Guest post by Wayne Kelly

By day, Wayne is a video producer, editor and script writer. When he’s not doing that, he hits the page – novels, short stories, songs and anything else that puts juice in his creative batteries. He co-hosts The Joined Up Writing Podcast and blogs at www.waynekellywrites.co.uk He loves to connect with other creatives on Twitter, where you’ll find him @MrKelly2u

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Listen up! How Podcasts Can Help Writers and Creatives.

I’m passionate about podcasts and the positive impact they’ve had on my writing and creativity. Patsy has kindly given me the opportunity to share some of that passion with her readers and to introduce you to some of the amazing content that could entertain and inspire you and your work.

Quick intro – What Are Podcasts?

Podcasts are episodic, usually themed, audio content that you can listen to on the web or subscribe to using iTunes or on your smartphone. They’re almost always free and come in a variety of flavours from Audio Drama, How-To Shows and Lifestyle, to Science, Comedy, True Crime and of course . . . Writing.

Anyone who knows me, reads my blog or follows me on Twitter will probably have noticed my podcast obsession. I actually co-host one with Leah Osbourne – The Joined-Up Writing Podcast, where we interview successful authors, editors, agents, screenwriters and anyone connected with reading or writing good books. We were even lucky enough to interview Patsy about her recent book, From Story Idea to Reader. You can find that episode here.

Making connections and getting involved

Our show is called The Joined-Up Writing Podcast because we want to ‘join up’ and connect with other like-minded creatives. Too often, Social Media forgets to be social – we’ve all been deluged with constant ‘BUY MY BOOK’ tweets or Facebook posts. Podcasts provide a forum for real conversation, and it’s a conversation that you can be a part of. Have a burning question for your favourite author? Want to suggest a topic or a guest for a future show? Maybe you want to be a guest yourself? Podcasters love their listeners to get involved and, thanks to technology and the flexibility of the format, it doesn’t matter where you live. Our most recent guest was a playwright based in New York, but Skype allowed us to connect for his interview.

No niche too small!

Mainstream TV and radio must always cater for the masses but Podcasting embraces the niche, which is great if you want quality content on just about any facet of Writing. There are shows on the mechanics of narrative and storytelling, like The Story Grid. Joanna Penn has The Creative Penn, packed full of information for Indie authors. The Narrative Breakdown looks at screenwriting. The Worried Writer has long-form interviews with writers, often focusing on dealing with self-doubt. If you want some quick and dirty writing tips then Writing Excuses is a good one to try, as each show is only 15 minutes long.

The point is, there’s a wealth of free hints and tips out there, just waiting to find your ears.

Be inspired . . .

It isn’t all about Writing podcasts. We all know that inspiration can come from anywhere and there are loads of top quality shows to get your creative juices bubbling. Perhaps you’re a crime writer and looking for inspiration? Try some True Crime like Serial, Crimetown or Stranglers. For real people telling real stories, have a listen to The Moth. Homecoming is a suspenseful audio drama that stars Friends’ David Schwimmer.

New shows are appearing every day, and because they’re audio, podcasts are great for multi-tasking. I download my favourites on to my phone and listen whilst walking or driving, so there’s no excuse not to give them a try.

Already listening to podcasts? I’m always hungry for my next listening binge so feel free to pop your own recommendations into the comments below or get in touch with me through the blog or twitter.