Blog No. 12
By Marcus Coates, @homeinriyadh, 4th February 2021
Unsplash: Mohammad Metri
This blog is about gritting your teeth, rolling up your sleeves, and getting stuck into the craft of writing. I’m talking writing because that’s my area of interest, but the process described can equally be applied to learning a language, improving at a sport or whatever else floats your boat.
Up until six months ago, I’ve been a dabbler when it comes to writing. I’d write a little when the mood took me and then put it aside to tinker with later. When later came, I’d have another go at my project or start something fresh. I've been doing that for literally three decades now. The result of this laissez-faire approach is that I have numerous novels, scripts and short stories in varying states of readiness stuffed in drawers and folders all over my apartment: with none of them finished. That’s ridiculous.
So, six months ago, I decided to get serious with my writing and dedicate time every day to improving my craft. And I think Stephen King puts it best in On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (2000):
“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”
With that advice front and centre, I’ve been keeping to a steady schedule of applying fingertips to keypads and immersing myself in writing resources.
Below, are listed podcasts that I have come across and heartily recommend to fellow scribes. I hope there are a few gems here that you haven’t come across yet. Also, if you have any recommendations of your own, then please share in the comments section.
In 2021, like in 2020, it appears that people might have a lot of time to themselves again, might as well use it constructively and keep at it!
Unsplash: Austin Distel
Podcast Shows
The Deliberate Freelancer, by Melanie Padgett Powers.
This North American-based podcast is about making a living by doing freelancing work, such as copy editing, writing copy, and B2B gigs. Melanie’s approach shows that a steady income is achievable as a freelancer with proper planning, rather than suffering through boom and bust cycles.
The Writing Life, by the National Centre for Writing.
Based in Norwich, England, this podcast is about interviewing writers, agents, and publishers and giving tips on submitting work for traditional publishing routes.
Self Publishing School, by Chandler Bolt.
Chandler Bolt hosts an upbeat USA-based podcast show that interviews authors who have successfully self-published and students who have passed through his self-publishing school. He gets granular with the detail on how they wrote, marketed and distributed their work. There are plenty of charismatic guests on the show, and lots of inspiring tips to be gleaned, on topics such as: creating a marketing funnel or building and raising your personal brand.
High Income Business Writing, by Ed Gandia.
Ed looks at how writers can make a six-figure salary or the part-time equivalent in the world of B2B writing. In his USA-based podcast, he interviews a wide range of freelancers who write case studies, white papers, ad copy, etc., and goes through their story from quitting employed work to becoming their own boss.
The Editing Podcast, by Louise Harnby & Denise Cowle.
This UK-based podcast focuses on all things related to proofreading and copywriting from a fiction and non-fiction point of view. The podcast is a great listen, not only for people interested in learning how to become freelance editors but also for writers who want to understand how best to decide what kind of editing their work requires.
Marketing in Minutes, by Jonathan Gebauer.
Unlike the other podcasts, that tend to be around the forty-five minutes to an hour mark, Jonathan’s podcasts are a snappy ten minutes per episode. Each podcast provides a tip on how to best market your product or brand via social media.
What Editors Want, by Philip Conner Finn.
This is another UK-based podcast, where the host of the show, Philip, interviews editors, agents and key personnel from publishing houses that range from start-ups to the biggest in the business. The interviews give a great insight into the world of publishing. Importantly, the show brings to light what publishing houses are looking for from new and aspiring writers.
I know there’s a ton of content out there, but for me, these podcasts have been great to listen to on commutes to work, walks around the block, gym sessions, and when preparing meals.
A few blogs later, I plan on updating this list to include writing resources I’ve come across on audible. Until then, happy scribing!
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