Writing Helps Series: Podcasts

WELCOME the 2ND installment of a series I'm doing on different types of tools that authors can use to hone their craft, better their writing, ease their frustrations, or are just cool.

The first in the series covered books and you can find it here, Writing Helps: BOOKS. 

This time I want to highlight podcasts. Not just ones by authors, either.

I have recently really gotten into listening to podcast on my phone while cooking, cleaning, etc. I find the discussions extremely helpful especially since I have been unable to attend a writer's group.

Starting with my favorite, Mythcreants, has an awesome podcast that tackles everything from Best and Worst Endings to Crafting a Climax. Great insight from the participants who are game masters, authors, and roleplay creators. Rife with witty banter and plenty of sci-fi and fantasy movie and television references, this is entertaining as well as informative.

Writing Excuses is a great podcast for the time impaired. At 15 minutes per episode, authors, Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler  go in depth on technical issues such as Controlling a Reader's Sense of Progress, Can You TELL Me How To SHOW, as well as listener Q&A's and scholarships to writer's retreats. Short, informative, and often quite funny, I encourage you to check it out.


The Nerdist Writers Panel is also in the chat format, HOWEVER, the site boasts videos, written posts, and links as well. Topics covered are not only books, but television, movies, comics...pretty much any sort of writing you could think of. Check out the episode with author Brad Meltzer. Bonus that the moderator writes for one of my favorite shows, Supernatural!

Finally, for a podcast that is dramatized and voice acted, the offerings of the dubiously named, Damn Interesting, are a gold mine for research. I personally found the Absolute Zero Is OK episode on criogenic research in the Victorian age to be so helpful. I loved the English accents and laboratory explosion sound effects.

If you have any favorite podcasts or suggestions for my list, please drop a comment and let us all know. 

Until next time...Go Write!
By +Raquel Byrnes

Gatherings and Cons

Calculating Engine

So the Gaslight Gathering is taking place here in San Diego on the 18th-20th and I am so trying to go!  It looks like a lot of fun and its STEAMPUNK!  I don't know about you, but when I find a group of people that like the same thing I do...I get happy.

I'm not only an avid reader of the genre, I also write it, so I love seeing all the inspirational cosplay ideas and creative twists on favorite characters.

Attending these events can be a shot in the arm if you're struggling with a current project or if you just want to geek out.

Some more cons to consider this next year are Dragon Con which focuses on fiction/fantasy as well as comics and gaming.

Anime Expo of course has manga, anime, and other graphic novels. If you write for these genres you don't want to miss this one.

And finally, the biggies...Comicon and Wondercon are both great places to both fangirl (or guy) out AND get your writer fix for pure creativity.

The reason I bring these conferences up now is because you should start now if you plan to attend any of these as a vendor or a fan.  Particularly the big ones, you need to get a member ID as soon as...well, now.

What do you do to get back in the creative groove?

EDIT: Some of you have pointed out that I overlooked Scare-A-Con. It focuses on horror, movies, and pop culture. They have a "Massacre-ade Ball" complete with zombies. You can be a vendor there or go as a fan to hobnob with horror movie writers and actors. Sounds fun!

+Raquel Byrnes