Florida Writer Podcast

Do you read your work aloud in front of an audience? In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen sits down with Joyce Wagner to talk about public speaking. Joyce helps authors overcome their fear of public speaking with a simple philosophy: Put your audience first. The fear of freezing or making a mistake often stops people from elevating their potential book sales. Instead of focusing on yourself, treat your writing as a career—you are an employee, and your audience is your employer. Make your boss proud!

Joyce Wagner presents a workshop for writers, Reading Your Work Before an Audience. Her degree is in Speech and Performing Arts from Northeastern Illinois University and she was a founding member of the award-winning Pegasus Players in Chicago. As a writer, she has cross-trained in many genres, including short story, novel, journalism, playwriting and humor. Her novel, The French Tenor, won the gold medal for unpublished historical fiction in the 2020 Royal Palm Literary Awards. She currently lives in Gulfport with her dog, Rufus.

Florida Writers Association embraces the diversity of its membership from across the state of Florida, the nation, and the globe. We celebrate our differences and are united in our shared love for the written and spoken word.

We strive to provide a professional atmosphere, a vast networking system, and valuable tools to help members succeed in their writing careers. Our motto of "Writers Helping Writers" is demonstrated by our volunteers in Florida and beyond.

In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Kristy Smeriglio about using "The Garden of Earthly Delights" painting to create a psychological exploration of the human experience for her debut novel Falling into Fire.

With a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Arts in Writing, Kristy merges two disciplines and realms of knowledge that are integral to the formation and transformation of the mind. The mind, to Kristy, is our ultimate power, along with our hearts. Connect the two and we propel forward immensely.

The Florida Writers Podcast is a production of the Florida Writers Association. Founded in 2001, Florida Writers Association (FWA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit dedicated to supporting aspiring and professional writers in any genre. FWA embraces the diversity of its membership from across the state of Florida, the nation, and the globe. We celebrate our differences and are united in our shared love for the written and spoken word. We strive to provide a professional atmosphere, a vast networking system, and valuable tools to help members succeed in their writing careers. Our motto of "Writers Helping Writers" is demonstrated by our volunteers in Florida and beyond.

Scott Davis Hendrix shared his writing process and experiences with Florida Writer Podcast host Alison Nissen. He emphasized the importance of marinating the story in his mind before writing and discussed his journey of writing a book that started as a thought 30 years ago. Scott's first novel The Garden Spot was published in April 2022 and has been listed in the top 10 reads in Mississippi. His upcoming third novel will explore themes of abuse, family dynamics, and personal growth.

Scott Davis Hendrix is the author of two novels, The Garden Spot and its sequel, The Resting Spot. He is a lifelong resident of Mississippi.

The Florida Writers Podcast is a production of the Florida Writers Association. Founded in 2001, Florida Writers Association (FWA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit dedicated to supporting aspiring and professional writers in any genre. FWA embraces the diversity of its membership from across the state of Florida, the nation, and the globe. We celebrate our differences and are united in our shared love for the written and spoken word. We strive to provide a professional atmosphere, a vast networking system, and valuable tools to help members succeed in their writing careers. Our motto of "Writers Helping Writers" is demonstrated by our volunteers in Florida and beyond.

Imagine you are in a room of the best in your genre, ask these experts advice on what keeps you stuck. In this Florida Writer Podcast, renowned hypnotherapist Victoria Gallagher chats with host Alison Nissen about overcoming writers block and creating a best-selling mindset.

Reframe how you think about your Work-in-Progress: Ditch the fear, doubt, and stress, focus on the positive, trust your internal guidance to act. When we come from a feeling of inspiration, not a feeling of desperation, we can overcome the things that hold us back.

Victoria M. Gallagher is a worldwide leader in Hypnotherapy, a best-selling author, international speaker, life success coach, and renowned authority on the Law of Attraction. She has dedicated her life to empowering people all over the world to successfully live a life of liberty, aligned with their dreams through her effective meditative recordings and online courses. Through her podcast, The Power of Your Mind, she exudes her passion for inspiring listeners with influential guests in the areas of self-development, mindset, discipline & habits, entrepreneurship, wealth and relationships.

The Florida Writers Podcast is a production of the Florida Writers Association. Founded in 2001, Florida Writers Association (FWA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit dedicated to supporting aspiring and professional writers in any genre. FWA embraces the diversity of its membership from across the state of Florida, the nation, and the globe. We celebrate our differences and are united in our shared love for the written and spoken word. We strive to provide a professional atmosphere, a vast networking system, and valuable tools to help members succeed in their writing careers. Our motto of "Writers Helping Writers" is demonstrated by our volunteers in Florida and beyond.

Heather Leigh, PhD, a paranormal researcher and writer, discussed her journey and work on the Florida Writer Podcast with host Alison Nissen. Heather shared that her experiences with paranormal activity led her to write nonfiction books about her encounters and the history of various locations. She highlighted the importance of collecting data and using scientific tools for paranormal research. Heather also shared how writers can become involved in documentaries and films.

Heather Leigh started her journey in the paranormal field as a teenager after multiple interactions with her grandfather, who passed away many years prior. Throughout the years following, she has researched and traveled to locations to learn more about the history and paranormal claims and attempt to link the two. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Metaphysical Humanistic Science, specializing in Paranormal Science from the Institute of Metaphysical and Humanistic Science. She is a Certified Paranormal Investigator (CPI) and Certified EVP Technician (CET). Her goal is to help others take a more scientific approach to paranormal investigations and research and help everyone keep an open mind that anything in this field is possible but not always supernatural.

Heather Leigh is the founder of Exploration Paranormal, based in Southwest-Central Florida. She is a member of the International Paranormal Bureau of Investigations and Research (IBPIR) and a member of ParaNexus Anomalous Research Association. She is the Chief Administrative Officer for The Warren Legacy Foundation for Paranormal Research.

Heather Leigh is the author of Ghosts of Southern Nevada Ghost Towns, part of the Haunted America series from The History Press (release date August 22, 2022). She is writing two more books for the Haunted America series - Haunted Florida Lighthouses and Legends, Lore, and Ghosts of the Vegas Valley - to be released in Fall 2023. Additionally, she is an author of many articles and a lecturer about all things paranormal.

She hosts Exploring the Paranormal Vodcast on Facebook, YouTube, Parapost Network, and Paralanx TV (Formerly PUN TV).

Heather Leigh is also the co-host of Ghost Education 101 and The Warren Files, which also air on Facebook, YouTube, Parapost Network, and Paralanx TV. She also contributes content to Touch of Magick, a magick and paranormal podcast, and teaches classes and offers Shamanic Life Coaching through iMystic University.

Heather Leigh's paranormal team - Exploration Paranormal - was featured in Real Haunts: Ghost Towns and Real Haunts 3 (coming fall of 2022), both by Motion Picture Video.

The Florida Writers Podcast is a production of the Florida Writers Association. Founded in 2001, Florida Writers Association (FWA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit dedicated to supporting aspiring and professional writers in any genre. FWA embraces the diversity of its membership from across the state of Florida, the nation, and the globe. We celebrate our differences and are united in our shared love for the written and spoken word. We strive to provide a professional atmosphere, a vast networking system, and valuable tools to help members succeed in their writing careers. Our motto of "Writers Helping Writers" is demonstrated by our volunteers in Florida and beyond.

If you had 10x the book marketing budget you have now, what would you spend it on? On this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Karina Kantas, author of 15 books and 16 International Film Festival Awards for documentary and book trailers, and discusses her company, Author Assist. Frustrated with the steep learning curve of becoming a first-time author, Karina started Author Assist to provide writers with a safe path to authorship.

Author Assist Ltd. uses a team of professionals who offer authors exclusive packages in media promotion, coaching and mentoring, and publishing. They offer guidance to help authors discover a safe route through their publishing journey, give visibility to their books, and get the book up the bestseller charts.

The Florida Writers Podcast is a production of the Florida Writers Association. Founded in 2001, Florida Writers Association (FWA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit dedicated to supporting aspiring and professional writers in any genre. FWA embraces the diversity of its membership from across the state of Florida, the nation, and the globe. We celebrate our differences and are united in our shared love for the written and spoken word. We strive to provide a professional atmosphere, a vast networking system, and valuable tools to help members succeed in their writing careers. Our motto of "Writers Helping Writers" is demonstrated by our volunteers in Florida and beyond.

What is your credibility quotient with your audience? In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Michell Levy, a 2x TEDx speaker and international bestseller of over 60 books, about how authors can create a platform that connects with their target audience while promoting credibility, trust, and reliability.

Mitchell Levy is Global Credibility Expert. After interviewing 500 thought leaders on credibility, he published a 7-country international bestselling book, delivered a powerful TEDx on humanity, created courses, and created the Credibility Nation membership community to help those live, learn and surround themselves with others on the credibility journey.

He's an accomplished Entrepreneur who has created twenty businesses in Silicon Valley including four publishing companies that have published over 750 books. He's provided strategic consulting to hundreds of companies and has been the chairman of a board of a NASDAQ-listed company. Mitchell has been happily married for thirty-one years and prior to covid-19, regularly spent four weeks a year in Europe with family and friends.

The Florida Writers Podcast is a production of the Florida Writers Association. Founded in 2001, Florida Writers Association (FWA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit dedicated to supporting aspiring and professional writers in any genre. FWA embraces the diversity of its membership from across the state of Florida, the nation, and the globe. We celebrate our differences and are united in our shared love for the written and spoken word. We strive to provide a professional atmosphere, a vast networking system, and valuable tools to help members succeed in their writing careers. Our motto of "Writers Helping Writers" is demonstrated by our volunteers in Florida and beyond.

Curious about the mind of a Royal Palm Literary Award judge? In this Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen and Chet Meisner chat about things that make a winning entry. Chet explains that the audience needs to know how characters feel. What experience did that have and what keeps them going? If your protagonist is sad, what type of sad are they? Show us what's in their head!

Chet Meisner calls himself a geographical mutt. Born in Wisconsin, raised in South Florida, lived briefly in Alabama, he moved back to Miami, met, and married Peri and relocated to Atlanta where we spent two and a half decades and raised three wonderful children. After ten years in Tampa, he's now living in North Carolina.

Chet is a traditionally published author and playwright, advertising copywriter, database and data mining expert, AI enthusiast. He is a five-time RPLA Writing Competition judge, and has been awarded multiple writing recognitions.

His latest book D.I.T.T.O. is a 2019 RPLA winner and available on Amazon.

The Florida Writers Podcast is a production of the Florida Writers Association. Founded in 2001, Florida Writers Association (FWA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit dedicated to supporting aspiring and professional writers in any genre. FWA embraces the diversity of its membership from across the state of Florida, the nation, and the globe. We celebrate our differences and are united in our shared love for the written and spoken word. We strive to provide a professional atmosphere, a vast networking system, and valuable tools to help members succeed in their writing careers. Our motto of "Writers Helping Writers" is demonstrated by our volunteers in Florida and beyond.

Enjoy this inspirational Florida Writers Podcast as host Alison Nissen chats with J.L. Buck Martinez, President of ACE Leadership Group, a company dedicated to inspiring and developing men and women to achieve their highest potential. Buck may have started his career as an inspirational speaker, connecting with well over 50,000 student athletes, but when he set his sights on writing about Purpose, Passion, and Conviction he put his program to personal use. As writers, we can appreciate that when we face hurdles, we have a choice to go over them or around them—but if we let them stop us, we won't succeed.

Through ACE Leadership Group, Buck focuses on developing the character, honor and integrity of his clients. Buck is passionate about working with organizations to develop their leadership skills. He serves as life coach and executive coach to individuals in many different roles from corporate executives to professional athletes. Some of his clients include, FPL, Advanced Roofing, Athletic Coaches at all levels, Moss Construction, Keiser University, Bolay, St. Thomas University and others.

Throughout his thirty plus years as an executive in the energy industry, Buck helped mentor numerous employees and served on multiple boards throughout the state. He also serves as President and Co-Founder of a not-for-profit organization, Student ACES, dedicated to inspiring high school and college student athletes to be men and women of honor, character and integrity. Buck is passionate about investing in our youth and works countless hours serving in the capacity of teacher, mentor and coach. Since he co-founded Student ACES with his daughter, Krissy Webb. Buck has trained over 50,000 student athletes throughout Florida.

The Florida Writers Podcast is a production of the Florida Writers Association. Founded in 2001, Florida Writers Association (FWA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit dedicated to supporting aspiring and professional writers in any genre. FWA embraces the diversity of its membership from across the state of Florida, the nation, and the globe. We celebrate our differences and are united in our shared love for the written and spoken word. We strive to provide a professional atmosphere, a vast networking system, and valuable tools to help members succeed in their writing careers. Our motto of "Writers Helping Writers" is demonstrated by our volunteers in Florida and beyond.

In this Florida Writer Podcast, we welcome founder of Everyday by the Lake Laura Gariepy who shares with host Alison Nissen her strategies to be a successful freelance writer.

1. Have a clear understanding of your Why. Know the reason you wish to be a full-time freelancer.

2. Begin networking as early as possible. Continually build relationships in your genre—they aren't competitors, they are collaborators.

3. Create a website to showcase your expertise and your writing skills.

4. Find guest blog posts to cast a wider net.

5. Don't write for free for long. Your time is worth it. Start small and increase the price per word over time.

Laura Gariepy started writing about personal finance in early 2018 when she took a sabbatical from her career in human resources and launched a blog sharing her journey. She realized she could earn a location and schedule-independent living as a freelance writer, so she soon went all-in on self-employment. Laura loves to write about managing your money, navigating your career, and running a successful business. Her work has been featured in Fortune, USA Today, The New York Post, and many other publications. She has also earned an MBA and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology.

The Florida Writers Association strives to provide a professional atmosphere, a vast networking system, and valuable tools to help members succeed in their writing careers. Our motto of "Writers Helping Writers" is demonstrated by our volunteers in Florida and beyond.