Listening to podcasts can help writers learn and improve their craft as they shower, fix meals, clean the house, wash the car, walk, jog, commute by transit, or drive to work. It can make any boring, time-consuming activity more interesting and useful. Here are my favorites:
[size=150]1. Classic Tales Podcast
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iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the- … d258214995
Back episodes here: classictales.libsyn.com/
B. J. Harrison is an excellent reader and specializes books that have become classics. You can learn a lot by listening to the great writers of the past. You might want to catch the six episodes of John Buchan’s The 39 Steps that started on January 6 before they disappear from the online archives. It’s much better and more coherent than the Hitchcock movie adaptation.
The Classic Tales Podcast is free. You can support what he’s doing by purchasing other audiobooks from him. The prices are excellent, typically a couple of dollars an hour. No other form of entertainment comes that cheaply or, for a writer, can be more pleasurable and useful. Learn from the masters. You can get his books from Audible, but they’re also available online here.
[size=150]2. Grammar Girl
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Like it or not, good writing requires good grammar. You can learn from a teacher who’s got a knack for making grammar interesting and its rules memorable.
iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/gram … d173429229
Website: grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
[size=150]3. Writing Excuses
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I’ve tried a number of writers-discussing-writing podcasts and the best I’ve found so far is Writing Excuses. It’s also brief because as they say: “Fifteen minutes long, because you’re in a hurry, and we’re not that smart.” Actually, they do seem smart about the craft of writing, particularly fiction. Their podcasts are well prepared and you’ll get lots of good tips from them.
iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/writ … d273926976
Website: writingexcuses.com/
[size=150]4. Ebook Ninjas
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This one is only useful if you’re interested in the technical details of creating digital books. It’s good for that, but the hosts squabble and waste a bit more time than I’d like. It’d be better if it were more focused, but it’s still worthwhile.
iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/eboo … d287297639
Blog: ebookninjas.com/
[size=120]Feel free to add your suggestions to this list.
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–Michael W. Perry, Untangling Tolkien, Seattle