Podcasts: A listical
I started running last year. I hated it at first. The repetitive stomping. The jiggling of fat around elastic waistbands. The constant puffs of breaths. (Yup, my own breath annoyed me. Yeah, I know. I’ve already put it on my Things to Talk to My Therapist ABout List.) Then, I realized it wasn’t actually the act of running that I hated. I didn’t mind tasting copper at the back of my throat as my lungs bled to keep up with the demand of my quads. I didn’t mind that my knees mimicked mini-maracas when I walked up the stairs after every run. I didn’t even mind the increase in laundry and my pantry chalk-a-block full of Nerds gummies, Liquid IV and Gu. (When you run enough there’s no keeping up with your metabolism. It’s a whole thing.)
What I hated was being alone with my thoughts. In case you haven’t read any of my stuff, my thoughts are far more terrifying than bleeding lungs, bum knees, and increased laundry and grocery bills.
I needed something else to listen to. I got a Libro.Fm account and start listening to books. (Hey, you. Yeah, you. The judgmental reader beetle in the back. Listening to audiobooks is reading. Now, shoo. Go back to your little hole.)
And I also increased my podcast list, a lot. So, I figured I’d take this opportunity to share of my favorite writing-related podcasts. (All of these can be found on your pod-catcher of choice. None of them as of this blog’s pub date are exclusive to any one entity. Also note: these are in no particular order. I just listed them as I saw them in my podcast app.)
Craft:
1. The Rebel Author:
Publisher: Self-published
I’m new to The Rebel Author, but so far it has been very interesting and motivating. The host, Sacha Black, is incredibly insightful and has great guests on. You’ll get craft tips and tricks, but also some industry knowledge—which is always helpful.
Who is this for: This whole section will be for all writers. So…all writers.
2. The Shit No One Tells You About Writing:
Publisher: Self-published
Anyone who says the phrase “curiosity seeds” probably listens to this podcast. I have a hard time binging this one just because the information is good I feel like I should be taking notes. Some episodes they read query letters that are sent into the pod and break them down—some people have gotten requests from the two agents on the pod, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra, that way. Other episodes include author, Bianca Marais, interviewing other authors who are pushing their new novels. The entire podcast is incredibly insightful and should be a staple in every writers’ podcast feed. If you don’t take any of my other recommendations, take this one.
Who is this for? Do you write? Yes? Then this is for you.
3. Writers Who Read:
Publisher: Self-published
This one has a bookclub vibe that I really love. At the beginning of every month, they’ll announce what book they’re going to read. Then a few weeks later, they chat about it and record the chat. Because this podcast is hosted by Mira Landry, Gary Alan McBride, Whitney Pinion, and the occasional guest reader—all involved in the literary industry one way or another—we get the inside scoop on what’s working and what isn’t working on some of the newest books. They only cover books that have been published in the past two years and their insights are incredibly poignant.
Who is this for? Everyone.
Bonus: Another really fun book club-type podcast is Judging More Than Just the Cover’s Book Club Podcast. Is it put on by my friend and critique partner, Kate Ota and a few of her friends. They’re funny. They’re smart. And they’ll cover pretty much anything. Love a solid podcast that will discuss any and all genres.
Publisher: Content Hospital
It’s the Content Hospital podcast. There’s only one episode. We talk about all things spice with Darcy McGuire . It’s fantastic. Don’t forget to like and subscribe!
Publisher: Self-published
Full disclosure: I haven’t listened to this one yet, but pretty much everyone on the r/writing subreddit said it was great. Each episode is no more than 35 minutes long, super short for a podcast. With hosts like Dan Wells, DongWon Song, Howard Taylor, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Erin Roberts, I’m not sure how it could be anything but fantastic.
Who is this for? Apparently all authors who want to hone their craft a bit more.
Bonus: I don’t care what Gen Z says, Youtube videos are not podcasts. (Don’t @ me.) However, Brandon Sanderson has an amazing craft course that’s entirely free on Youtube that every single Spec Fic writer should watch.
Speculative Fiction:
Publisher: The Rusty Quill
This list will be a mix of craft spec fic podcasts and just good old fashioned serialized audio drama. First up: The Magnus Archives. I’m just going to quote what the website says, because they say it best, “A weekly horror fiction anthology podcast examining what lurks in the archives of the Magnus Institute, an organi[z]ation dedicated to researching the esoteric and the weird.
This podcast is truly terrifying. The production value is also quite god. If you’re new to this pod, I suggest at least starting at ep 1 of the Magnus Archives. You can start by listening to The Magnus Protocol if you’d like even more context, but it’s not necessary. They’re both very good and a masterclass in tension.
Who is this for? Horror writers. Dark fantasy writers. Grimdark writers. And honestly, anyone interested in cyber punk, government cover-up weirdness. If I say anymore it’ll give it away, but yeah. Very good. It is scary, so if that’s not your jam this isn’t for you. But the tension is truly fantastic, if you don’t mind a little scare here and there.
2. Run, Fool!:
Publisher: Ballen Studios | Campside Media | At-Will Media
Rodney Barnes is a screen writer turned podcast writer. He hosts each episode which is its own little one-off story. (Some episodes have two or three parts, but it’s rare.) He covers cryptids, indigenous horror, cult horror, religious horror, folk horror, etc. And his stories do not shy away from the gruesome. Consider this your content warning! And let me know when you get to the episode with the disembodied heads. That one has lived in my brain rent-free all week.
He has this really lackadaisical style of story telling. Before you know it, the story has grabbed you by the ankles and is dragging you to Hell. It’s a rare gift and perfect for a horror podcast.
Who is the for? Horror writers or anyone curious about writing horror.
3. Talking Scared:
Publisher: Self-published
This one is an absolute must for horror writers. Horror enthusiast and author, Neil McRobert, interviews some of the biggest names in horror today throughout each episode. They discuss each authors’ upcoming book, and what drove them to write it. It’s the latter part of this that really pulled me in. I know why I like horror. But I’m always fascinated by what drives others to such a dark subject, and why some people would rather dig in the dark to find the light.
Who is this for? Horror writers or those looking to add to their TBR list.
4. The White Vault:
Publisher: Fool and Scholar Production
Another good ole’ fashioned audio drama, The White Vault, has several seasons. I jumped in on the newest season, Goshawk. Honestly, the phrase “emotional rollercoaster” doesn’t do this one justice. Set in the snowy wilderness of Maine, we follow the story of photo-journalist, Iffy, and her boyfriend, Jean. And it uh… Well, it doesn’t go well for either one of them.
I haven’t listened to the other seasons yet, but if they’re as good as Goshawk then is podcast is definitely one to binge.
Who is this for? Horror writers or those interested in very intense audio dramas.
5. SFF Addicts:
Publisher: Self-published
Author Adrian M. Gibson, Greta Kelly, and M. J. Kuhn take turns interviewing some of the biggest authors in Sci-fi, fantasy, and horror. Not only do they interview each author, but some episodes include master classes that are a plethora of amazing information on things such as world building, incorporating grief into your story, and finding your story’s emotional core. They also publish panels from a vast variety of cons. These episodes can be very long. So you might have to listen to them in chunks—and honestly they’re typically full of so much good info that you might want to do that anyway. Worth every minute.
Who is this for? All speculative fiction writers.
Non-fiction:
1. Noble Blood:
iHeart Podcasts | Grim & Mild
Author of Anatomy: A Love Story and Immortality: A Love Story, Dana Schwartz, does a deep dive into some of the most fascinating stories about royals all over the world and throughout history. I especially love this podcast because Dana is an excellent story-teller, but also she covers those who are otherwise not in the (American) history books.
Who is this for? History nerds. (Yeah, I see you standing there in the corner by the punch bowl. You wallflower, you.) Authors of historical fiction, obviously. This could also be really useful for second-world spec fic authors looking for plot ideas. If George R. R. Martin can use the War of Roses as plot inspiration for A Song of Ice and Fire, you can use the 6th-century rivalry between queen Brunhild and Fredegund as the basis for your next sapphic romantasy. (Oh my god, someone please write that book.)
2. Buried Bones:
iHeart Podcasts | Exactly Right Network
Historical true crime author, Kate Winkler Dawson, and retired cold case investigator, Paul Holes, break down some of history’s real-life murder mysteries “from a 21st Century lens.” Kate is an amazing journalist and researcher and presents the stories every week in a who-dun-it format. Paul does his damnedest to try to figure out who the murderer(s) were with extremely limited evidence and decades of experience. I find it really entertaining to see if Paul and I come to the same conclusion.
Who is this for? Anyone who likes True Crime, honestly, but it’s really helpful if there’s a crime scene in your book. Paul’s insight into how to read a crime scene is invaluable.
3. MrBallen’s Medical Mysteries:
Publisher: Wondery | MrBallen Studios
Former Navy SEAL, Jonathan Bartlett Allen (AKA: MrBallen), hosts a podcast all about the terrors that live within us. Every week, you’ll hear a new horrifying medical story that will make you second guess your life choices. I have personally found a lot of inspiration from this podcast. To me, there are few things less terrifying than not being in control of your own body. (Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ll put that Therapy List, too.) MrBallen tells his stories in such a way that I’m trying to solve the medical mystery by the end of the episode. I’m not sure if he realizes this or not, but it also shines a light on how frequently women, specifically, are gaslit by the American medical industry—which I know is well know, but it’s still an extremely prevalent theme throughout his stories.
Who is this for? Horror writers looking for an idea, for sure. But really anyone curious about medical history or those that want to weave a mysterious illness into their story for whatever reason.
Bonus: He has another podcast called, Strange, Dark, & Mysterious. I haven’t listened to it yet, but it was actually the first one he came out with. Medical Mysteries is a spin-off. Strange, Dark, & Mysterious is probably just as good.
Publisher: iHeart Podcasts | The Exactly Right Network
Probably the most famous of all the podcasts I’ll mention on this list, Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark are the Godmothers of the True Crime podcast world. They’re hysterical. They’re poignant. And they vulnerable in every single episode. They also focus on the victims of each crime rather than the murderers, which is a huge plus, and they’re not afraid to admit when they’ve made a mistake.
Who is this for? Again, anyone looking for insane plot idea and fans of True Crime and historical non-fiction. I can definitely see some of these stories being the basis for historical fiction murder mystery as well.
5. Wicked Words
Publisher: iHeart Podcasts | The Exactly Right Network
Another Kate Winkler Dawson joint, this podcast interviews authors of true crime novels. This is another source of inspiration for me for both my TBR list and for plot ideas. Some of the stories covered on this podcast are absolutely insane. It’s also incredibly interesting to hear other authors discus their journeys.
Who is this for? Writers of thrillers and murder mysteries for sure. But again, this is just good plot idea material. Much like everything else in this category, these concepts can be used in pretty much any genre.
Comedy:
Publisher: Self-published
Jamie Morton’s father wrote an erotic novel. Several, actually. And they are all objectively terrible. Jamie and his two friends, Alice and James, read the books chapter by chapter together and break down each scene. Turns out, Jamie’s father knows extraordinarily little about female anatomy, which is both hysterical and concerning—mostly for Jamie’s mother.
Who is this for? Honestly? Everyone. But it’s actually a great example of what not to do. Or how to fail so epically that you become a huge success.
Publisher: MaxFun Network
Put on by my favorite comedy family, The McElroy’s, The Adventure Zone, is a rotating Dungeons and Dragons podcast. Three brothers, Justin, Travis, and Griffin, play DnD with their dad and take turns as game master by season. It’s hysterical and the writing is fucking phenomenal. (Start with the first season, it is objectively the best and they have a graphic novel series out for it. Listen to Amnesty next.)
Who is this for? Fantasy nerds. Comedy nerds. All nerds, really. As for writers: It’s actually a great study in character development. The boys do their damnedest to make decisions based on how they’ve built their character and it’s actually really interesting to get their take on how they came to those decisions. Those who aren’t game master have one job: be true to their character. It’s the game master’s job to figure out what to do with those decision within the confines of the story he built. (I know this is classic DnD, but they do it very well.) Griffin is also an amazing story teller as game master and I truly don’t understand how he manages to balance chaos, comedy, and plot so well.
3. Finding Drago:
Publisher: ABC Listen
There are only two seasons of this podcast: Finding Drago and Finding Desperado. If you only listen to one, listen to Finding Drago. Australian comedians, Alexei Toliopoulos and Cameron James, discover an odd footnote on the Rocky IV Wikipedia page: someone has indie-published a book about Rocky’s arch rival, Ivan Drago. Together they hunt down the book and the author. There are twists. There are turns. There’s weirdly an insane amount of tension. And yes, it’s absolutely hysterical.
The second season, Finding Desperado, is also very interesting. (I, personally, just enjoyed the first one a bit more.) Throughout the second season, Alexei tries to solve the mystery of a 2005 Guinness Book of World Records held by an “elusive European aristocrat.” Is the record fake? Is it real? Is Desperado even an actual person? I’m honestly still not 100% sold.
Who is this for? I think most writers would appreciate this one. The way this story unfolds is actually told in the vein of Serial. It’s taken very seriously—until it’s not. The way they manage to keep tension in a comedy podcast about a silly book is actually really interesting and could be applied to most genres.
That’s a metric shit ton of podcasts. Happy listening!