Publicist turned author Katie Schnack stops by the Florida Writer Podcast to chat with host Alison Nissen about giving birth to a book and raising it from idea to market.  Katie Schnack is the author of The Gap Decade: When You're Technically An Adult But Really Don't Feel Like it Yet, a quirky and honest chronicle about the awkward realities of living in that gap between adolescence and adulthood. Katie writes because she loves making people laugh and feel less alone. KatieSchnack.com

Does each of your characters have enough motivation to be the antagonist? Take a tip of mystery novelist Shannon Work, and make sure all the characters can be found guilty...then work backward from there. In this conversation with Florida Writer Podcast host Alison Nissen, Shannon shares her techniques to ensure the audience remains guessing whodunit throughout the entire novel.  Shannon Work grew up in Del Rio, Texas. She graduated from Texas A&M University, earning an undergraduate degree in Journalism and a master’s degree in Land Economics and Real Estate. ​ Most of her working life has been spent developing real estate, earning a national Best in America Living Award for one of her developments. Shannon and her husband split their time between Houston, Texas, and Telluride, Colorado. shannonwork.com  

After reaching 350 Amazon Reviews for his Devil's Bookkeeper series, Florida Writer Podcast host Alison Nissen chats with Literary Fiction and Children's author Mark Newhouse about writing about hard things, self-promotion, social media, and the Florida Writers Association Youth group.  Visit Mark at NewhouseCreativeGroup.com

Writing Non-Fiction is HARD! You are writing your book to share something with the world. Start with what is easy then build that muscle. You can't run a marathon on the first day of training. In this edition of The Florida Writer Podcast with host Alison Nissen and non-fiction ghostwriter & book coach Chrissy Das, Alison and Chrissy chat about non-fiction blogging, ghostwriting, and flexing a "writer's muscle."

Writers often dive into research. In this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with Wendy Samford, author of the upcoming book The First Wrinkle about adults who were raised in the foster care system in the United States. Wendy believes there's a whole lot more good than bad in the world and we can find a way to be a part of the change in the hidden epidemic we call abuse.  Discover more at WSamford.com

How do you become immortal? Be a student in Ann Brooks's 3rd-grade class. Psychological Thriller author Ann Brooks has branched into the territory of Young Adult Fantasy inspired by her students. When they discovered she was an author, they wanted in--of course, they aren't quite YA readers yet, but in a few short years, they will discover themselves on the page. Listen to the whole story in this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast with host Alison Nissen.

Mystery writers think differently. When they walk to the beach, they consider multiple ways a body or two might wash up on a beach. In this edition of the Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with 2019 RPLA Mystery and Suspense Writer of the Year JC Gatlin. Discover his process for plotting and avoiding writer's block and some lessons on creating your own book tour, the 2021 edition.

Curious about #PitchWars and #PitMad on Twitter? Don't know what it is or want to learn more? The Florida Writer Podcast host Alison Nissen chats with Sarah Nicolas about these Twitter events along with Sarah's top 4 things every writer's website needs and how to create spectacular book covers. Sarah writes YA novels as Sarah Nicolas and romance under the name Aria Kane. SarahNicolas.com

What do you do when you look at the bookshelves and don't see any books that "speak to you?" You write them! In this episode of the Florida Writer Podcast, host Alison Nissen chats with MJ Fievre about her self-empowerment books for black girls and young adults: The Badass Black Girl series. https://www.badassblackgirl.com/

Hear an interesting lyric? Have an earworm stuck in your head? Try using CJ Juliao's technique of crafting a story around music. CJ Juliao has always been someone lost in his imagination. Where others around him are usually grounded in reality, his mind constantly wanders to various worlds and universes that live within his mind. Visit @Fallen_Chaos_Writing on Instagram to discover more.