Advertise on podcast: Stories and Stanza

Send us Fan Mail #StoriesAndStanza #BetweenTheLines #PeterGunn #EpicPoetry #CreativeDiscipline "Embrace the suck. Embrace the mud." Peter Gunn learned that lesson crawling under barbed wire in Air Force boot camp, and he's been living by it ever since. In this episode of Between the Lines, I sit down with Peter, a 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran, bodybuilder, guitarist and poet, who is on a mission to bring epic poetry back from the dead. We talk about how he went from being a morbidly obese 12-year-old to building a life around small, daily discipline, why 15 minutes a day is enough to write a book, and what it takes to get back up when life pushes you into the mud. In this conversation: How bodybuilding taught Peter to approach writing and music one small step at a timeFalling in love with poetry through eighties rock lyrics, and why rhyme sticks in the mindA reading from the prologue of The Amazons, and why he wrote the heroine epic poetry never gave his daughterWhy perfection is flawed, and why the people who keep getting back up deserve our admirationWriter's block, meditation and the "downloads" that arrive when you're not looking for themHow a soundtrack project turned into a band, The AngellicSThe Sigma Squad, and graphic novels as "sparks of knowledge"Will AI end poetry? Peter's answer: it's the spark within usHis advice for anyone staring at the mountain: don't look at it, just write the next page About Peter Gunn: Peter Gunn is a 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran turned bodybuilder, guitarist and myth-maker, blending ancient philosophy with modern media to challenge how people see the world. After overcoming morbid childhood obesity at 12, discipline and transformation became a defining force in everything he does. When his daughter was born in 2010, he noticed the feminine perspective was missing from the hero's journey, and he created The Amazons series and a new writing form called Linked-Lyrical Poetry (LLP), a modern evolution of epic poetry designed to resonate with Gen Z and Gen Alpha. In 2020 he launched The Sigma Squad, a graphic novel series inspired by ancient Gnostic texts. He is also the guitarist for The AngellicS, an international band formed with German musicians. Their second album, Elysium Feels, is available on 23 platforms. Connect with Peter: Website and upcoming projects: Women's Insider feature: Rolling Hype feature: New album on Spotify:  If this conversation spoke to you, follow Stories and Stanza on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts, and share it with someone who might need it. More at storiesandstanza.com Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show 📩 CONNECT WITH STORIES AND STANZA Email: [email protected] Fan mail & reviews: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2639460/fan_mail/new Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript

Send us Fan Mail "Use your words," we tell our children. But what if they don't have the words yet? In this Fail With Me conversation, clinical psychologist Dr David S. Marcus explains why emotional language is a skill that has to be built, not something children simply pick up, and how parents can build it with them. Most of us parent the way we were parented, for better or worse. Dr Marcus has spent 40 years working with families under stress, and he unpacks what actually helps a child feel safe enough to talk to you. He covers what it means to be a "soothing presence" (someone who's okay when you're not okay), why a filled-up child can't hear even the calmest logical explanation, and how emptying out on three levels changes the conversation. There's also a story about an eight-year-old boy who described his anger as "volcano mad" or "eat-your-peas mad", and why using a child's own words matters more than using yours. The conversation closes on identity and the teenage years: individuation, peer pressure, why parents will lose the power struggle, and why trust is built on predictability. In this episode: - Why emotional intelligence and resilience need to be defined, not just named - The four assumptions behind every "Why did you do that?" - Being a soothing presence when modern life keeps you stressed - Building a common emotional language with your child and your partner - Being "filled up" and the three levels of emptying out - Common parenting mistakes that shut down emotional communication - Helping teenagers make well-advised decisions without lecturing ABOUT DR DAVID S. MARCUS Dr David S. Marcus is a clinical psychologist with 40 years of experience treating families under stress. He is a sought-after clinical and legal resource in the Cincinnati area on parent–child communication and child advocacy. His work focuses on helping parents develop an effective emotional language with their children, with step-by-step strategies for each stage of child and teen development. Website and podcast: https://parentrx.org Email: [email protected] ABOUT STORIES AND STANZA Stories and Stanza is a podcast exploring creativity, resilience and the transformative power of human stories. Between the Lines features writers and creators; Fail With Me explores wellbeing, emotional intelligence and life's challenges. 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://spotify.openinapp.co/storiesandstanza 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.openinapp.link/u3ui2 📝 Read the episode takeaways on Substack: https://storiesandstanza.substack.com/ 🌐 Website: https://storiesandstanza.com ☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/storiesandstanza Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesandstanza Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiesandstanza/ X: https://x.com/storiesnstanza If this conversation helped you see your own parenting a little differently, please like, subscribe and share it with a parent who might need it. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show 📩 CONNECT WITH STORIES AND STANZA Email: [email protected] Fan mail & reviews: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2639460/fan_mail/new Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript

Send us Fan Mail Why doesn't self-awareness lead to change? Shadow journaling coach Oliver Mann, author of Shadow Journaling: A Field Guide to Personal Alchemy, explains why self-acceptance is the missing step between knowing your patterns and changing them. In his third conversation on Stories and Stanza, Oliver makes an uncomfortable point: awareness is only the first step, and on its own it can keep us more stuck than before. He and Abhra explore the hidden benefit in the patterns we say we want to lose, the difference between a contradiction and a paradox, and how every person we meet can act as a mirror. In this episode: - Why change is hard even when we know the root cause - Victimhood, ego and the self-development trap - Why acceptance isn't the same as liking it - The Reveal, Reclaim, Rewrite process from Oliver's new book - Exploring the emotions we're least comfortable with, including joy - Why journaling doesn't have to be perfect, and why it's a non-performative act of rebellion Oliver also reads a passage from the book on the courage it takes to say "yes, I am also that." About Oliver Mann: Oliver is a journaling mentor and teacher with a passion for Shadow Journaling, co-founder of the Barcelona Journaling Festival, a council member of the International Association of Journal Writers, and a certified JTTS instructor. Get the book Part of the Fail With Me series on resilience, emotional intelligence and personal growth. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show 📩 CONNECT WITH STORIES AND STANZA Email: [email protected] Fan mail & reviews: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2639460/fan_mail/new Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript

Send us Fan Mail What happens to your sense of self when the job you gave years to suddenly no longer needs you? In this Fail With Me episode, Abhra sits down with Claire, a fellow writer, for an honest conversation about redundancy, job loss and the quiet grief that comes with it. Recorded at Sam Merrifield Library in Moonee Ponds, this is Stories and Stanza's first one-on-one in-person interview. Abhra and Claire have both recently been through redundancy. Instead of a neat success story, they talk about the parts people rarely share: the shame and isolation, the colleagues who disappear, and the unexpected people who show up. They explore why tying our worth to a title or organisation leaves us so exposed, how looming job cuts can turn a close team into a game of Survivor, and why grieving the future you thought you had is a natural response. The conversation also gets practical. They share the self-care routines that kept them centred: pocket journaling, a daily "five things" gratitude text with a friend, affirmations, and a simple mindfulness image of keeping two doors open. They finish with a timely look at how AI is reshaping job hunting, from AI-polished applications to AI-run interviews, and why real human connection matters more than ever. If you or someone you care about is facing redundancy, this episode is a reminder that you are not alone. As Claire puts it, "It's just a chapter. It's not your entire book." Chapters: 00:00 Opening moments 01:30 Welcome and our first in-person one-on-one 04:00 Why "Fail With Me" and redefining success 05:45 When your identity is tied to your job 08:45 Fear, freezing and advice that doesn't help 10:30 Hundreds of applications and the human cost of mass redundancies 12:00 Highlight reels versus the real story 15:30 Self-worth beyond titles and organisations 19:30 Strained relationships and Survivor dynamics 21:30 Journaling through uncertainty 22:30 Grieving the future you thought you had 25:00 Seeking validation and ripping off the band-aid 26:30 Five things of joy: a daily gratitude practice 29:30 Mindfulness, busyness and the two open doors 34:00 Control, grace and giving yourself time 37:00 AI, job applications and AI interviews 44:30 How to genuinely help someone going through redundancy Watch on YouTube: https://yt.openinapp.co/ii389 Listen on Spotify: https://spotify.openinapp.co/storiesandstanza Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.openinapp.link/u3ui2 Read episode reflections on Substack: https://storiesandstanza.substack.com/ Follow Stories and Stanza Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesandstanza Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiesandstanza/ X: https://x.com/storiesnstanza Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/storiesandstanza Guest, collaboration and sponsorship enquiries: [email protected] Stories and Stanza is a podcast exploring creativity, resilience and the transformative power of human stories through two series: Between the Lines, with writers and creators, and Fail With Me, on wellbeing and life's challenges. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show 📩 CONNECT WITH STORIES AND STANZA Email: [email protected] Fan mail & reviews: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2639460/fan_mail/new Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript

Send us Fan Mail #StoriesAndStanza #Septemics #HumanBehaviour #SelfImprovement #EmotionalIntelligence "95% of the problems in industrialised society are because people don't understand people, including themselves." That conviction sits at the heart of Septemics, a system Jim Marshall spent decades building. In this episode, Abhra sits down with Jim to explore his book Septemics: Hierarchies of Human Phenomena. Jim describes Septemics as a philosophical science grounded in direct observation: many human phenomena unfold in sequences of seven levels. The book sets out 35 unique scales, 245 levels in all, covering the problems we face with people. Jim explains three ways to use it. First, as a yardstick for judging whether a group, individual or activity lifts people up or drags them down. Second, as a source of insight once you spot where someone sits on a scale. Third, as a set of gradients for helping yourself or others improve, one level at a time. He shares how the system grew out of his work with hundreds of clients as a human development engineer, why the seven-level structure only became clear to him in 1995, and why he chose to write for everyday readers rather than specialists. Along the way, he applies the scales to relationships, choosing who to go into business with, historical leaders from George Washington to Adolf Hitler, and the difference between criminals and truly destructive people. His argument: once you know someone's level, you can predict their behaviour and steer clear of downscale troublemakers. CHAPTERS 00:00 Why Septemics Exists 04:00 Seven Levels and 35 Scales 21:08 Real World Uses and Reading People 44:33 Reading People by Gradients 50:12 Power and Danger Levels 54:04 Self Improvement and Who Changes ABOUT JIM MARSHALL Jim Marshall is a polymath who has devoted more than 50,000 hours to the study and practice of human potential and development. He received a classical education as an honour student at a Jesuit military prep school, was accepted into engineering school while still a junior, and attended college on an academic scholarship, graduating with a Bachelor of Science cum laude from City University of New York. As an undergraduate, he began studying "alternative" arts and sciences, what today might be called transformational and holistic practices, and went on to become a professional practitioner. After 28 years of formal education, he built a 40-year career as a Human Development Engineer, treating and training hundreds of clients. He has integrated some of the most advanced techniques available and extended them through his own research and discovery, and is the inventor of Septemics and several consciousness-expanding systems. His areas of expertise include psychology, philosophy, theology, parapsychology, science, engineering, mathematics, law, literature, history, music, organisation, metaphysics, military science, political science, physical culture and education. Learn more about Septemics: https://septemics.com If this conversation gave you something to think about, subscribe and follow Stories and Stanza on YouTube or your favourite podcast platform, and share it with someone who's curious about what makes people tick. https://storiesandstanza.com Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show 📩 CONNECT WITH STORIES AND STANZA Email: [email protected] Fan mail & reviews: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2639460/fan_mail/new Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript

Send us Fan Mail GNiYQGXxQongx5BIPosv "This is what it feels like to be alive. Does anybody recognise it?" Dancer and choreographer Alexandra Beller believes that's the question at the heart of all art — and the answer is what makes us feel less alone. In this episode of Stories and Stanza, Alexandra shares 25 years of lived experience inside the creative process — from performing with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company to teaching artists how to trust themselves while creating. We explore why authenticity isn't something you can teach but something you facilitate, how the body holds feelings the mind can't access, why labels can be a form of violence, and what it means to separate who you are from what you make. Alexandra also reads from her upcoming book The Anatomy of Art (Bloomsbury, September 2025) — a field guide for artists blending poetic insight with practical tools for navigating the messy, thrilling terrain of making. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS  00:00 Art and Aloneness  02:00 Meet Alexandra Beller  05:30 Authenticity Through Movement  15:00 Healing Beyond Labels  27:00 The Body Remembers What the Mind Won't Say  34:00 Books and Creative Integrity  38:00 Reading from The Anatomy of Art 44:30 Protecting Authenticity in a Product-Driven World ✍️ ABOUT ALEXANDRA BELLER  Alexandra Beller is a dancer, choreographer, educator, and author with 25 years inside the creative process. She performed with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and has since taught and mentored professional artists, first-time movers, and private clients across the United States. Her work sits at the intersection of creativity and healing — drawing on Laban Movement Analysis, Bartenieff Fundamentals, and somatic practices to help people find their authentic voice through the body. Her upcoming book The Anatomy of Art (Bloomsbury) is a field guide for artists and educators, blending poetic insight with practical tools for navigating creative process, doubt, burnout, and artistic pressure. 🔗 Connect with Alexandra: https://www.alexandrabellerdances.org/ Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/IB7QHTnIpo0 GNiYQGXxQongx5BIPosv Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show 📩 CONNECT WITH STORIES AND STANZA Email: [email protected] Fan mail & reviews: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2639460/fan_mail/new Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript

Send us Fan Mail #WritingAsHealing #PTSD #MentalHealth #StoriesAndStanza #Resilience "I decided I didn't want to be afraid all the time." That one decision changed everything for Nancy Jasin Ensley — and it might change something for you too. In this episode of Stories and Stanza, host Abhra sits down with Nancy — a writer, registered nurse, teacher, and grandmother of fourteen from rural Michigan — for a conversation that moves between the craft of writing and the work of healing. Nancy shares how a difficult childhood marked by PTSD and abandonment shaped her, and why it took her ten to twenty years before she could write her memoir, The Tire Swing. She talks about what it means to find stillness inside the tornado — her metaphor for those moments when life is chaos but you learn to breathe in the centre of it. The conversation explores why childhood PTSD was only recently recognised as distinct, how journaling sustained Nancy through years of caring for parents with dementia, and why she believes writing is for everyone — not just those who publish. Nancy brings her themes to life through her characters: "3B," a half-alien boy who overcomes bullying with nothing but a smile, and the Martians of Indigo 35, who gave up feelings entirely because they believed emotions caused war. She also shares hard-won lessons on writer's block, the realities of editing and self-publishing, and the moment a difficult colleague read her memoir and called her by name for the first time — because behind the name tag, he finally saw a person. The episode closes with Nancy reading "The Tire Swing" — a poem about the choice we all have to ride. 🕐 TIMESTAMPS  00:00 Childhood PTSD Reality  01:10 Podcast Intro Trailer  01:34 Meet Nancy Jasin Ensley  03:24 Early Life and Reading  05:23 Writing as Healing  08:08 Publishing and Craft Lessons  10:56 Themes Across Genres  16:02 Beating Writer's Block  22:10 Resilience and Self-Care  24:33 Fail With Me — Healing  32:36 Authenticity in Storytelling  40:06 Empathy and Mental Health  49:06 The Tire Swing Poem Finale ✍️ ABOUT NANCY JASIN ENSLEY  Nancy is an author, legal nurse consultant, hospice specialist, and teacher who has written across memoir, literary fiction, science fiction, mystery, thriller, action and adventure, and children's literature. Her career in nursing, hospice care, legal consulting, teaching, and supervision has given her deep insight into the human experience — and those experiences inform every story she tells. "I write because it is how I listen. I write because it is how I remember. And by grace, I will keep writing." 🔗 Connect with Nancy: https://nancyjasinensley.com/ Find this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rynjo6P_igI   Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show 📩 CONNECT WITH STORIES AND STANZA Email: [email protected] Fan mail & reviews: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2639460/fan_mail/new Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript

Send us Fan Mail What does it mean when your life looks perfect on the outside but something feels deeply off inside? In this episode of Fail With Me, I sit down with Charu Moorjani — Australian author of The Happiness Pathway, mindset coach, and wellbeing storyteller — for a conversation about what happens when the version of happiness you've been chasing was never actually yours. Charu's turning point came during her honeymoon in Macau, when she was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome and spent a month in ICU on a mechanical ventilator. For the first time, everything went quiet. No expectations, no performance, no pretending. That stillness forced her to confront how disconnected she had become from herself. Later, navigating an emotionally abusive marriage and divorce, journaling became her lifeline — a nightly practice of sitting with her feelings, asking honest questions, and slowly rebuilding who she really was. What I love about this conversation is how practical Charu makes it. This isn't abstract self-help. She walks us through gratitude exercises, mindfulness prompts, the difference between pleasure and fulfilment, and why happiness isn't a destination — it's something you cultivate through daily micro habits and alignment with who you actually are. In this episode, we explore: → Why a life that looks good on paper can feel empty inside  → How an ICU diagnosis became her turning point  → Why journaling works — and what to do if you struggle with it  → The one gratitude practice Charu swears by every night  → Bringing awareness into mundane moments — the coffee exercise  → Steps to heal after a difficult relationship: acknowledge, forgive yourself, forgive the other  → The difference between pleasure and fulfilment  → Why you're not broken if you feel disconnected "I want people to realize they're not broken if they feel disconnected. Maybe they've just been chasing the wrong version of happiness or someone else's version of happiness, and they really don't need permission to create their own." — Charu Moorjani Connect with Charu Moorjani:  Website → thehappinesspathway.com  Instagram → @thehappinesspathway  Book (Amazon) → https://amzn.asia/d/0ibK94gU Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show 📩 CONNECT WITH STORIES AND STANZA Email: [email protected] Fan mail & reviews: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2639460/fan_mail/new Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you pass a mic around a library table and ask four writers why they keep showing up? This is the first ever in-person episode of Stories and Stanza — recorded live at Sam Merrifield Library in Moonee Ponds with the Moonee Valley Writing Group. Frances McKay talks about her published nonfiction Pieces of China and reads from her humorous novel-in-progress Postcards from Paris, about a young Australian au pairing in 1970s Paris. Claire describes turning a redundancy diary into fiction. Katherine reflects on memoir writing, dyslexia, composing music, and finding community. And John shares his journey from retirement into science fiction, reads from his series Rogue Genesis, and talks openly about the path to self-publishing. Together they explore why meeting face-to-face still matters, how honest feedback helps you accept imperfect writing, and what keeps a small group of volunteers returning to the same table month after month. 📣 Join us for the first ever Stories and Stanza live event on 29 August — an in-person discussion with author and journal coach Sarah Rosse about her memoir So, Who Are You Anyway?, exploring identity, motherhood, caregiving, and healing through writing. 🎟️ Register: https://events.humanitix.com/stories-and-stanza-with-sarah-rosse The Moonee Valley Writing Group meets every month second Monday at Sam Merrifield Library, Moonee Ponds — 7:00 PM. Everyone is welcome. Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show 📩 CONNECT WITH STORIES AND STANZA Email: [email protected] Fan mail & reviews: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2639460/fan_mail/new Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Stories and Stanza, host speaks with writer Diana Gunn about her writing journey from starting at age eight and using NaNoWriMo to build discipline and finish projects to publishing five books, including her recent Gothic horror vampire novel Woman of Sorrow and Blood. Gunn discusses planning versus drafting fast, how challenges like NaNoWriMo can help writers start and develop confidence, and why she created the Weeknight Writers community to provide year-round support, especially for marginalized writers. She explains how fantasy and horror offer a safe container to explore trauma, healing, and real-world fears, notes world-building pitfalls, and reads an excerpt from her novel. The conversation also covers drafting-to-editing best practices, beta readers and proofreading, writer’s block as a symptom, and key differences between traditional and self-publishing. 00:00 NaNoWriMo Magic Hook 01:24 Podcast Intro and Guest 02:42 Diana Writing Origins 06:05 NaNoWriMo Planning Tips 09:53 Why Horror and Fantasy 13:07 Classic Horror Metaphors 15:43 Worldbuilding Pitfalls 17:16 Meet Woman of Sorrow 21:00 Cover Art to Draft 22:58 Weeknight Writers Programs 27:36 Why Writers Need Community 30:55 Start Writing When Overwhelmed 35:47 Editing and Beta Readers 41:11 Writer Block Workbook 43:11 Publishing Paths Compared 46:18 Final Thoughts and Goodbye Dianna Gunn decided she wanted to be an author when she was just eight years old. Since then, she's devoted her entire life to not just becoming an author - with six published fantasy and horror books to her name in 2026 - but helping other writers become authors through Weeknight Writers, an organization dedicated to creating virtual events and community spaces for authors. https://weeknightwriters.com/writers-block-buster/ This is where folks can sign up to receive the Writer's Block Buster, a free mini-workbook designed to help people find the root cause of their writer's block so they can get back to work on their stories. Signing up here also signs people up for the Weeknight Writers newsletter so they can learn more about the community. Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show 📩 CONNECT WITH STORIES AND STANZA Email: [email protected] Fan mail & reviews: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2639460/fan_mail/new Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Stories and Stanza, I sit down with writer, musician, and cancer fighter Ray Hartjen to talk about his brand new novel, The Iranian Fiasco — a Tom Clancy-inspired espionage thriller published on April 7th and available wherever books are sold. Ray's story is unlike any I've heard on this show. After being diagnosed with multiple myeloma — an incurable but treatable blood cancer — in 2019, he didn't slow down. Instead, he grabbed life by the shoulders and asked himself one question: "If not now, when?" That question has since fuelled six published books, a shift from nonfiction to fiction, and a deeply fulfilling creative life built around storytelling and music. In our conversation, Ray reads the opening pages of The Iranian Fiasco and introduces us to Tiger Swanson — a CIA operative who is no princess waiting to be rescued. We talk about how he writes in the detailed, research-heavy style of Tom Clancy but for a modern publishing landscape, how he builds real-world locations into his fiction (right down to motorcycle shops in Western Iran you could find on a map), and why he writes without outlines, letting the story flow organically. We also get into the writing discipline that makes it all possible — 500 words a day, tracked in a spreadsheet — and Ray shares honest, practical advice for anyone who has a story inside them but hasn't started writing it yet. This episode spans both my Between the Lines segment, where we explore the craft behind the writing, and Fail With Me, where we go deeper into the human story — because with Ray, the two are inseparable. 📖 BOOKS BY RAY HARTJEN The Iranian Fiasco (2025) — https://rayhartjen.comOutflanked — Espionage ThrillerMe, Myself & My Multiple Myeloma — Cancer Patient MemoirImmaculate: How the Steelers Saved PittsburghThe Indy 500: A Year-Long Quest to Win the Greatest Spectacle in RacingRevenue Orchestration & Today's New Era of B2B Sales and Marketing🔗 CONNECT WITH RAY Website: https://rayhartjen.com Email: [email protected] Social media: @rayhartjen (across platforms) If you are a cancer patient, caregiver, or ally — Ray personally invites you to reach out. He has connected with patients from Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Europe, and across the United States, and considers it the honour of his life. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Podcast Intro and Guest 03:06 Ray's Writing Journey — From Marketing to Six Books 06:13 Cancer Diagnosis to Purpose — The "If Not Now, When?" Moment 19:44 Inside The Iranian Fiasco — Opening Pages Read Aloud 35:00 Writing Advice, Publishing Realities, and Wrap 🎙️ ABOUT STORIES AND STANZA I'm Abhra, and Stories and Stanza is where I amplify the voices of writers, poets, and people with authentic human stories. The show runs two series — Between the Lines (craft and writing) and Fail With Me (wellness, mindset, and emotional intelligence). New episodes drop regularly across YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show 📩 CONNECT WITH STORIES AND STANZA Email: [email protected] Fan mail & reviews: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2639460/fan_mail/new Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript

Send us Fan Mail Relationship coach, YouTube creator, and author Stacy Rocklein joins Stories and Stanza to discuss her mission to eradicate loneliness by helping people feel seen, known, and understood in their relationships. A former math teacher turned coach and author, Stacy shares how finding her purpose led her to this deeply personal work. She reframes failure as a pathway to intimacy when it's felt and shared rather than avoided, and emphasizes emotional "fluency" — sitting with feelings, not just naming them. The conversation explores how unmet needs, childhood wounds, and defense mechanisms shape relationship patterns, why personal wholeness must come before seeking a partner to "fill holes," and how endings can offer painful but valuable growth. Stacy and the host discuss navigating busy lives through small daily moments of connection, the importance of emotional presence during mental health struggles, and how boundaries create safety for vulnerability, trust, and deeper intimacy. She also reads from her book "Forgive Without an Apology: How to Heal, Set Boundaries, and Create Deeper Connections," offering a powerful formula for making peace with your past and moving forward — even without closure from the other person. Whether you're healing from a difficult relationship, trying to deepen the one you're in, or learning to determine who in your life is truly capable of the emotional intimacy you desire, this conversation will meet you where you are. Connect with Stacy Rocklein: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StacyRocklein Book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/jdiPiRk Substack: https://substack.com/@stacyrocklein Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SRocklein Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stacyrocklein/ If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe to Stories and Stanza for more meaningful discussions on creativity, resilience, and the human experience. Follow us on YouTube or any podcast platform. Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show 📩 CONNECT WITH STORIES AND STANZA Email: [email protected] Fan mail & reviews: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2639460/fan_mail/new Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript

Send us Fan Mail #dyslexia #neurodiversity #learningdisability Russell Van Brocklen, the Dyslexia Professor, reveals the writing-based method that helped students jump 8 grade levels in months — at less than 1% of the cost of private dyslexia schools. If your child struggles with reading and writing, this episode could change everything. Russell was flunked by SUNY Buffalo despite earning a recommended A-minus through the NY State Assembly Internship Program — all because of his dyslexia accommodations. Instead of giving up, he set out to solve dyslexia himself. He audited law school, learned to read in a month, and spent 25 years developing a method rooted in how the dyslexic brain actually works. In this conversation, Russell breaks down the brain science behind dyslexia, demonstrates his word analysis and articulation technique live, and shares real results — including a 10-year-old who jumped 8 grade levels in 6 months and a homeschooling mom who solved her son's dyslexia in under 9 months. He also covers why motivation and specialization matter for dyslexia, ADD, and ADHD, and how the craft of research connects directly to mastering AI tools in the workplace. 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on creativity, resilience, and human stories. ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Flunked Internship Sparks Mission 03:37 Law School Breakthrough and Research Program 06:11 Dyslexia Science and Fast Fix Method 19:44 Course Pricing & Access 24:15 Dyslexia Testing Myths 33:24 Advanced Writing Framework 🇦🇺 AUSTRALIAN LISTENERS If you are based in Australia and wish to get Russell's course priced in Australian dollars instead of USD, get in touch with us at [email protected] and we will generate a discount code for you. 📩 Connect with Russell — grab his free ebook and join his newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/dcacd9a6f9ae/3-reasons-ebook Stories and Stanza is a podcast exploring creativity, resilience, and the transformative power of human stories. Through our two series — Between the Lines (creators and craft) and Fail With Me (wellness and life's challenges) — we bring you authentic conversations with inspiring voices from around the world. #ADHD #readingintervention #dyslexiaawareness #specialeducation #parentingtips #homeschooling #writingskills #storiesandstanza Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show 📩 CONNECT WITH STORIES AND STANZA Email: [email protected] Fan mail & reviews: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2639460/fan_mail/new Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript

Send us Fan Mail What if your political identity has less to do with facts and more to do with personality and conditioning? In this episode of Stories and Stanza's Fail With Me series, host Abhra sits down with psychologist Jennifer Cox to unpack the psychology behind political identity — without labeling any side as right or wrong. Using the Big Five (OCEAN) personality framework, they explore research linking higher openness to left-leaning tendencies and higher conscientiousness to right-leaning tendencies, along with how extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism shape political engagement, emotional reactivity, and our vulnerability to filter bubbles. Abhra also shares a personal story of perfectionism, anger, illness, and loss that became a turning point toward curiosity, mindfulness, and creative freedom — connecting emotional intelligence and openness in a very human way. The conversation moves into belonging, unpacking the real origins (and modern misuse) of "Maslow's hierarchy of needs," and how political movements weaponize in-group/out-group fear. The episode closes with a preview of future topics: immigration, intergenerational trauma, and gender fluidity. If you're interested in political psychology, emotional intelligence, personality theory, or how conditioning shapes belief systems, this episode is for you. Jennifer earned her minor in creative writing from Alfred University in 2016. As a pansexual genderflux individual and a trauma-informed mental health counsellor, they’re passionate about representation in fiction. Each story she tells is an opportunity to explore the beauty in nonconformity, healing, and diversity. After a lifetime of putting imagination to paper, Jennifer’s debut novel, Getting to Know You, came into being as a promise kept to a friend. Jennifer lives in the Finger Lakes with her family, enjoying tabletop roleplaying games, sewing, and cuddling their cat. Find her books here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4BKKR3Nhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXVRTG15 Timestamps 00:00 Failure Sparks Change 01:15 Podcast Intro 01:39 Meet Jennifer Cox 04:11 Episode Focus: Political Identity 06:51 EQ Measurement Challenges 11:29 Big Five (OCEAN) Overview 14:11 Host's Turning Point Story 20:37 From Rigidity to Politics 22:42 Openness and Left-Leaning Tendencies 24:12 Conscientiousness and Right-Leaning Tendencies 26:07 Extraversion, Agreeableness & Neuroticism 31:44 Filter Bubbles and Disengagement 34:16 Conditioning Limits Curiosity 38:58 Belonging and Maslow Reframed 45:52 Politics Weaponizes Belonging 49:58 Immigration and Generational Views 53:20 Intergenerational Trauma and Identity 58:05 Wrap-Up and Where to Follow Listen and Subscribe YouTube: https://yt.openinapp.co/ii389 Spotify: https://spotify.openinapp.co/storiesandstanza Apple Podcasts: https://apple.openinapp.link/u3ui2 Substack (full write-up): storiesandstanza.substack.com#PoliticalPsychology #EmotionalIntelligence #BigFive #PersonalityTraits #FilterBubbles #MentalHealthPodcast #FailWithMe #StoriesAndStanza Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show 📩 CONNECT WITH STORIES AND STANZA Email: [email protected] Fan mail & reviews: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2639460/fan_mail/new Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript

Send us Fan Mail We know our love languages. We've read about attachment styles. We've even set boundaries. So why do we still struggle to stay connected when conflict hits? In this episode of Stories and Stanza, Laziena Hodge — relational intelligence speaker and creator of the Relationship Repair Language framework — joins Abhra to unpack what actually happens inside us during conflict, and why knowing your patterns isn't the same as knowing how to repair. Laziena shares her deeply personal journey — from generational trauma and family separation to rebuilding her relationship with her children through curiosity, emotional honesty, and a willingness to get it wrong. What emerged from that lived experience is a practical framework that gives people a language for their emotional needs in the moments that matter most. Together, they explore why most relationship struggles aren't about a lack of love, but a lack of skill. Why emotional presence matters more than having the right answer. Why we carry unresolved wounds into every new relationship. And why sitting at the table with curiosity — instead of blame — can change everything. This conversation is for anyone who has ever wondered why they keep repeating the same patterns, why their reactions feel bigger than the moment, or why repair feels so hard even when the love is still there. 🔗 CONNECT WITH LAZIENA Website: https://laziena.com 📖 WHAT WE EXPLORE 00:00 Trauma and Emotional Impact 02:30 Origins of Repair Language 14:19 Presence Without Burnout 43:22 Breaking Relationship Cycles 44:52 Healing Tools and Inner Child 50:41 Reading from the book: "The Breakdown Before the Breakthrough" 📌 If this conversation resonated with you, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who might need to hear it. #RelationshipRepair #EmotionalIntelligence #RelationalIntelligence #AttachmentStyles #InnerChildHealing #ConflictResolution #HealthyRelationships #MentalHealthPodcast #StoriesAndStanza #FailWithMe #LazienaHodge #EmotionalNeeds #HealingRelationships #SelfAwareness #GenerationalTrauma #RelationshipAdvice Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show 📩 CONNECT WITH STORIES AND STANZA Email: [email protected] Fan mail & reviews: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2639460/fan_mail/new Wish to read about the episodes in advance or need a recap? Find us on 👉 SubStack. 📌 Follow us: YouTube | Facebook | X | Instagram ☕ Buy me a coffee 🛠️ Tools we love: vidIQ · Descript