists around the world on working with clients experiencing narcissistic abuse and has developed a 36-hour virtual training and certification program to train clinicians on how to use an Antagonism-Informed approach with clients experiencing narcissistic relationships. She hosts a popular YouTube channel with over 1.6 million subscribers, hosted the critically acclaimed podcast Navigating Narcissism, and is a featured expert on the digital media platform MedCircle. For more on Dr. Ramani, please check out the links below!Resources:Dr. Ramani’s Healing ProgramHealing from Gaslighting CourseCourse on Narcissistic Abuse for TherapistsDr. Ramani NetworkEpisode Highlights6:11 How Narcissism Affects You11:47 Narcissism versus Antagonistic Behavior16:21 Radical Acceptance and the Problem of Toxic Hope28:00 The Disengagement Continuum33:00 Disenfranchised Grief38:00 Breaking Through Cognitive Dissonance43:00 Healing and Getting Support51:46 Dr. Ramani’s Best Writing AdviceConnect with Dr. RamaniConnect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textAuthor Ann Batchelder talks about her daughter’s struggle with addiction, their recovery journeys, the myths she had to confront, her struggle with perfectionism, and the writing tips she learned as she was writing her memoir, Craving Spring: A Mother's Quest, a Daughter's Depression, and the Greek Myth that Brought Them TogetherAnn’s bio: Ann Batchelder writes about women’s wisdom and the pain and beauty of difficult transitions. She is the author of Craving Spring: A Mother’s Quest, a Daughter’s Depression, and the Greek Myth that Brought Them Together. Her work has been featured in multiple podcasts and publications, including in Insider Magazine, Newsweek, Hippocampus, The Linden Review, and The Rumpus.Ann served as Editor of Fiberarts Magazine for ten years. She was guest curator for the Asheville Art Museum where she designed and developed several major contemporary exhibitions, Acting Director of the International Studies program at Lesley University, and Director of Special Events for the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Ann has an MSW and has been practicing mindfulness since 2004. She lives with her husband in Asheville, NC. www.annbatchelder.comResources Mentioned During This Episode:The Hero’s JourneyThe Heroine’s JourneyEpisode Highlights5:50 Being Addicted to Someone Else’s Recovery9:00 Confronting the Good Mother Myth11:15 What Truly Helping Someone Looks Like13:27 The Power of Surprising the Reader15:00 A Buddhist Bent on Recovery21:00 Braiding in the Greek Myth30:21 The Art of Inserting Backstory39:00 Ann’s Writing AdviceConnect with Ann: Website: www.annbatchelder.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ann.batchelder.9?mibextid=eQY6clInstagram: instagram.com/annbatchelderConnect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret Less: https://lisacooperellison.com/newsletter-subscribe/Website: https://lisacooperellison.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisacooperellison/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UColPDzpoQlVktIv7-f7ObRgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisacooperellison/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-cooper-ellison-b5483840/Sign up for PsychologyConnect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textAuthor, Jennifer Lunden, shares her struggles with chronic illness, the challenges of writing a hybrid memoir, especially when you’ve not trained in science writing, and the grit all writers, but especially writers with disabilities, need to cultivate.  Jennifer Lunden Bio: Jennifer Lunden (she/her) is the author of American Breakdown: Our Ailing Nation, My Body’s Revolt, and the Nineteenth-Century Woman Who Brought Me Back to Life, which was praised by the Los Angeles Review of Books and Washington Post, and called a “genre-bending masterpiece” by Hippocampus. Her essays have appeared in Creative Nonfiction, Orion, River Teeth, DIAGRAM, Longreads, and other journals; selected for a Pushcart Prize; and recognized as notable in Best American Essays. She has been awarded grants from the Maine Arts Commission, the Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, and the Canada Council for the Arts, and was the 2016 recipient of the Bread Loaf-Rona Jaffe Foundation Scholarship in Nonfiction. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and former therapist, in 2012, she was named Maine’s Social Worker of the Year. She lives with her husband, the artist Frank Turek, in Portland, Maine.Resources Mentioned During This EpisodeThe Lady’s Handbook of Mysterious Illnesses“The Hero’s Journey Starring You” on the Hidden Brain podcastSarah Perry EpisodeLaura Davis Episode Episode Highlights7:11 Feedback We Get When Writing About Illnesses12:00 Structuring a Hybrid Memoir22:00 The Two Types of Grit Writers with Disabilities Need31:07 The Three Kinds of Stories We All Have39:48 Jennifer’s Best Writing AdviceConnect with Jenniferhttps://jenniferlunden.com/https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.lundenhttps://www.instagram.com/jleelunden/https://staging.bsky.app/profile/jenniferlunden.bsky.socialConnect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret Less: https://lisacooperellison.com/newsletter-subscribe/Website: https://lisacooperellison.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisacooperellison/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channeConnect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textAuthor Laura Cathcart Robbins shares book marketing tips she learned while promoting her memoir Stash: My Life in Hiding, and how recovery helped her cultivate the honesty needed to write her memoir. Laura’s Bio: Laura Cathcart Robbins is the best-selling author of the Atria/Simon & Schuster memoir, Stash, My Life In Hiding, and host of the popular podcast, The Only One In The Room. She has been active for many years as a speaker and school trustee and is credited for creating The Buckley School’s nationally recognized committee on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice. Her recent articles on the subjects of race, recovery, and divorce have garnered her worldwide acclaim. She is a 2022 TEDx Speaker, and LA Moth StorySlam winner. Currently, she sits on the advisory boards of the San Diego Writer’s Festival and the Outliers HQ podcast Festival. Resources Mentioned in This EpisodeI Was the Only Black Person at Elizabeth Gilbert and Cheryl Strayed’s ‘Brave’ Magic Retreat by Laura Cathcart Robbins“A White Woman Told Me She Doesn’t Think of Me as Black. Here’s How I Reacted.” by Laura Cathcart RobbinsBook Review for Stash: My Life in Hiding by Lisa Cooper EllisonAuthor Platform Is Not a Requirement to Sell Your Novel or Children’s Book by Jane FriedmanOfficial TranscriptEpisode Highlights9:00 The Response to Stash14:00 The Power of Honesty16:00 The Link Between Recovery and Honesty24:00 Channeling Your Energy in a Specific Direction26:00 Marketing Your Book and Yourself34:30 Caring For Yourself As You Market Your Book41:00 Year Two and Working with Book Clubs47:00 How Honesty Builds ResilienceConnect with LauraWebsite: https://lauracathcartrobbins.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauracathcartrobbinsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauracathcartrobbinsX: https://twitter.com/lauracrobbinsConnect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret Less: Connect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

Send us a textAndrea Firth  joins the Writing Your Resilience podcast to talk about what personal essays are, how writers can uncover their essay’s aboutness, and how to develop resilient editing practices. As an added bonus, she also offers writers the inside scoop on how to get published on the Brevity Blog. Andrea’s Bio: Andrea A. Firth is a writer, editor and educator living in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is an Editor at Brevity Blog and cofounder of Diablo Writers’ Workshop where she teaches creative writing and provides developmental editing. Andrea has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Saint Mary’s College of California. She was a finalist for The Missouri Review's 2021 Perkoff Prize in nonfiction, and her work has appeared in Dorothy Parker’s Ashes, Allium, The Coachella Review among others. Learn more about her and read her recent work at www.andreaafirth.com.Resources Mentioned During This Episode:The Beauty of a Busted Fruit by Natalie DiazSecret Words by Andrea FirthBroken Glass by Andrea FirthOld John by Andrea FirthBrevity Blog Submission GuidelinesSnot-Bubble-Cry Dance Parties that Boost Your Creativity by Lisa Cooper EllisonLooking at an Eclipse: A Braided Essay About Braided Essays by Lilly DancygerOfficial TranscriptEpisode Highlights4:00 The Difference Between Memoir and Personal Essay7:00 Exploring the Inciting Incident for Your Essays14:00 Common Struggles Essayists Have: Aboutness21:00 The Power of the Braided Essay25:00 Resilient Editing and Workshopping34:00 Submitting to the Brevity BlogConnect with Andrea: Website: https://www.diablowriters.org/andrea-a-firth/Writing Workshops: Diablo Writers' WorkshopInstagram: @andreaafwriterFacebook: @andrea.firth.58LinkedIn: @andreafirthConnect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret Less: Connect with your host, Lisa:Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret LessWebsite | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn Free Your Writing Voice, Fuel Your Motivation is a 12-week course designed to help you reconnect with the creative spark that brought you to the page in the first place. https://lisacooperellison.com/free-your-writing-voice-find-your-motivation/ Produced by Espresso Podcast Production