The Florida Writer Podcast

Does that blank piece of paper scare you? Do you consistently put off working on your Work In Progress? Learn how to turn that blank page into something that no longer has weight over you with Procrastination Coach Dr. Christine Li 's advice in this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast with host Alison Nissen . Dr. Christine Li has been working as a New York-based clinical psychologist for the pa...

In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen and StoryBilder founder Tanya Gough talk about the revolutionary platform that helps you move from How do I? to I did it! StoryBilder is a writing platform that bridges the gap for new and intermediate writers. Supporting writers through flexible narrative frameworks, a library of adaptable story assets, and integrated, experiential education laye...

Break free from the constraints of genre. In this interview with journalist, memoirist, novelist, songwriter and cultural archeologist photographer, Sonja Mongar and host Alison Nissen talk about the difference between academic, commercial, and blended genres and how breaking free from the norm gives the author permission to write the story that needs to be shared. Sonja Mongar teaches in the West...

Historical Fiction should immerse the audience in the rich details of the past. Author Tamatha Cain knows that to recreate the past, sometimes you need to reach out, ask questions, and talk to those who know. In this Flordia Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen and Tamatha chat about her upcoming historical fiction novels Song of the Chimney Sweep and Only Oona , about the 4th wife of Charlie Chapli...

Resigned to not finish her debut novel, Jennifer Farmer, under the pen name JS Farmer, completed her manuscript with the encouragement of her then 9-year-old daughter. Blue Sky Gone follows two sisters from just before 9-11 to the 20th anniversary in 2021.  In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Jennifer about the challenges and struggles of accurately portraying an event th...

The secret to Catherine Drake 's success is using three separate developmental editors to shape and mold her debut novel, The Treehouse on Dog River Road . In this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Catherine about using developmental editors to her advantage, the power of #bookstagram influencers, and the serendipity moment of how a nearby town chose her book for...

A book launch is an exciting event in every author's journey. Before you send your baby into the world, are you confident your "Amazon Relevance Score" will serve you well? In this Florida Writer Podcast, book marketing expert Penny Sansevieri shares book launching tips from networking and platform building to ads and book pricing with host Alison Nissen .  #floridawriters #floridawriterscon #amwr...

Writing your novel one story at a time is the advice that helped Sally Constain write her debut novel, The Keys to Fanny . In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Sally to discover how her grandmother's stories of life in Ukraine, inspired her to create characters so lifelike that she could walk in their shoes.  Sally Constain is the author of  The Keys to Fanny a work of his...

Inspired by the beauty and harshness of nature, Susan Speranza embraces the Vermont landscape to develop plot, characters, and conflict. In this Florida Writer Podcast episode, host Alison Nissen chats with Susan Speranza about how language is to writing as notes are to music. Susan creates lyrical text that matches the beauty of the natural environment of her metaphysical novel, Ice Out . 

Torn between keeping your book as a memoir or fictionalizing your story? Fret no longer! Consider exploring the new Autofiction genre! In this episode of the Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Lindsey Salatka about her autofiction novel Fish Heads and Duck Skin, embracing a new lens for the world around you, and finding your muse in real-life scenarios.  Lindsey Salatka is an au...

Publishing a book is exciting, finding creative ways to sell it is daunting. In this edition of the Flordia Writer Podcast , Host Alison Nissen chats with Suspenseful Women's Fiction author Kathy Nichols about finding new ways to market your book, breaking up with your agent, and managing impostor syndrome.  Katherine Nichols is a member of the Atlanta Writers Club and Sisters in Crime and has bee...

As a casual observation, conspiracy thriller author Henry Cox realized that most book clubs members are women and that many book clubs shy away from selecting thrillers as a genre. He also noticed that women enjoy reading thrillers. To entice book clubs to read his books, he suggests a wine and beer pairing based on his personal favorites. In this Florida Writer Podcast conversation, host Alison N...

Miami-Dade County Poetry Ambassador Nicole Tallman shares how poetry can prompt community through participation. Using the concept of the Heroic Sonnet, Nicole and other residents share their inspiration with the citizens of Miami for Poetry Month . Nicole and Florida Writer Podcast host Alison Nissen also chat about one-line-a-day poems and how to create something beautiful by just writing one li...

Writing a book is challenging. Marketing it is another thing altogether! In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Entire Productions CEO Natasha Miller about her recently released memoir Relentless and her army of promoters. Follow some of her entrepreneur tips to help move your book to the top of the best-sellers list. Natasha   Miller  isn't your average CEO. She sits at the...

Authors have a choice to write what they know at the exclusion of others--or--they can share their experiences without bias with the goal of creating characters that bridge the gap. Enjoy this conversation with Florida Writer Podcast host Alison Nissen and thriller/suspense author Mark Shaiken .  Mark Shaiken the author of "and . . . Just Like That - Essays on a Life Before, During and After the L...

When fire forces you to abandon everything, it also requires you to rethink the motivation for your story. Enjoy this Florida Writer Podcast with host  Alison Nissen  and renowned decorator and artist  Elisa Stancil Levine  about self-discovery in the face of adversity.  Elisa Stancil Levine spent her childhood in a canyon on the American River, upstream from the site of the California gold rush....

Raegen Pietrucha's  Head of a Gorgon  is a narrative in poems that reimagines the myth of Medusa, transporting this ancient tale of sexual violence into contemporary times and examining it through a survivor-centric, feminist lens. Listen to the Florida Writer Podcast episode with host  Alison Nissen  as she and Raegen talk about this dark tale.  Raegen Pietrucha writes, edits, and consults on pro...

In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen talks with JM Tompkins , the Atlanta Self-Publishing Conference Chair about some simple strategies for writers from proof of concept to outsourcing to marketing. The nuts and bolts of writing is tricky but with help, very rewarding.  J. M. Tompkins started her own publishing company and began focusing on her true passions. As an author, she first...

We all have ideas for stories, but if our inner critic has a say, our stories might stay trapped forever. In this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Cooper Levey-Baker, author of the new dystopian book Dead Fish Wind about how he turned a 3-minute free-writing exercise into a novel...after he calmed his inner critic. Cooper  Levey-Baker is a writer and journalist....

On this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Tamian Wood about the 3 biggest mistakes Do-It-Yourselfers make when designing their own books covers. Listen, learn, and enjoy--and check out her beautiful creations at BeyondDesignBooks.com   Tamian  Wood has been creating book covers that sell for over 25 years. Her cover design clients include several publishing house...

In this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast, Push-Cart nominated poet John Davis Jr and host Alison Nissen discuss how he explores the dark secrets of the Dozier School for Boys in his latest book The Places That Hold. John Davis Jr. is the author of  Hard Inheritance  (Five Oaks Press, 2016) ,  Middle Class American Proverb  (Negative Capability Press, 2014)   and two other books of poetry. He...

From Clown College to MFA, Victoria Dym uses the principles of improvisation to tap into the emotions needed to bring a work in progress to life. In this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast with host Alison Nissen , Victoria shares with us how the simple words of " Yes, and " help authors write deeper, more meaningful content.  Victoria Dym is a graduate of Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Cl...

Fear of getting "it" wrong forced new author David Rabin to research and connect with subject matter experts to make sure he gets it right in his first published novel. In this episode of the Florida Writer Podcast with host Alison Nissen , David reveals the lessons learned during his pivot from fact-based trial law to creative writing. David Rabin's debut novel, IN DANGER OF JUDGMENT, is a crime...

When author Susan Sands sits down to write her romance novels, she doesn't just bring characters to life, she uses PLACE as a catalyst to shape character motivation and in the process allows the setting to have a mind of its own. In this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen interviews self-described late bloomer, Susan Sands who began writing her first novel at age forty. She...

Imagine building a world in a place that history forgot to bring to life that which would otherwise not be remembered. In this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast with host Alison Nissen , Alison talks about worldbuilding with George Weinstein . George begins with place, then layers, one at a time, the setting, dialogue, senses, to build a topography that is vivid and lush.  George Weinstein is...