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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

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

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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

Connect with your host, Lisa:
Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/
Website | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn

Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

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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

Connect with your host, Lisa:
Get Your Free Copy of Ditch Your Inner Critic: https://lisacooperellison.com/subscribe/
Website | Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | LinkedIn

Produced by Espresso Podcast Production