Navigating the Inner and Outer Work of Revision

A new interview on Lisa Cooper Ellison's podcast, Writing Your Resilience

Hello, resonant storytellers! I apologize for my relative silence recently; I’m in the process of moving to a city about 60 miles away, and between packing, cleaning and client work, I haven’t had much time to write newsletters. I look forward to getting back on track after the move.

Writing Your Resilience podcast interview

Back in December, I had a deep and meaningful conversation with Lisa Cooper Ellison for her Writing Your Resilience podcast. We talked about counterintuitive editing—the balance between reflection and action—and what makes writing resonate with readers in such a way that they’ll want to share your story.

Some of the topics we discussed:

• Why the idea that writing requires constant “butt in chair” time is misleading

• How stepping away from your draft can be the most effective revision tool

• The emotional side of editing and how to work through it

• A simple way to save sentences you love without letting them distort your revision process

• Why vulnerability isn’t just a craft technique but an essential part of writing that connects with readers

If you’ve ever felt stuck in writing or revision, this episode might be useful. You’ll find all the links to listen here.

Lisa also has an excellent Substack for writers, especially those writing memoirs about healing from trauma. Chances are, you already subscribe to her newsletter, but if you don’t, I highly recommend it.

Coming up for spring and summer…

Looking for ways to work with me that are cost-effective? I’ve heard you, and I’m working on it! Here’s what I’ve got underway:

• An in-depth, stage-by-stage Monomyth (Hero’s Journey) workbook for memoirists. Think The Writers Journey, but specifically for those writing memoir.

• A mini-course on Show, Don’t Tell—what it means and how to effectively use it in your writing

• A mini-course on How to Observe Your Thoughts, which is essential to the “counterintuitive” creative process I discuss with Lisa (and bonus: it’s also the foundation for lasting inner peace)

• A mini-course on tapping into The Law of Increasing Flow, so that you can write better material in a shorter time frame, without burning yourself out.

And more! Stay tuned…

Thank you for being a Resonant Storytelling subscriber. I know that you’re probably swamped with emails, and that makes it all the more meaningful that you took the time to read this. If you found this post helpful, here are four simple ways to support this Substack:

• Subscribe to this Substack, if you don’t already

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Thank you, and I’ll be back once I’m in my new place!