It’s hard enough to find time to write. Finding time to educate ourselves about our craft and industry seems even more daunting. But thanks to writing-themed podcasts, it’s easy to take your education on the go. Fire up one of these writerly shows the next time you’re cooking dinner, waiting in the school pick-up line, or doing reps at the gym.
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Grammer Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
You’re probably already familiar with Mignon Fogarty’s well-known Grammar Girl website. But did you know she hosts a grammar podcast with more than 600 episodes? Each short episode (some are only a few minutes long) answers reader questions about the English language, such as “irregardless vs. regardless,” whether “data” is singular or plural, and the plural of “Batman.”
The Creative Penn Podcast
Another blogger-turned-podcaster is Joanna Penn, who runs the popular website The Creative Penn. Released every Monday, her 400+ episodes share publishing, marketing, and craft tips from authors and publishing professionals. Recent topics included voice technologies for authors, email newsletter best practices, and tips for writing horror.
I Should Be Writing
Launched in 2005, Mur Lafferty’s award-winning podcast brings in more than 8,000 listeners each week. The success of the beginner-friendly fiction podcast led to a book deal and a spin-off NSFW podcast, Ditch Diggers, which focuses on the business of writing. Most guests to the show are genre authors, including Sherrilyn Kenyon and Nicky Drayden.
murverse.com/subscribe-to-podcasts/
The Writing University Podcast
The Iowa Summer Writing Festival, sponsored by the University of Iowa – the university that houses the prestigious Iowa Writers’ Workshop – is one of the most famous writerly events in the country. But if a plane ticket to the Midwest isn’t in your future, the Writing University podcast is the next best thing. You can listen to author talks from the festival right in your living room, including Hope Edelman and Naomi Jackson’s “Writing Family and Grief” and Ned Stuckey-French’s “Writing in the Digital Age.”
writinguniversity.org/our-podcast
Writing Excuses
It’s hard to find a podcast tagline more charming than Writing Excuses’: “Fifteen minutes long, because you’re in a hurry, and we’re not that smart.” The short, snappy podcast is hosted by multiple writers and devotes an entire “season” to one particular topic, such as “Structure” (season 12) or “Character” (season 13, which is currently in production).
For more tools to help you improve your writing, check out our picks for the top writing books of the year or browse through our “Products for Writers” archives.
