True Fiction Project Podcast Por Reenita Hora arte de portada

True Fiction Project

True Fiction Project

De: Reenita Hora
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The True Fiction Project is an unscripted-to-scripted podcast series that explores the journey of a story from non-fiction to fiction. It showcases the art of audio storytelling to explore how scripted fiction is inspired by our daily life, and it explores how audio storytelling can spark interesting IP that can be further developed for other media. Join our host Reenita Hora, as she conducts audio interviews with guests from all walks of life that have interesting stories. A fiction writer then listens to the interview, defines a main character inspired by it, and creates a piece of short audio fiction based on it. The episode pieces together the interview (non-fiction), the audio story + the print version (both fiction). Learn more at https://reenita.com/podcasts/true-fiction-project/

2023 Reenita Hora Arte Historia y Crítica Literaria
Episodios
  • S7 Ep 10 - The Last Spirits of Manhattan

    S7 Ep 10 - The Last Spirits of Manhattan
    Mar 31 2026
    What happens when Alfred Hitchcock, Manhattan ghost stories, and a family legend collide? In this episode, debut novelist John McDermott reveals how he crafted The Last Spirits of Manhattan from a true event where Hitchcock rented his ancestor's decaying house for a celebrity-studded party. McDermott shares insights into the fiction writing process, navigating permissions for historical fiction featuring real figures, and why he added actual family ghosts to crash Hitchcock's 1956 soiree. From his publishing journey with Simon and Schuster to teaching undergraduates at Stephen F. Austin State University, McDermott offers invaluable lessons on creative writing and perseverance. Tune in to hear the chilling opening of The Last Spirits of Manhattan where Snug, a ghost trapped in the coal room, stirs as a new venture begins.What You’ll Learn in This Episode: How to balance historical fiction writing accuracy with poetic license when featuring real celebrities like Alfred Hitchcock, Henry Fonda, and Charles Addams as characters in your supernatural fiction.The importance of literary research in crafting authentic period pieces, including navigating copyright permissions, advertising archives, and biographical sources when developing your novel.Strategies for incorporating family history and personal anecdotes into creative writing, as demonstrated by McDermott's transformation of a Manhattan ghost story family legend into a publishable manuscript.The reality of the publishing journey, including the persistence required through finding the right agent and working with major publishers like Simon and Schuster.Subscribe to Reenita’s Storytelling Den on Substack for free at https://substack.com/@reenitahora and to her YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode! https://www.youtube.com/@reenymal.Check out her website to stay up-to-date on events, book releases and more! https://reenita.com/.TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 A story inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 party at John McDermott's great aunt's Manhattan house 02:30 Discussion of McDermott's family roots from Wisconsin to Texas and his role at Stephen F Austin State University's creative writing program04:48 Exploring the marriage plot as an inciting incident and how poetic license shapes historical fiction writing 06:03 Navigating permissions and copyright issues when featuring deceased celebrities like Henry Fonda and Charles Addams in fiction09:45 The addition of supernatural fiction elements, including family ghost stories and getting this novel published 15:32 An excerpt from The Last Spirits of Manhattan prologue introducing the blue girl ghost who hangs out in the coal roomKEY TAKEAWAYS: Historical fiction success requires extensive literary research to capture authentic voices and settings, but the magic happens when authors blend documented facts with imaginative storytelling through careful poetic license.The publishing journey for a debut novel often spans decades with multiple manuscript attempts. McDermott's 20-year persistence and four complete manuscripts before finding success with Simon and Schuster demonstrate that timing, craft improvement, and presenting the right idea to the right people all matter.Creative writing drawn from family history creates deeply personal and compelling narratives. By weaving real family members who died from the Spanish influenza into his Manhattan ghost stories, McDermott transforms historical research into emotionally resonant supernatural fiction.ABOUT THE GUEST: John A. McDermott was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. He now serves on the board of directors for the Writers’ League of Texas and teaches creative writing at Stephen F. Austin State University. Before teaching, he worked as an actor, bartender, house painter, and advertising copywriter. He lives in Nacogdoches with his wife and teenage daughter.RESOURCES MENTIONED: John A McDermott - WebsiteJohn A McDermott - LinkedInJohn A McDermott - FacebookThe Last Spirits of Manhattan - InstagramBook Shop - WebsiteAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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    19 m
  • S7 Ep 9 - Get Up and Get it

    S7 Ep 9 - Get Up and Get it
    Mar 17 2026

    What does it look like when a woman refuses to be put in a box? On the True Fiction Project, host Reenita Hora sits down with the fearless Keldamuzik Diva, a singer, songwriter, actress, and fashion designer whose life is the ultimate blueprint for women's empowerment. Keldamuzik shares how she went from childhood auditions to starring in films, performing in live theater, launching her beret collection Tamz, and hosting her own fashion shows, all while building a fiercely independent brand. Her story is proof that creative entrepreneurship has no ceiling. Tune in to hear Keldamuzik Diva deliver a powerful verse from her song "Get Up and Get It," a bold declaration of independence and self-sufficiency for women everywhere. Listen here to stream her music


    What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

    Why women's empowerment and financial independence go hand in hand, and how Keldamuzik Diva's music speaks directly to women who are building lives on their own terms as independent artists and entrepreneurs.

    How a multifaceted artist can successfully manage a music career, an acting career, and a fashion line simultaneously without sacrificing quality or passion, even when industry insiders say otherwise.

    What it truly takes to succeed in the entertainment industry as a creative entrepreneur, from navigating auditions and live theater to launching a product line and hosting your own fashion shows.

    How personal branding in the entertainment industry requires more than one skill set, and why having your hands in multiple areas of performing arts can actually strengthen rather than dilute your brand.


    Subscribe to Reenita’s Storytelling Den on Substack for free at https://substack.com/@reenitahora and to her YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode! https://www.youtube.com/@reenymal

    Check out her website to stay up-to-date on events, book releases and more! https://reenita.com/


    TIMESTAMPS:

    00:00 Keldamuzik on why the entertainment industry demands a strong personal brand and multifaceted creative approach

    01:56 Keldamuzik explains how she ignored industry advice to specialize and instead pursued creative entrepreneurship across multiple fields

    04:34 Kelda discusses how acting came first, from childhood auditions to co-starring in the live stage play How Black Mothers Say I Love You

    06:32 Living in California and having a song on The Housewives of Atlanta

    08:05 Keldamuzik describes her beret collection, Tams, her inclusive fashion shows, and her upcoming glitter lipstick line

    10:12 Keldamuzik shares the women empowerment message behind her song "Get Up and Get It" and performs a verse live


    KEY TAKEAWAYS:

    💎 The entertainment industry is crowded, and the most resilient creatives are those who build a distinct personal brand by developing skills across multiple disciplines rather than limiting themselves to one lane.

    💎 True women's empowerment is not just a message in a song. For Keldamuzik Diva, it is a lived practice: she earns her own income, produces her own shows, creates her own fashion line, and answers to no one but herself.

    💎 Launching a beret collection and hosting inclusive fashion shows that welcome customers of all heights, weights, and backgrounds is Keldamuzik's way of dismantling traditional gatekeeping in the fashion world and making space for every woman to shine.


    ABOUT THE GUEST:

    Keldamuzik is a multifaceted artist known for her international touring, music placements on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and an acting role in the film "First Date," available for streaming on Hulu. In addition to her accomplishments in the entertainment industry, she has launched her own beret line, Tamz, and is involved in producing fashion shows.


    Keldamuzik - Website

    Get Up and Get It

    ‎Keldamuzik - Apple Music

    https://weartamz.com/



    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

    Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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    15 m
  • S7 Ep 8 -  Freefall: A Divine Comedy

    S7 Ep 8 -  Freefall: A Divine Comedy
    Feb 24 2026
    Memoir writing blurs the line between truth and imagination in this revealing conversation with Lily MacKenzie. We explore how creative writing techniques shape both fiction narrative and personal stories, as Lily explains her unique approach: "you lie in the service of the truth." The prolific author, with works published in over 170 venues, teaches writing dialogue, narrative structure, and storytelling techniques at the University of San Francisco's Fromm Institute for older adults. Discover why age matters, and doesn't matter, in the writing community, and what connects memoir to traditional storytelling. Hear an excerpt from Freefall: A Divine Comedy where Tilly, an installation artist approaching 60, confronts her anxieties about aging and finances in San Francisco.What You’ll Learn in This Episode: How memoir writing employs storytelling techniques identical to fiction, including writing dialogue that reconstructs past conversations through imagination in writing and memory recreation.Why traditional narrative structure rules can be broken in favor of fragmented, non-chronological approaches that create compelling conversations between different life stages.The distinction, or lack thereof, between memoir writing and historical fiction, and how both genres recreate time periods through similar creative writing processes.How the writing community serves older adults by providing audience, connection, and purpose while preserving family legacies through literary arts.Subscribe to Reenita’s Storytelling Den on Substack for free at https://substack.com/@reenitahora and to her YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode! https://www.youtube.com/@reenymalCheck out her website to stay up-to-date on events, book releases and more! https://reenita.com/TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Memoir writing and the concept of lying in the service of truth with creative writing techniques03:30 Does age affect readership and character development in novels featuring women over 6005:51 Why writing community and memoir writing appeal to older demographics seeking legacy preservation07:07 Exploring narrative structure and making a comparison to historical fiction10:58 Inspiration behind the Freefall: A Divine Comedy novel about four women writers reuniting in Whistler and Venice15:09 Reading excerpt from Freefall: A Divine Comedy featuring installation artist Tilly confronting aging and financial anxietyKEY TAKEAWAYS: Memoir writing succeeds by "lying in the service of truth," using creative writing techniques like scene construction, imagery, and writing dialogue to recreate authentic experiences from imperfect memory recreation.Narrative structure doesn't require chronological order or traditional story arcs; fragmented approaches can create powerful juxtapositions between life stages, allowing pieces to "talk to each other or clash."Writing community for older adults serves multiple purposes beyond skill development, creating audiences for each other's stories and fostering connections through shared memoir writing experiences.ABOUT THE GUEST: Lily Iona MacKenzie has published poetry, essays, and short stories in over 170 venues. She’s also published four novels: Fling!, Curva Peligrosa, Free Fall: A Divine Comedy, and The Ripening: A Canadian Girl Grows Up, a sequel to Free Fall and two poetry collections: All This and California Dreaming. Shanti Arts Publishing released her hybrid memoir Dreaming Myself into Old Age: One Woman’s Search for Meaning on 9/19/23. She blogs at http://lilyionamackenzie.com and teaches creative writing at the University of San Francisco's Fromm Institute for Lifelong Learning.RESOURCES MENTIONED: Lily MacKenzie - WebsiteLily MacKenzie - LinkedInLily MacKenzie - FacebookLily MacKenzie - Business FacebookLily MacKenzie - TwitterLily MacKenzie - InstagramFree Fall - A Divine Comedy - Website Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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    22 m
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