Presentations/Workshops

When you learn something, it becomes a part of you. No one can take that away. When you share what you learn, you give the gift of legacy. And legacies are forever.

You Can DO IT

 You Can Shine


 LISTEN UP, WRITER
How to Not Write Like an Amateur​
Writer Education Series

Find Joy and Purpose in Writing—encourages writers to take a fresh look at why they write and to develop a definition of success that taps into innate talents and that is achievable.

Tap into Craft—The Road to Authorship—reveals common craft mistakes writers make—the ones that shout amateur.

Get the Most Out of Revision, Editing, and Proofing—ensures a writer produces work that is impressive enough to compete in the writing marketplace.

Nail the Structure—Beginnings, Endings, and In Between—covers how to write compelling beginnings and endings and how to keep the middle from slumping.

Write with Voice, Style, and Humor—shows writers how to find personal voice and style so their writing stands out from other writers, delights readers, and impresses publishers.

Capture Life through Memoir—Writing the Hard Stuff—shows how to write a captivating life story, how to write about difficult times and flawed characters, how to decide what to put in and what to leave out, and how to print and publish.

Create Compelling Nonfiction—covers writing principles that apply to various categories of nonfiction (biography/memoir, instructional, self-help, essay, inspirational, illustrative). Writing tips that apply to other genres and publishing options are included.

Apply Winning Strategies to Writing Contests—demonstrates how to be more competitive in contests and how to strategically select them. Key tips increase the odds of winning.

Evaluate Printing, Publishing, and Marketing Options—discloses nuances of the industry and describes the pros and cons of various publishing strategies so writers can make sound, informed decisions.- Find Joy and Purpose In Writing.

These presentations are designed for either presentations at writers’ conferences and writers groups or for 3 to 4 hour workshops, but they can be customized.

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BOOK READINGS


As a humorist, Hanna's book readings are perfect for book clubs and luncheon or evening programs. Topics from her books include:


        - Red Heels and Smokin’, (comedic memoir)

        - Out of Iowa—Into Oklahoma, (memoir)

        - Capture Life–Write a Life Story, (the "gift" of life stories) 

        - Hey, Kids, Watch This (how to go "beyond" aging well)

        - Leadership Savvy, (how to be a standout leader)

        - Write Whatever the Hell You Want (finding joy in writing)

        - Achieving Authorship (the craft of writing)

        

Being passionate about something makes you feel as though you are enough just by being. Nothing else is needed to define you. Sharing that passion with others promotes a sense of purpose, and sharing is the path to mattering. . . .Nikki Hanna


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WHY YOU WRITE–FINDING JOY AND PURPOSE IN WRITING


This presentation focuses on the emotional influences of being a writer and is perfect for writers' conferences and writers' groups. Novel approaches to writing are revealed that give participants a deeper understanding of why they write. Not everyone is going to “sell lots of books and make lots of money.” Narrowly focusing on that goal produces frustrated writers.


Hanna does not discourage that dream, but she does suggest that writers supplement this dream by exploring alternative pathways to achievement and fulfillment. They learn how to: (1) Redefine success, (2) Identify a niche that is compatible with innate talents, (3) Discover options that are energizing and rewarding, and (4) Convert writing talent into a gift to others. These actions interject a sense of purpose into the writing process. They generate joy.


This session also reveals strategies that give writers an edge and increase the odds of winning contests and being successful at submissions. Valuable tips on mastering “the craft of writing” show how polish makes all the difference in outcomes. With the fresh perspectives and the enhanced skills that this presentation introduces, writers discover new ways to shine and achieve the expert status of authorship. What a fabulous accomplishing–authorship.


Hanna also has information for writers on how to cultivate voice and humor as well as how to write about difficult subjects.


I define success as: "I wrote it, I shared it, and someone enjoyed it. With that definition, I am successful when the words flow. I cannot fail.". . .Nikki Hanna 


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CAPTURE LIFE—WRITE A LIFE STORY


This program can be a presentation, but it works best as a workshop with at least four, two-hour sessions. This experience encourages an appreciation for sharing life stories. Hands-on writing and critiquing processes prove that anyone can write. With the confidence to translate life experiences into stories rich with meaning, participants are equipped to give the gift of legacy through the chronicling of life. They will:

          

          -explore approaches, style, and structure of stories

          -learn details of the craft of writing
          -discover writing tools/technology

          -learn how to incorporate photos
          -identify sources of information/interview techniques
          -format and organize stories into a memoir
          -design a cover and print, publish, and copyright 


It is not important that you have the perfect book. It is just important that you have one. A flawed memoir has a charm all its own. It reflects the essence of the person who wrote it.

. . .Nikki Hanna         


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HOW TO GO "BEYOND" AGING WELL


This presentation is a delightful, inspirational romp through the world of aging. Hanna makes the topic entertaining, enlightening, and inspirational. Generation gaps, grandparenting, technology quagmires, and age-related goof-ups are portrayed. Participants learn how to find a sense of purpose and live in a way that inspires others so the young do not dread their own futures.


In a workshop setting, a broad range of aging issues are explored in depth. Subjects include relevance, purpose, learning, finding a tribe, simplifying life, writing a memoir, and romance. Coping strategies are proposed in the areas of health/fitness, technology, the gradual decline, and those suddenly-one-moment incidents that change everything. Both blissful aging experiences and tough end-of-life subjects are explored. Participants learn how to give the gift of a good goodbye no matter what happens. Humor and positive, hopeful perspectives embellish this workshop and make it an upbeat, buoyant experience.


I was in a foul mood at my senior line-dancing class and contemplated leaving at the break. Then, I noticed a woman in a wheelchair wistfully watching the dancers. A sense of my ungratefulness slammed into me–hard. I decided to stay. The music seemed more vibrant, my dancer compadres more precious, and my world more remarkable. And I danced my heart out. . . .Nikki Hanna 

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LEADERSHIP SAVVY


This presentation shows how to stand out as a leader, promote employee loyalty, and build an energized workforce. Ten common leadership mistakes, ten management myths, and five keys to career success are revealed. Concrete, proven strategies designed to make both participants and their organizations more productive and successful are introduced. Hanna's expansive experience in corporate America has given her an acute awareness of the path to exceptional leadership. She has lived the strategies proposed and articulates them in a candid, quotable manner that inspires and enlightens.


Putting it all on the line when your gut and logic tell you it is the right thing to do and the right time to do it–well, there is just nothing else like it. . . .Nikki Hanna


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WONDERFUL NESTS


How does your home make you feel when you enter? Does it rise up to greet you? This presentation reveals how to simplify your environment and assure that your house greets you warmly when you enter and snuggles you while you are there. Participants learn how to find and articulate a vision for their home–how they want it to look and feel–and how to achieve that vision. They discover the inner peace their environment delivers and the gift it bestows to others when it is consciously created.


A reviewer of a home tour wrote this critique: 'It was a unique, suave, urban style home so sophisticated that I didn't know whether to order a martini or to get the heck out of there before I broke something.''. . .Nikki Hanna


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WOMEN'S ISSUES


This is a comedic program that also reveals strong, inspirational messages on topics from body issues, parenting, careers, and relationships. It also touches on how to write about the hard stuff–the bad. This playful but powerful program is guaranteed to entertain and enlighten women and to perhaps take men to a level of confusion they have never before experienced. And that may be a good thing. Maybe.


Never take a jewel from your crown because someone else feels inadequate. And never let someone else's big passion belittle your own. . . .Nikki Hanna


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ACHIEVING AUTHORSHIP


This program is powerful and can be done as a workshop session or as a speech. It show writers how to:


     -Discover Why You Write

     -Tap into Your Strengths

     -Identify Your Niche

     -Find Your Voice and Style

     -Master the Craft of Writing

     -Manage Emotional Challenges

     -Be Bold and Brave

     -Write the Hard Stuff


Be brave. Find your own crazy-wonderful, unique sweet spot in the world. Don't let anyone else define success for you. Define it your way, and shine. . . .Nikki Hanna 



Customized programs are available. Contact:


Nikki Hanna

​918-770-8016

neqhanna@sbcglobal.net