How to Transform Traumatic Events into Published Writingwith Louise Nayer and Lise Deguire
Channel: Mechanics' Institute
Date: 2022-05-24

Two successful writers, one a long-time educator and workshop leader and another a long-time psychologist, discuss the process and challenges of writing stories from past traumatic events. Lise Deguire is a burn survivor and Louise Nayer is the daughter of burn survivors. Both women were four years old when tragedy struck. Where do you start? How do you organize your writing? How do you make your writing inspiring to readers? And how do you deal with the feelings that emerge as you delve into a troubled past? This talk will offer people specific ways to begin or to continue writing their stories as well as ways to deal with the emotions that emerge. In the end both authors persisted to publication.

Dr. Lise Deguire is a clinical psychologist, author, and childhood burn survivor.  She is the author of her multiple award-winning book, Flashback Girl: Lessons on Resilience from a Burn Survivor.  Dr. Deguire attended Tufts University, graduating summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa. She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Widener University and is in solo practice in New Jersey. Dr. Deguire has appeared on NPR, NBC, ABC, FOX, and Sirius XM. She is a national keynote speaker and writes for Psychology Today, and has been featured in Thrive Global, Tiny Buddha, and The Elephant Journal. Dr. Deguire blogs regularly about psychological resilience. Connect with her on LiseDeguire.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin.

Louise Nayer is the award-winning author of five books including two poetry books, one with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Burned: A Memoir was an Oprah Great Read and winner of the Wisconsin Library Association award. Her book Poised for Retirement: Moving from Anxiety to Zen was written about in Forbes Magazine. She has taught creative writing classes for over 40 years and given readings all over the country and been interviewed widely, including on NPR. She is a member of The Writers Grotto and continues to teach memoir through OLLI UC Berkeley. She received an MFA from SUNY Buffalo and received six California Arts Grants. www.louisenayer.com