Listening In! The Podcast Post

I’ve been doing it for a while now. Listening. In the car. At the kitchen sink. Down the grocery aisles. And all of last week, while I was painting the interior of a room.

Podcasts. They’re addictive. Fun. Entertaining. Riveting. Enlightening. Dramatic, with real laugh out loud moments and sometimes a tear or two. The playlist on the Podcast app on my phone is varied, and predominately with a creative writing lean. You can dip in and out easily, and even with the shortest of listening opportunities, you can always pick up a tip or the grain of an idea.

Yesterday I was listening to a great episode of DIY MFA Radio by Gabriela Pereira, with her guest K. M. Weiland, and about halfway through I was struck by a plot-changing, character-altering, lightning bolt of an idea for the current Manuscript In Progress. Something that will probably improve it immeasurably.  I was so excited, and replayed the particular section a few times for it to really sink in.  Driving at the time, I had to pull over and write down the fantastic new plot twist. Thanks to this podcast, I think the M.I.P. might have just become a bestseller in the making!

Gabriela Pereira

K.M. Weiland

There are many podcasts out there, you name the topic or hobby, be it as varied as Historical Rome, Knitting and Crochet, or Global Economics, you’ll find something to interest you.  Just type in your Google search bar 'podcast recommendations' or 'best podcasts' and there's a wealth of information and some great compiled lists.  And if you're new to it all, here's an article giving simple instructions on how to start your own playlist of podcasts. 

My first introduction to the world of podcasts was courtesy of This American Life, who produced Serial, and it was (and I know this is a little dramatic) life-changing.  It opened up my sheltered world, and it’s never been the same.  That podcast led to another (Undisclosed – highly recommend), and then another.  And in March of this year This American Life released another series (thankfully all episodes in the one release, otherwise you’d have to wait impatiently each week for a new episode!).  S-Town  was fascinating. 

So if you find yourself bored with the options on the television, radio stations aren’t for you, the daily commute is getting longer and you’re twiddling your thumbs, or like me you love to be creative but need to multi-task, try out a podcast – they’re usually free and thoroughly enjoyable!

A small list of podcast recommendations for writers and readers that I enjoy (but there’s many more out there!):

The Creative Penn

DIY MFA Radio

Helping Writers Become Authors

The New Yorker: Fiction

Writing Excuses

Kobo Writing Life

The Guardian Books podcast

As always, happy writing, and happy listening!

p.s. I’m off to the Auckland Writers Festival tomorrow, will post on my adventures next week!