Self-Acceptance, Dating Disasters, and Life After Loss with Debbie Weiss

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

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Join me and Debbie Weiss, author of the memoir Available As Is, as we discuss how multiple major losses impact the way we see ourselves and the world, the challenges of dating when you’re over fifty, and the most important thing new writers should consider when starting a book.

Debbie’s Bio: Debbie Weiss is the author of the award-winning memoir “Available As Is: A Midlife Widow’s Search for Love” about creating a new life after the loss of her husband and high school sweetheart of 32 years. Her writing has been featured in The New York Times’ “Modern Love” column and the Huffington Post among other publications. A former lawyer, she’s proudest of earning her MFA in creative writing at Saint Mary’s College of California in 2020 at age 56. She currently lives in Benicia, California where she can be found practicing yoga, hiking, and extolling the virtues of cheese.
Resources Mentioned During This Episode:

First Try the Pastrami, Then the Polyamory by Debbie Weiss

When My Partner Of 32 Years Died, I Thought My Life Was Over. Here's How I Overcame My Grief. by Debbie Weiss

Ann Garvin’s Tweet Thread: https://x.com/AnnGarvin_/status/1776564808482959499

Episode Highlights

• 2:00 Tackling a Story of Layered Grief
• 7:58 Finding Your Story's Essential Question
• 12:00 The Challenges of Dating Over 50
• 18:47 Getting What We Deserve
• 25:07 Publishing a Modern Love
• 29:47 Tempering Your Expectations
• 34:20 Debbie’s Best Writing Advice

Connect with Debbie:

• https://debbieweissauthor.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/debbie.hansen.9
• https://www.instagram.com/debbie_weiss_author/
• https://substack.com/@debbieweiss

Connect with your host, Lisa:
Get Your Free Copy of Write More, Fret Less
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Sign up for Camp Structure: https://lisacooperellison.com/camp-structure-find-your-memoirs-narrative-arc/
Sign up for Mastering Trauma Scenes to Improve Your Memoir: https://janefriedman.com/mastering-trauma-scenes-to-improve-your-memoir-with-lisa-cooper-ellison/

Produced by Espresso Podcast Production

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1. Self-Acceptance, Dating Disasters, and Life After Loss with Debbie Weiss (00:00:00)

2. Tackling a Story of Layered Grief (00:02:00)

3. Finding your story’ essential question (00:07:58)

4. The Challenges of Dating Over 50 (00:12:00)

5. Women Finding Their Voices (00:15:50)

6. Getting What We Deserve (00:18:47)

7. Publishing a Modern Love (00:25:07)

8. Tempering Your Expectations (00:29:47)

9. Debbie’s Best Writing Advice (00:34:20)