I’m a sucker for podcasts.
“What’s a podcast?” Wow. Really? Is that your question? What’s your next question, “what’s the internet?” A podcast is like a radio show/TV show on the internet. You can find them on iTunes (or anywhere really).
I love to listen to podcasts. I’m subscribed to quite a few. I just started looking through the iTunes directory for some podcasts on writing (because I write and I love to hear people talking about writing). Word of advice: If you’re listening to a podcast on writing and a word of advice is given, AND the giver of the word of advice has never published anything they’ve written…don’t take the word of advice. Why should we? What do they know? Would you take advice on playing a live show from show from a musician who’s never done that? NO!
I’m thinking of starting my own podcasts. I’ve been on a few, and did one on my own for a while, but those are no more. If you go to itunes and search THE TRUTHWORD you will find the podcast I did with Glyndon and Danny. If you search STARTING OUT STANDING UP you’ll find a podcast I did by myself (only 4 episodes) while I fancied myself a stand-up comedian. Sure, I had gone downtown to an open mic 10 times or so, but I got really busy with other stuff, so I couldn’t continue…also I have a huge problem with the way stand-up “proving grounds” are set up. Pretty stupid.
Hey, Taylor! Fascinating post, especially your comments about “writing advice” podcasts that are produced by unpublished writers.
While I appreciate the enthusiasm of your comments, I should point out that getting published in traditional media — from fiction magazines to prose novels or non-fiction books — is an ultra-competitive endeavor. There are a great many talented writers who remain unpublished, but certainly have useful advice to offer others. Their years of experience may prove helpful for new or fellow unpublished veterans.
In this respect, the analogy you make in your post — equating an unpublished writer to a musician offering advice on live performance (when that musician has never played on stage) — doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. I think a more appropriate analogy would be to critique those who *don’t* write, yet host “writing advice” podcasts. The difference is subtle, but important.
As a novelist whose work will see publication next year, I can assure you that getting published is extremely difficult in the current marketplace, and that there are many gifted storytellers who — despite being unpublished — have insightful advice to share with their peers.