Writing Podcasts You Should Follow in 2021
If there’s something that each and every writer knows it is how important inspiration is for writing. One cannot simply write out of one’s will. It’s no surprise that the most common piece of advice that a writer receives is to read more. Only if you read more can you write more. The moral of the story is that as a writer you need to be constantly inspired and motivated by what’s happening around you. Regardless of how much a person loves writing, it does get tedious and lonely. It’s natural human behaviour to get demotivated or feel uninspired. We all know that a creative block or a writer’s block is a legitimate thing that happens to individuals. In order to break out of the mundaneness, one needs to constantly explore other mediums of information. As a writer, you may not always want to read or write or look at a screen full of words. This is precisely why listening to a podcast in such situations can be therapeutic and productive. We have compiled a list of 15 writing podcasts that are inclusive and diverse in nature. The following list will definitely leave you with some insights on writing and becoming a writer.
1. Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
Grammar Girl is one of the most highly recommended podcasts for writers. Mignon Fogarty is the creator of Grammar Girl. The episodes are recorded in a friendly manner and act as a guide to the English language. It covers a plethora of topics ranging from grammar, punctuations to style and word histories. Grammar Girl is also super credible since it is a five-time winner of Best Education Podcast in the Podcast Awards. The podcast has over 796 episodes. The duration of the episodes ranges between 10-25 mins.
2. The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience
The Writer Flies is a super interesting podcast to listen to if you are looking for some writer secrets. Kelton Reid, host and creator of the podcast, analyses and studies the habits, thoughts and circumstances of a large number of established and well-renowned writers. The podcast dives into the psyche and world of these authors and gauges their tips and tricks for productivity and creativity. The podcast started in 2015 and is still running. The duration of an episode could run anywhere between 25-60 mins.
3. Writing Excuses
Writing Excuses is more of an academic/ educational podcast “for writers, by writers.” The podcast comes out with a new episode every week on Sundays. The tagline of the podcast reads “Fifteen minutes long because you’re in a hurry, and we’re not that smart.” However, the duration of each episode is different and more often runs over 15 minutes. The podcast is currently in its 15th season. The main motive behind the podcast is to inspire writers to write more and better.
4. I Should Be Writing
I Should Be Writing is hosted by Mur Lafferty. The podcast talks about the struggles one encounters while navigating through their writing career. The episodes also give insights into the host’s own experiences along with interviews of several professional writers. The show has gathered over 8000 listeners. The podcast aims to help writers with their roadblocks. The duration of the episodes run between 10 -60 mins. depending on the topic.
5. The Creative Penn Podcast: Writing, Publishing, Book Marketing, Making A Living With Your Writing
The Creative Penn Podcast is hosted by author Joanna Penn. The podcast talks about various aspects of writing in detail. Penn covers topics pertaining to building a network of authors to marketing one’s book in different genres. The podcast has reached over 500 episodes. The duration of each episode runs over an hour. The podcast is highly recommended for new writers as the host talks about various mistakes that one can avoid while writing and publishing a book.
6. Beautiful Writers Podcast
Renowned author Linda Sivertsen (aka Book Mama) hosts bestselling authors for monthly episodes on “writing, publishing, deal-making, spirituality, activism, and the art of romancing creativity.” The episodes also talk about the “Biggest mistakes, best shortcuts, behind-the-scenes agent, press, and publishing stories to help you gain the courage to get your book, blog, ballad, or biz birthed into the world.” Some of the celebrity guests featured on the podcast include Tom Hanks, Arianna Huffington, Mary Karr, Gretchen Rubin, and Jennifer Rudolph Walsh. Each episode is an hour-long and is worth every minute. If you are looking for a wholesome chat about writing from the experts check out Beautiful Writers Podcast.
7. Minorities in Publishing
Minorities in Publishing was created in 2014 by editor and writer Jenn Baker. The podcast provides a platform to have conversations around diversity and the lack of it in the publishing industry at large. Baker talks to other authors in her podcast and discusses topics concerning the writing process and other important aspects of the literary world. Minorities in Publishing does a commendable job with creating a space to have dialogues with underrepresented publishing professionals. The podcast has over 100 episodes with each episode running over 30 minutes.
8. Black Chick Lit
Black Chick Lit is “a bi-monthly podcast that talks books by and about black women.” Each month the podcast hosts discussions around a book written by a black woman and its author. The podcast has over 35 episodes with each episode running over 60 mins. If you are looking to diversify your choice in books then you must check out BCL.
9. Helping Writers Become Authors
Helping Writers Become Authors caters to writers by helping them in “summoning inspiration, crafting solid characters, outlining and structuring novels, and polishing prose.” The podcast is created by award-winning author K.M. Weiland. The podcasts explore several interesting topics such as ‘The Midpoint as the Swivel Point of Your Story’s Linked Structure’ and ‘The Link Between Your Story’s Pinch Points.’ The podcast has over 500 episodes. The duration of each episode ranges between 15-20 mins.
10. We Want The Airwaves
We Want The Airwaves is a great podcast if you are looking for LGBTQ specific content. The about section on the podcast reads “Nia King’s trying to figure out if it’s possible for queer and trans artists of colour to make a living off their creative and intellectual labour. In this podcast, she seeks advice from cultural workers who seem to have figured out how to make art and make rent without compromising their values.” The podcast features a diverse group of guests including Afro-Latina trans woman essayist Princess Harmony and Black Boricua Taíno queer and trans artist Ignacio Rivera. Each episode provides a new perspective into the world of the featured artist. The episodes aren’t specific to writing but cover the fundamentals of being an artist who identifies themselves with the LGBTQ community.
11. I Found This Great Book
I Found This Great Book specifically caters to sharing “mystery, speculative and classic literature by Black authors.” The podcast aims to present the listener with the “rich world of literature” by conducting author spotlights, discussions and interviews. The podcast has over 100 episodes and has featured guests such as Dr Frankie Y Bailey, Danny Gardner and Abby Vandiver. Each episode has a different duration depending on the subject ranging from 5mins to 120mins.
12. The Drunken Odyssey – A Podcast About the Writing Life
Author John King interviews a large pool of writers from a “variety of genres, including fiction writing, poetry, memoirs, and journalism.” The podcast is dedicated to strictly writing and discusses all types of writing from literature to movies. The episodes also cover various aspects of the writing process including manuscripts and writing influences. The podcast also features a “short memoir essay from a writer about a beloved book, plus John King responds to listener’s questions and observations about the writing (and the drinking) life. If you are looking for a podcast that indulges you in various forms of writing then you must check out The Drunken Odyssey.
13. The Creative Writers Toolbelt
If you are a creative writer then The Creative Writers Toolbelt is the perfect podcast for you. As the name suggests the podcast offers practical and actionable advice on creative writing. The episodes detail various aspects of creative writing techniques and provide examples of them. The podcast offers “occasional interview with writers and other artists, exploring their wisdom on subjects like story, style, character and the writing process.” The podcast has over 160 episodes. The duration of each episode ranges from 64mins to 48mins.
14. So You Want To Be A Writer with Valerie Khoo and Allison Tait
The podcast is hosted by Valerie Khoo and Allison Tait, both successful journalists and authors. The episodes centre around “the latest in news, opportunities, trends – and gossip – in the world of writing, blogging and publishing.” The episodes also feature interviews with other writers along with sharing tips and tricks on writing resources. The podcast has over 360 episodes with each episode running over 60mins. If you are looking for some writing resources you should check out So You Want To Be A Writer.
15. Woodland Secrets
If you are looking for a podcast that is a bit more personal in nature you should check out Woodland Secrets. It’s not strictly based on an interview format, rather “it’s a loose, casual conversation between two friends about their work, lives, and interests.” What makes the podcast interesting is that the host picks each episode’s guest herself and thus, features “the kinds of artists, authors, and just plain interesting people that don’t tend to appear on other shows.” The podcast mainly features guests who are artists and authors and are “primarily women, people of colour, and queers, and we like it that way.” The podcast has over 170 episodes and the last episode was aired in December 2018. Even though the podcast maybe is a little outdated the conversations make up for some interesting insights.
While deciding on what podcast to listen to in order to enhance your writing do keep in mind your intention. You could listen to the podcast for leisure or educational purposes. Some podcasts are conversational and fun while others are more structured and academic. Choose your category and invest accordingly. It’s also advisable to listen to podcasts that are outside of your genre as they will provide you with perspectives and different angles to your story. If there is a subject that intrigued you in one of the podcast episodes, do a follow-up study on the same. It’s also a great idea to take notes while listening to some episodes. Listening to authors and artists talking about their journey and work is no less than a driving force for young writers. It could also be helpful to seek out podcast content by authors you are already following. Most of the time authors share their journey. Listening to one may help you feel less alone in your personal writing journey. We all know that one needs to read better to write better. Expanding on the same logic, it is safe to say one needs to open their ears to good content in order to produce great content. Essentially, writers must keep their ears open to become great authors.
