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

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Which memories shimmer inside you? Which ones refuse to let you go? Those luminous, haunting moments are often the raw ingredients of the story you’re truly meant to tell. In this episode of Writing Your Resilience, I sit down with newsletter follower and memoirist Marianna Marlowe, author of A Portrait of a Feminist as she shares how she used shimmering memories to craft her memoir-in-essays that explores memory and identity through a feminist lens. Together, we talk about her writing process, what feminism really means, how to write from a feminist perspective, and the surprising ways feminist self-care shows up in a writer’s life.

Episode Highlights

• 2:20: Writing as Both Pleasure and Contribution 
• 11:17: Constructing a Memoir-in-Essays Through a Feminist Lens
• 15:21: The Role of Identity in Storytelling
• 17:58: The Power of the Gaze
• 23:00: The Difference Between Memoir and Academic Writing 
• 28:37: Feminist Self-Care 

Resources for this Episode: 

• Safekeeping by Abigail Thomas
• Shimmering Images: A Handy Little Guide to Writing Memoir by Lisa Dale Norton
• What They Don’t Tell You About Menopause with Dr. Mary Claire Haver on The Marie Forleo podcast 
• Buy Portrait of a Feminist

Marianna’s Bio: Marianna Marlowe is a Latina writer who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. After devoting years to academic writing, her focus now is creative nonfiction that explores issues of gender identity, feminism, cultural hybridity, intersectionality, and more Her short memoir has been published in Narrative, Hippocampus, The Woven Tale Press, Eclectica, Sukoon, and The Acentos Review, among others. She’s the author of Portrait of a Feminist and Portrait of a Mestiza, which will be published in March, 2026.

Connect with Marianna: 

• Facebook: marianna.marlowe
• Instagram: mariannamarlowe_memoir
• Website: mariannamarlowe.com

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/

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Have you ever wondered what it really means to grieve a friend—someone dazzling, flawed, and deeply loved? Or how laughter, silence, and even text messages can become part of the story we tell about those we’ve lost?

In today’s episode of Writing Your Resilience, I talk with writer Eirinie Carson about her breathtaking debut memoir The Dead Are Gods and her forthcoming novel Bloodfire, Baby. Together, we explore how writing can both preserve and transform our grief, why it’s so important to show loved ones in their full humanity, and what it means to let go of a story that once felt like holding on to the person themselves. Plus, Eirinie will share one of the most surprising things she learned about how we structure a book and the conversations it encourages as well as what gets silenced. 

Episode Highlights

• 2:50: The Power of Capturing Your Memories
• 4:15: Writing for an Audience
• 8:30: Holding Space for Your Experiences
• 11:26: The Challenges of Releasing a Grief Memoir 
• 21:00: The Relationship Between Laughter and Grief 
• 25:00: How Your Book’s Structure Impacts the Way You Market It 

Resources for this Episode: 

• Preorder Bloodfire, Baby
• Skunk Anansie

Eirinie’s Bio: Eirinie Carson is a Black British writer living in California. She is a mother of two children and sits on the board of The Writers Grotto in San Francisco. Her work has appeared in LitHub, Mother Magazine, The Notre Dame Review, Mortal Mag, Electric Literature, The Sonora Review and others.  She was the NEA Distinguished Fellow at the Hambidge Center, and she and her work have been supported by Mesa Refuge, Hedgebrook and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Eirinie's first book, The Dead Are Gods (Melville House, 2023), was critically acclaimed by Oprah Daily, Nylon Magazine, Shondaland and The Washington Post as well as winning a Zibby Award. It was also named one of Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2023.

Connect with Eirinie:

Website: www.eiriniecarson.com

Instagram: @eirinieeee

Bluesky: @eirinieee.bsky.social

Tiktok: @eirinieeee

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/

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Have you ever wondered if what you’re doing is truly aligned with your soul’s purpose? Or maybe you’ve had that nagging feeling that something’s off—that you’re not quite on the right track. How do you know when it’s time to stay the course, and when it’s time to pivot so you can do more of what you love and let go of what no longer serves you? In today’s very personal episode of Writing Your Resilience, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my own writing and business life to share the pivot strategy to better align my business and claim more of my writing time.  

Episode Highlights

• 3:00: Heeding Your Inner Call
• 8:00: Identifying Your Guiding Principles 
• 18:54: Crafting Your Symbol and Tagline 
• 21:54: Clarifying Your Why and How
• 33:00: Conquering Your (My) Greatest Fear 

Resources for this Episode: 

• Check Out My New Website
• “3 Ways I’m Gently Reinventing My Work Right Now” on Off the Grid with Amelia Hruby
• Buy Your Attention Is Sacred Except On Social Media
• Building a Writing Career Without Social Media with Amelia Hruby
• Using Human Design to Break Through Writing Blocks with Maha Mamish
• Leaning into the Mystery of Our Stories with Brett Will Taylor
• The Legend of the Phoenix
• Mindy at Fairy Tale Social 
• A Well-Trained Wife by Tia Levings 
• The Part that Burns by Jeannine Ouellette 

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/

Connect with your host, Lisa:
Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/
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This week, we’re talking about something our culture often dismisses but your writing life desperately needs: rest. In this episode, I’ll share why rest matters, how you can create more of it—even when life feels full—and the surprising lessons I learned during my own summer break. Grab your pen and notebook and get ready to explore the radical power of doing less.

Episode Highlights

• 1:26: Why I Decided to Take a Month Off
• 5:30: Connecting with Your Inner Compass
• 10:23: The 3 S’s of Rest 
• 15:23: Why Doing Less Can Lead to More 
• 18:15: My Biggest Takeaways
• 21:44 Three Ways to Capture Your Best Ideas 

Resources for this Episode: 

• Learn about Marie Forleo
• Tips for Improving Your Sleep Hygiene
• Julia Cameron on the Benefit of Morning Pages 
• Do You Need a Rest Before You Rest by Tia Levings

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/

Connect with your host, Lisa:
Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/
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Have you been told you’re a people pleaser or found yourself saying yes when you meant no, without even thinking about it? Have a friend who struggles to express their feelings or share their preferences? If so, you might have encountered the fawning trauma response. Join me and Ingrid Clayton, author of Fawning, and the memoir Believing Me, as we unpack the misconceptions regarding this trauma response, share our experience, strength, and hope, and show you how to join the unfawning revolution she’s spearheading with her new book. 

Episode Highlights

• 1:30: The Fawning Trauma Response
• 5:51: The Problem of Co-dependence
• 10:04: Complex Trauma’s Impact on Our Nervous Systems
• 12:50: Fawning’s Influence on Writing 
• 22:29: The Energetic Signature of Your Book
• 28:45: The Unfawning Process
• 43:45: The Role of Tears 

Resources for this Episode: 

• What is the Fawning Trauma Response by Ingrid Clayton 
• How to Stop Gaslighting Yourself with Ingrid Clayton
• Believing Me by Ingrid Clayton

Ingrid’s Bio: While Ingrid has a clinical background, she believes there is no theory, diagnosis, or therapy that can replace the power of shared experience. Her memoir, Believing Me, is written from the heart, where all our hurt lives—so it speaks the same language. In addition to raising her beautiful son, Ingrid believes that gaining the courage to write Believing Me is her greatest achievement to date. Her latest book, Fawning, addresses an often-overlooked piece of the fight-flight-freeze reaction to trauma—explaining what it is, why it happens, and how to help survivors regain their voice and sense of self. 

Connect with Ingrid: 

Website: https://www.ingridclayton.com/
Instagram and YouTube: @IngridClaytonPhD
Get a free copy of her PDF on the fawning response: https://www.ingridclayton.com/fawningtraumaresponse
Get a copy of Believing Me: https://www.ingridclayton.com/books
Order your copy of Fawning now: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/779579/fawning-by-dr-ingrid-clayton/ 

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/

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Do you struggle to see yourself as creative? Or have you ever wondered where your creativity comes from, and how to maximize it? This week, I’m joined by Jacob Nordby, founder of A Writing Room Collective and author of Blessed are the Weird: A Manifesto for Creatives, and The Creative Cure, a powerful guide to reconnecting with your creative self. In this week’s episode, Jacob and I dive deep into the healing power of creativity, trauma, and the inner wisdom we all carry within us. Grab your pen, open your heart, and join us as we discuss how to nurture your creative intuition, overcome the obstacles of comparison and fear, and how creativity can be the bridge back to feeling truly alive.

Episode Highlights

• The Authentic Work of Creativity
• The Trifecta of Rejection, Trauma, and Socialization
• Polyvagal Theory and the Creative Process
• The Role of Intuition in Creativity
• Connecting with Your Body’s Wisdom
• Recovering Our Connection to Our True Nature

Resources Mentioned During this Episode:

• www.creativecurebook.com
• www.creativeselfjournal.com
• The ACES Test
• Polyvagal Theory and the Ventral Vagal State
• The Seven Chakras
• Human Design
• Writing Rituals with Natalie Buster
• Writing Down Your Soul by Janet Conner
• Seeking Wisdom by Julia Cameron

Jacob Nordby is a co-founder of A Writing Room Collective, Heal + Create, The Institute for Creative Living Foundation 501(c)3,  and the author of several books, including Blessed Are the Weird – A Manifesto for Creatives and The Creative Cure. He previously worked as the marketing director for a traditional publishing house and oversaw the launch of many bestselling books. A working author and creative guide, he has a passion for helping writers solve their challenges and enjoy the satisfaction of sharing their work with the world.

Connect with Jacob:

• Website: https://www.jacobnordby.com/
• The Creative Cure book page: www.creativecurebook.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacobnordby/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacobnordby/
• Creative Self Journal Gift: https://www.jacobnordby.com/creative-self-journal-gift/

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

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How do you dive into the marrow of an experience we’ll all one day share, yet so many of us struggle to talk about? And how do you write into a topic so widely covered that it feels impossible to say something new? Today, I’m joined by Amy Lin, author of the stunning micro memoir Here After, as we tackle these questions head-on. Together, we’ll explore the raw realities of grief, how Amy’s memoir acts as a powerful container for this universal experience, the magic of the micro-form, and what it takes to create something experimental. Plus, I’ll share a transformative tool to expand how you see your stories—and uncover the truths hiding within them.

Amy’s Bio: Amy Lin lives in Calgary, Canada where there are two seasons: winter and road construction. She completed her MFA at Warren Wilson College and holds BAs in English Literature and Education. Her work has been published in places such as Ploughshares and she has been awarded residencies from Yaddo and Casa Comala. Here After is her first book.

Resources Mentioned During This Episode:

• The Unseen Shore (Part One) by Amy Lin
• Yi Shun Lai’s Post “People’s Names Are Important”
• Lily Be “The Donas of Humbolt Park” 
• More about Lily Be
• It’s Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People with Dr. Ramani Durvasula

Episode Highlights

• The Container of Grief 
• The “Good Signs” of Grief
• Performative Grief versus the Reality of Grief 
• The Five Stages of Grief Debunked
• The Power of Micro Memoir 
• The Story Neighborhood Exercise 
• The Marrow of Living 
• Amy’s Best Writing Advice 

Connect with Amy: 

• Substack: https://atthebottomofeverything.substack.com/
• Website: amydawnlin.com
• Instagram: @literaryamy
• TikTok: @literaryamy

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/

Connect with your host, Lisa:
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Author 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 Episode

• I 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 Robbins
• Book Review for Stash: My Life in Hiding by Lisa Cooper Ellison
• Author Platform Is Not a Requirement to Sell Your Novel or Children’s Book by Jane Friedman
• Official Transcript

Episode Highlights

• The Response to Stash
• The Power of Honesty
• The Link Between Recovery and Honesty
• Channeling Your Energy in a Specific Direction
• Marketing Your Book and Yourself
• Caring For Yourself As You Market Your Book
• Year Two and Working with Book Clubs
• How Honesty Builds Resilience

Connect with Laura

• Website: https://lauracathcartrobbins.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauracathcartrobbins
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauracathcartrobbins
• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mscathcartrobbins
• X: https://twitter.com/lauracrobbins

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/

Connect with your host, Lisa:
Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/
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Writing can be a powerful tool for healing, but when writing the tough stuff, it’s easy to get triggered and relive the experiences you’re writing about. If you’re wondering what to do about this, join me and somatic experiencing practitioner Kirby Moore as we explore how the nervous system works and how to care for it and your writing life. Plus, Kirby will teach you a powerful tool you can use right now to calm your nervous system. While you can listen to this on any platform, if you’re a visual learner, this is a great episode to watch on YouTube. Now, let’s get to my conversation with Kirby Moore.

Kirby’s bio: Kirby brings a unique and potent blend of modalities to his healing facilitation sessions. He has been very fortunate to study with some masterful SE faculty members, with Tibetan Buddhist heart teachers, and one of the pioneers in the field of Birth Process Work. All this training, plus 20 years as a practicing Astrologer, means that Kirby offers exceptional somatic process work – both in-person and online.

In 2019, Kirby developed Trauma Informed Astrology, which is a very ambitious blend of Western Astrology, nervous system repair and theory, and embodiment tools. He loves offering courses, mentoring students, and offering clients rare insights into their process.

Resources Mentioned During This Episode:

• Kirby’s Course: Liberating the Space Element
• Use the Code Podcast30 to save 30% off this course
• Souls of the Feet Meditation
• Heart Coherence Meditation
• Dr. Kay Tye: The Biology of Social Interactions and Emotions

Episode Highlights

• Biodynamic Cranial Sacral Therapy
• What is Somatic Experiencing
• Healthy and Unhealthy Checking Out
• The Consequences of Dissociation
• Reciprocals: A Powerful Somatic Tool
• Why Meditation Can Harm Trauma Survivors
• Dealing with Writing Triggers
• Somatic Advice on Writing

Connect with Kirby

• Website: www.traumainformedastrology.com
• Website: www.mkirbymoore.com
• Website: https://astrodharma.me
• Instagram: @traumainformedastrology
• Email: [email protected]

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/

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/

Connect with your host, Lisa:
Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/
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Imagine working tirelessly for years to publish your first novel—only to have the moment of celebration collide with the collapse of your country. Imagine being forced to flee, leaving behind everything you’ve ever known, and yet… still finding your voice through poetry, storytelling, and advocacy.

Today, I have the honor of speaking with Samman Akbarzada—a poet, novelist, refugee, and fierce advocate for human rights. Her novel, Life is a Movie, tells the story of a working child in Afghanistan, while her poetry collection, A Glimmer in the Dark, captures the heartbreak of exile and the enduring hope of survival. Join us as we discuss the power of storytelling, the resilience of the human spirit, and how writing can bear witness to both personal and collective grief.

Episode Highlights

• Publishing in a War Zone
• The Impact of Crisis and Loss on Our Writing Lives
• Giving a Voice to Someone Who’s Gone
• How Helping Others Empowers You
• Listening to the Howl
• Writing as an Act of Service
• Samman’s Best Writing Advice

Resources for this Episode: 

• Afghan refugees head to Washington asking special visas be issued for families
• Afghan refugee pleads for resettlement support on Capitol Hill
• Volunteer Information: https://www.volunteermatch.org/
• Volunteer Organizations in Charlottesville: 
  • https://soundjusticelab.org/cville-tulips
  • https://www.charlottesvilleunited.org/
  • https://www.virginiaequitycenter.org/
• Watch the Trailer for Limbo

Samman Akbarzada is an Afghan refugee and the author of two books: A Glimmer in the Dark, her poetry collection, and Life is a Movie, her debut novel. A second-year student at the University of Virginia, she is committed to working with NGOs and advocating for the rights of underserved communities. Her words capture the suffering, heartbreak, gratitude, and redemption that mark a life lived on the blade of conflict, with love and empathy as her constant guiding light.

Connect with Samman

• Website: https://www.amazon.com/author/samman-akbarzada
• Instagram.com/sammanwrites
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samman-akbarzada-9359792a0
• Samman’s books: https://bookshop.org/p/books/life-is-a-movie-samman-akbarzada/

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/

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Visit https://lisacooperellison.com/yourdesign/ and use promo code RESILIENCE to get 30% off your foundational report.

Building Better Memoir Scenes: https://janefriedman.com/building-better-memoir-scenes-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/

Connect with your host, Lisa:
Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/
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Produced by Espresso Podcast Production