I’ve managed to mention twice already (which is a lot for a blog consisting so far of 3 pages and one post) that I had no idea whatsoever about the process of writing a novel when I finally put fingers to keyboard.
I meandered around for about a year after I made the decision to write. I managed a couple thousand words, and played with various writing tools along the way.
Eventually one turn or another led me to the Writing Excuses podcast. Specifically, I began with episode 16.27: Nobody Wants to Read a Book. The primary topic of that episode is first lines/first pages. Fittingly, it created a new beginning for me.
Listening to the amount of analysis and discussion they had about first lines alone opened my eyes immediately. I realized there was an entire world of the “craft” of writing, to which I was completely oblivious. I tossed out most of what I’d written and started over.
I have never stopped listening to this podcast since that time.
At this point I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve looped through the back catalog. Except where personal circumstances have made it impossible, I’ve listened to no less than one episode per day, sometimes several episodes per day. I listen on my commute, while doing housework, while showering, and at all reasonable opportunities. My wife and both children most certainly recognize all the voices of the regular cast members, and can probably answer questions based on the material at this point.
Not only do I continue to learn or reinforce important techniques and viewpoints from every single episode, but also it keeps me thinking about my writing. For a substantial portion of each day I’m focused on the craft of writing, in addition to any time I actually spend applying what I’ve listened to.
Has this allowed me to generate a story that will shake the foundations of the epic fantasy genre as my very first novel? I’m quite sure the answer is no, nor would I expect otherwise.
But, it got my first novel written, which may not have happened without the regular cast members and stream of guests in my ear, constantly reinforcing that this is something people do, that this is something people are successful at, and that those people doing it are regular people who find writing hard sometimes in exactly the same ways that I do. And they continue to do it even through difficult situations in other aspects of their lives, just like I do, and who love to do it, just like I do. They’ve felt like my personal writing coaches at times.
Not only am I certain they helped get this novel written, I’m also certain I wrote a far, far better novel than I would have without them. I can’t thank them enough for helping me get to this point
I must also recommend one more writing podcast that I look forward to each and every week, and which I will soon also be looping: The Writing about Dragons and Shit podcast, which covers all the same topics (and a few really outside the box ones) in an exceptionally casual, sometimes irreverent, and always insightful way. It’s a joy to listen to for many of the same reasons as Writing Excuses, but also some that are unique to this group of people and the chemistry they have together. They also have an on and off splash of tabletop and other gaming discussion in some episodes, though still usually within the context of writing for those markets.
I feel it’s really boosted my ability to grow and improve during the course of finishing my first draft and subsequent revisions, and everyone from these and other podcasts I’ve encountered has my thanks.
Podcasts in general aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I recommend immersion, whether by daily exposure to podcast, video, book, or etc, to anyone who feels as unclear as I did regarding the process of writing, and for whom formal training courses are not an option. I know I have much more to learn, but it’s almost hard to believe how much these podcasts have taught me.