{"podcast":{"title":"Stories from Real Life","slug":"stories-from-real-life-6457238","podcast_index_feed_id":6457238,"rss_url":"https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/5489964.rss","website_url":"https://storiesfromreallife.substack.com/podcast","image_url":"https://substackcdn.com/feed/podcast/5489964/e074fde7666b6b2ea00f08cc4ecfb237.jpg","author":"Melvin E. Edwards","episode_count":206,"summary":"Stories from Real Life is a heartwarming and surprising podcast where real people share the twists, turns, and laugh-out-loud moments that make life beautifully unpredictable.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-09T18:17:14.876396+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-from-real-life-6457238"},"episode":{"title":"Ep. 189 - Alison Gieschen: Sail On","slug":"ep-189-alison-gieschen-sail-on","published_at":"2026-02-17T09:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-from-real-life-6457238/ep-189-alison-gieschen-sail-on","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-from-real-life-6457238","url":"https://storiesfromreallife.substack.com/p/ep-189-alison-gieschen-sail-on","audio_url":"https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/187536050/ad838b2efd1df8807da0f3d4a1f6c697.mp3","summary":"Show Notes (Bullet Points) 🔸 Key Topics Covered * Alison’s journey from running a horse farm and teaching to sailing around the world. * How her early passion for adventure propelled her toward blue-water sailing. * The creative process of writing while essentially living on the ocean. * The role of resilience, fear, and personal transformation in challenging environments. * Storytelling techniques that draw inspiration from real world experiences and mythic imagination. * Practical tips for listeners dreaming of their own reinvention — whether through travel, writing, or life change. 🔸 Books & Projects Mentioned * Blue Ridge – Award-winning novel influenced by lifetime experience with people and place. * The Legend of Altor & Julia’s Vaulting Dream – Children’s and middle-grade fiction inspired by equestrian roots. * Riding the Waves of Reality: Tales of Turmoil and Triumph – Nonfiction sailing memoir. * The Seven – A sweeping novel blending fantasy with deep human themes of judgment, connection, and redemption. * Upcoming title: Seanna – Mermaid Tales (children’s ocean-themed fiction). Alison Gieschen's Website Stories from Real Life Get full access to Melvin E. Edwards at storiesfromreallife.substack.com/subscribe","meta_description":"Show Notes (Bullet Points) 🔸 Key Topics Covered * Alison’s journey from running a horse farm and teaching to sailing around the world. * How her early pas…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2315,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/stories-from-real-life-6457238/episodes/ep-189-alison-gieschen-sail-on/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/stories-from-real-life-6457238/ep-189-alison-gieschen-sail-on.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}