Shows
Byte Sized Blessings253: Interview: Ronika Merl ~ The Magic of Guardian Angels!Ronika is a powerhouse, everyone, and not only because she is doing ground breaking work in Ireland, changing people's lives, but also because she never quits!
We met through another podcaster and the first time we hung out over Zoom she was in her car...and I come to find out that she, like me, at the time, was house-less and on the road, going from one place to another. Well, needless to say, that did a whole lot to cement our bond, and helped me to understand her resilience. (but more on resilience and Ronika's thoughts on...2025-06-291h 00Byte Sized BlessingsByte: Ronika Merl ~ The Magic of Guardian Angels!Ronika is a powerhouse, everyone, and not only because she is doing ground breaking work in Ireland, changing people's lives, but also because she never quits!
We met through another podcaster and the first time we hung out over Zoom she was in her car...and I come to find out that she, like me, at the time, was house-less and on the road, going from one place to another. Well, needless to say, that did a whole lot to cement our bond, and helped me to understand her resilience. (but more on resilience and Ronika's thoughts on t...2025-06-2912 min
A Little Less Fear Podcast with Dr. Lino MartinezEP 291: Peace, Power, Purpose, Persistence with Award-Winning Screenwriter, Director, and Literary Author Ronika MerlIn this episode, Ronika Merl shares her personal life journey, overcoming sex trafficking to becoming an award-winning screenwriter, director, and literary author. What did she have to do to become who she is today? Below are some take-away-quotes from the episode:" Do I have peace? Where can I find it?"" Do I have purpose? Where can I find it?""Do I have power? Where can I find it?""Do I have persistence? Where can I find it?""Be careful with what you want, because you will get it."2025-06-181h 05
The Pursuit of Freedom87: Dancing with Trauma and Our Journey Towards Healing with Ronika MerlIn this episode, I sit down with Ronika Merl for a deep conversation about storytelling, trauma, and the messy, nonlinear path to healing. We talk about how sharing our stories helps us process pain, why acceptance is a huge part of personal growth, and the power of authentic connections. Ronika shares her take on aging as a privilege and why freedom means living life at your own pace, without society’s expectations weighing you down. This conversation is a reminder that our experiences, both good and bad, shape who we are, and that storytelling is one of th...2025-04-211h 11
Soul-led Creative Women with Sam HortonHealing from the Unthinkable and Thriving Through Art | Ronika MerlSend us a textFOR EPISODE LINKS & MORE INFO VISIT: https://samhorton.co/blog/ep44In this deeply moving episode, Sam Horton welcomes the incredible Ronika Merl, a woman whose life story reads like an epic novel. From her beginnings in an Indigenous goat-herding mountain tribe in the Himalayas to living on the streets of Vienna, surviving human trafficking, and ultimately becoming a screenwriter, activist, and mentor for women who have experienced domestic abuse—Ronika’s journey is one of resilience, transformation, and empowerment.Through candid and raw storytelling, Roni...2025-03-1644 minSoul-led Creative Women with Sam HortonHealing from the Unthinkable and Thriving Through Art | Ronika MerlSend us a textFOR EPISODE LINKS & MORE INFO VISIT: https://samhorton.co/blog/ep44In this deeply moving episode, Sam Horton welcomes the incredible Ronika Merl, a woman whose life story reads like an epic novel. From her beginnings in an Indigenous goat-herding mountain tribe in the Himalayas to living on the streets of Vienna, surviving human trafficking, and ultimately becoming a screenwriter, activist, and mentor for women who have experienced domestic abuse—Ronika’s journey is one of resilience, transformation, and empowerment.Through candid and raw storytelling, Roni...2025-03-1644 min
The Wandering MikeWW28 Ronika Merl: Stories, Survival & Speaking the UnspeakableIn this web wandering I sit down with Ronika Merl.From an indigenous tribe to the film festival stage, Ronika’s journey is as harrowing as it is inspiring.You can find out more about Ronika on her website:https://www.ronikamerl.comYou can also follow her on Instagram and YouTube:https://www.instagram.com/ronika.merlhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0OguMaETCeZ-cnDcneObfwThe episode was recorded at Tahuna Pod Hostel in Queenstown.https://www.instagra...2025-02-261h 26
You're Worthless. Read that again. The Juxtaposition of Your Very SoulS2 #17 Breaking the Silence: Ronika's Fight Against Abuse[S2 #17 Breaking the Silence: Ronika's Fight Against Abuse]
In this conversation, Ronika Merl shares her remarkable journey from a challenging upbringing to becoming an award-winning screenwriter and director. She discusses her experiences with sexual violence, the importance of healing, and how education has played a crucial role in her recovery. Ronika emphasizes the need for resilience and the power of storytelling as a means of processing trauma. The conversation highlights the significance of accepting change and the ongoing journey of personal growth. In this conversation, Ronika Merl shares her insights on acceptance, healing, and...2025-01-151h 01
Couple O' NukesThe Multiple Lives We Live: Trauma, Toxic Relationships, And CreativitySend us a textToday's episode is a heavy one but with plenty of laughs along the way.Joining me from all the way in Ireland, Ronika Merl- activist, artists, screenwriter, and poet- sits down with me to discuss trauma and the lives we live. She, herself, has lived quite a few.The episode starts with Ronika sharing about her upbringing, where she lived two drastically different lives, both of them having there own issues.From there, we get into a discussion on the fear of loss, pivoting toward what we...2025-01-061h 07
Inner Peace, Better HealthFrom Darkness to Light: Healing Through Art and Storytelling with Ronika MerlEpisode Summary:
In this compelling episode of Inner Peace, Better Health, host Arick welcomes Ronika Merl, an award-winning screenwriter, director, poet, and Artistic Director of the Wicklow Stories Film Festival. Veronica shares her extraordinary journey of survival and resilience, from enduring human trafficking to using storytelling as a lifeline for healing and self-discovery. She discusses how her creative expression helped her navigate immense challenges, including her poignant children's story, The Monster Called Loneliness, which became a mirror to her own emotional struggles. Together, Arick and Ronika explore the transformative power of art as a tool for empowerment...2024-12-3116 min
The Mindful LivingFrom Darkness to Light: The Healing Power of Creativity with Ronika MerlEpisode Summary:
In this deeply moving episode, we hear from Ronika Merl, an award-winning screenwriter, director, and poet, whose journey from the Himalayas to Ireland has been nothing short of extraordinary. Despite enduring unthinkable hardships, including human trafficking and abuse, Ronika has used her experiences to fuel her creative expression and advocate for healing through storytelling. Join us as she shares her raw and transformative journey of survival and how mindfulness and creativity became essential tools for her recovery.
About the Guest:
Ronika Merl is a multifaceted creative force, known for her work as a screenwriter, director...2024-12-3028 min
The Other Side of FearI Was Trafficked | with Ronika MerlText our show Key Takeaways:- The reality of human trafficking is that it doesn’t always look like human trafficking. - The psychological restraints we often allow to determine our self worth and our path in life- many times unknowingly. In many cases, psychological constraints can prevent physical escape from abuse. But posing the question 'Why didn't you leave?' is toxic and harmful.- The importance of small moments and how they can overtime, create big transformation. This episode sheds light on the realities of human t...2024-11-151h 26
Phantom Electric GhostPhantom Electric Ghost Podcast With Ronika Merl Screenwriter and Poet, Activist and ArtistPhantom Electric Ghost Podcast With Ronika Merl Screenwriter and Poet, Activist and Artist
Ronika is an award-winning screenwriter. She also directs, and runs the Wicklow Stories Film Festival.
Having placed highly in both the Academy Nicholl Fellowship as well as the Austin Film Festival in 2019, she has since expanded her slate to contain more than 22 feature-length scripts. She has lectured at Griffith College in Dublin, Ireland and has given multiple workshops in Ireland and the UK. Her latest work, Matriarchy is a film and TV adaptation of Mary Mackey’s...2024-10-151h 11
Famous Interviews with Joe DiminoScreenwriter, Poet, Activist & Artist Ronika MerlWelcome to a new edition of the Famous Interviews with Joe Dimino series .. On this episode, we talk with Screenwriter, Poet, Activist & Artist Ronika Merl .. She is an award-winning screenwriter who also directs, and runs the Wicklow Stories Film Festival. Having placed highly in both the Academy Nicholl Fellowship as well as the Austin Film Festival in 2019, she has since expanded her slate to contain more than 22 feature-length scripts. She has lectured at Griffith College in Dublin, Ireland and has given multiple workshops in Ireland and the UK. Her latest work, Matriarchy is a film and TV adaptation of...2024-10-0628 min
Dream Chasers and EccentricsRonika Merl, the Gorgeous Spark of CreativityRonika is an award-winning screenwriter. She also directs, and runs the Wicklow Stories Film Festival. Having placed highly in both the Academy Nicholl Fellowship as well as the Austin Film Festival in 2019, she has since expanded her slate to contain more than 22 feature-length scripts. She has lectured at Griffith College in Dublin, Ireland and has given multiple workshops in Ireland and the UK. Her latest work, Matriarchy is a film and TV adaptation of Mary Mackey’s best-selling novel series “Earthsong,” which is being produced by Chainsaw Europe. She is also the artistic director of the Wi...2024-10-031h 11
Press Play and SurrenderRonika MerlI chat to Wicklow-based writer/director Ronika Merl about her background, her screenwriting process and her upcoming debut feature "The Closing".2023-03-2035 min
Create Art PodcastCommentary Hospitality
Being Hospitable
Creating is not a one-way street, you need to make others feel welcome in your space. Being hospitable is today's theme, I'll be talking about ways to welcome others into your space and create a community by just being hospitable. I am pushing myself to higher and more transparent levels. My wife gave me a box of cards for the holidays in 2022. I was puzzled because they were creativity cards and I thought, what the heck is this, I don't need them. Well, folks, I was wrong and I will attempt to do...2023-02-2047 minCreate Art PodcastWrap-Up for 2022, How Did We Do?
Benefits of Looking Back
I am in a celebratory mood for this episode and allow me to tell you why. So, I started this podcast back on Nov 30th, 2019, right before the pandemic hit, so you could consider this a pandemic project podcast. But in reality, this was a rebrand from my old show KDOI Podcasting where I was talking with artists and doing projects, and commenting on what art means to me. All of this was done to encourage you to get into the arts and provide you with a place to share your work. In these three...2022-12-1912 min
52 Jokers Wild”Wonderful to work with” In The Room with 52 Jokers Wild.Over the week Garvin and George have interviewed some very talented people. In this episode, we take another opportunity to mashup some of our previous interviews to see where there were links between conversations. We revisit chats with Stephen Ford, Ronika Merl, Myia Elliot, Aidan O'Sullivan, and Sinead Cassidy Holt who share their aspirations for writing, acting and directing. We find common themes. Yes, we all have to make money but at the same time, we all want to develop our craft and find ways of working in collaboration with some amazing people who share our passion for filmmaking...2022-03-0341 min
WRITING FOR NO-BUDGET FILMSThis where it all starts. With an idea, a character or a story. From there we expand and create the background to a world where this story lives and where the characters travel through. On this episode I talk to the very creative, Ronika Merl, a professional writer, producer and lecturer who has written a […]2022-02-2000 min
Layman FilmmakersWriting for a no-budget filmThis where it all starts.
It starts with an idea, a character and the story.
From there we expand and create the background to a world where this story lives and where the characters travel through.
On this episode I talk to the very creative, Ronika Merl, a professional writer, producer and lecture who has written a number of scripts for no-budget films and understands the thought process of putting together a compelling story that doesn't require a million dollar budget.
Ronika shares with me her experience of transiting from the c...2022-02-2047 minCreate Art PodcastConversation On Going Professional with Ronika Merl
Making The Decision To Go Professional
In this episode, I talk with Ronika Merl, a screenwriter out of Ireland who at the time of the interview late last year had quit her day job and decided to take her craft to the next level and went professional. Ronika reached out to me via email and wanted to share her experience with going professional. If you are thinking about taking your practice to the next level, take a listen to someone who has just recently did that very thing and learn from her experience.
Ronkia Merl's Bio
...2022-01-2238 min
52 Jokers WildRonika Merl, Author, Screenwriter & Producer, is ”In The Room” with 52 Jokers Wild.Ronika Merl has only been a scriptwriter for three years. Three years. Yep, that's right three years. And she has been firing on all cylinders, blasting out a grand total of 22 features in 36 months. The last producer told Roni the budget was just ten grand. No problem. 48 hours later. Bump. There's the script. No messing. Job done. None of this lily-livered pining over each syllable, glassy-eyed viewing the heavens for inspiration or looking for that elusive muse. If you want the job done, Roni's that gall. And she knows where the money is. She's a family woman and the...2021-12-291h 05
Creative Sessions With Creative PeopleEpisode 6- Ronika MerlMy guest this week is the amazingly talented Ronika Merl, an award winning, twice optioned screenwriter, and producer.Having placed highly in both the Nicholl Fellowship and the Austin Film Festival in 2019, She has since expanded her slate to now contain more than 10 feature scripts. Her stories range from drama to fantasy to action, and are always centered around women like her: real, honest, heartbroken, and heartbreaking.Her autobiographical drama "BlackBird" (an excerpt from her Memoir “The Unfinished Heart”), which is a reflection on her own journey from human trafficking towards a brighter future, has been...2021-11-1032 min
FilmdependenceRonika MerlToday I’m chatting with Ronika Merle about her experiences as a filmmaker; Jumping into the film-making fray; her doomed Hell Inc Project, how revealing life as a filmmaker can be; taking a break, bouncing back, and Ryan George, oddly.Ronika’s YoutubeStage32SocialsOur Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4v6qpH7fJ9iBhfX11yes-w Our Twitter: http://twitter.com/Filmdependence1Interested in coming on the show?https://forms.gle/kuBZ1qyuWYT65vaF9Competition Entryhttps://forms.gle/SS6LizVeumBGN5vz92021-06-1331 min
Make My Damn MovieFemale Centric Comedy Movies | Ep. 72Mark & Tom chat about the lack of strong female comedy films. Also, Mark shares more about his youth, a visit with Ronika Merl in "The Writer's Roundup", listener messages, "The Movie Quotes Game", "Staff Picks" and other miscellaneous items...2021-03-3128 min