Top Writing Podcasts

Since I graduated from college, maintaining face-to-face contact with a community of writers has been impossible. The Internet is (at the moment) my only lifeline to other writers, editors, and others interested in good literature.

One of the tools I use to keep up to date in the world of writing is subscribing to podcasts from writers, for writers, and about writers. Below is my top list of writing podcasts. It's a subjective list of what I like to listen to, but there are plenty of other writing podcasts available that I have yet to try.

1. The New Yorker Fiction Podcast
The New Yorker Fiction Podcast is hosted by the magazine's fiction editor, Deborah Treisman. The podcast is updated once a month with authors reading short stories published by other authors in the magazine, then gives their take on the piece. They talk about why this piece is important and how it impacted their writing.

2. PRI: Selected Shorts

Public Radio International's Selected Shorts is a podcast that features readings in Symphony Space in New York City as well as other areas throughout the country. These hour-long podcasts feature 2-4 stories written by classic and new authors. The stories are read by other authors, actors, and the founders of Symphony Space. Some of the well known names that have participated in these readings include Stephen Colbert, Robert Sean Leonard, and Jane Curtin.

3. New Letters on the Air

New Letters on the Air is a podcast hosted by Angela Elam to compliment the literary journal New Letters. The podcast provides a conversation with writers about their own writing. Those featured discuss their influences, writing techniques, and share excerpts of their latest work.

If you listen to any of these podcasts, feel free to add your two cents on the topic.

I need change

Change... not always a good thing, but this time it is necessary. When I work, I have the bad habit of sitting crossed-legged on my computer chair. It's a small cheap one from Wal-Mart so my knees fall to each side putting a lot of pressure on my calves and ankles. Because of this bad habit, I'm in pain. So a change needs to be made, otherwise, I don't think I'll be able to write for more than an hour or two at a time. Or I could get a new chair. But that's not the main concern right now.

Does anyone else have a bad habit when they write? Another one of mine is that I get tempted by iTunes. When I write, I listen to an old time radio podcast so I have noise, but not anything I need to pay attention to. But if I have a new video podcast, it calls to me until I stop what I'm doing and watch it.

I hope those are the worst bad habits I have when I write. I know there are plenty of bad writing habits, but these environmental habits are what I need to fix first. Then I'll have to time to concentrate on the language and grammar.

Missing?

I changed batteries in my keyboard this morning and now instead of the E key sticking, it's the O. It's terrible trying t work like this, so I finally broke down and ordered a new one that's not wireless (could be the problem?). And it comes with speakers. So now I can ditch my headphones when I want t listen to podcasts. Yippee! But I ordered it online, as I always do, so it will be a day or two. That means slow working until then. I can always catch up on the weekend. By now, I know that weekend catchup is not catchup... it's working 7 days a week. I guess I'll just have to get used to that.

Excuse spelling mistakes... I may not catch them all.

Hump Day

Why they call it that, I'll never know. Sounds more like a dirty movie to me.

Anyway, it's 8 degrees outside right now. I am so glad I don't have to go out in it. But I'm also a little lacking in work (waiting for new titles from the company) so I'm getting a little antsy. I finished my family photo project, listened to most of my regular podcasts, and still. Bored as all I can be. I should be looking for an apartment, but it's still too far away. If I find a great one right now, I'll just be miserable that I can't move yet. And New York is still to expensive for me. I thought about Jersey, but... I'm not quite that desperate just yet.

But at least my computer is selling. Only 162.50 if anyone is still looking for a bargain!

News Overload

Not only have I been watching my regular news on television, but I have been overloading myself with my podcasts: Nightly News with Brian Williams, the Today Show, AC360, etc. And this is all because after almost two months of trying to get through podcasts still on my iPod, I finally finished. But of course I had to load another 2 months' worth of podcasts back on. It's a never-ending cycle, but I really do love it.

I babysat today. It was alright, but there are some potty training issues. They are the same ones that I had when I was my nephew's age, but there's really just no helping him, especially since this was the first time I babysat alone. And I still had to call in reinforcements for about half of the time. It was still fun hanging out with him for awhile though.

Work is really slow--I'm ahead of schedule for next week. I should be getting back on track soon though, then I'll be swimming in work again, just in enough time to pay all of my bills.

I can't wait for Swingtown to come on tonight. I love that show! I hope that there is a second season of it, because its really good television. Anyone else out there a fan?

New Article

Although I feel I've been slacking today, I did manage to find time to write a new how to article: How To Write and Article. Check it out if you are interested. And since it's all work and no play tomorrow (I have a pile of articles to write) I better go get my rest... or at least wind down the evening with my Today Show podcasts. G'night!

So, I've kind of always been a Cubs fan, except that year when I was nine and thought Frank Thomas was the greatest player in the world. That year I wore a White Sox outfit all summer. When I outgrew the outfit, I outgrew the Sox. Anyhoo, my point for this blog is to tell everyone how immature I really am. I have been listening to my Cubscast podcast tonight while working and when one of the guys said "he got to third base" I laughed like it was the first time I had hear a sexual innuendo. I am so ashamed... but I'm still a Cubs fan!

You know what? I just might be free of freelance articles tonight. I just submitted a few rewrites (not really my fault, but I was a good sport about it) and applied for some new assignments. Now I'm free and clear... for awhile. Today, I honestly don't care if I jinx it and get another assignment as soon as I'm done blogging. This girl needs to pay her bills... and at least I finally am at a point where I can do it with writing. Go figure. At least I'm proving my mother wrong. That feels really good right now.

Chicago is still up in the air. I'm making money, sure... but not enough to relocate at the moment. There is a few more months left on my lease, so I haven't started panicking yet--but that's only a matter of time. I don't care if I have to live in a studio apartment the size of my thumb... I want to live in Chicago. I want to be as close to a major metropolitan area as possible. And no, Indianapolis does NOT count! I've been there. I wasn't impressed.

Just so you know I am listening to the greatest podcast right now. It's Hollywood on the Radio and plays old radio shows featuring movie stars. The one I'm listening to is one with Judy Garland. It is amazing! I'm still scared to death of The Wizard of Oz, even at 23, but she is still an amazing singer. And Toto was cute.

The writer's strike is over, yet I'm still frustrated with the television lineup and barely watch TV anymore. Not that this is a bad thing. I don't think I really need to watch that much TV. Give me my soap opera and a good I Love Lucy rerun and I'm happy. But most of my favorite prime time shows, according to Entertainment Weekly, are not coming back until April. Some not until the fall. And the final four episodes of Scrubs is completely up in the air. There's a rumor that the network might not show them at all, and that the episodes will go straight to DVD. That's a big disappointment for me. However, I have found one cure. The obsession with podcasts. But--now I get to watch all those video podcasts on my TV with my new iPod A/V cord. It's amazing, and I think I got it for about four bucks on eBay. Not too shabby.

It's been a long week, but I survived my first freelance writing job. I churned out 50 articles in four days. It was a a feat, but I feel like I've accomplished a lot. Now I have that all-important experience higher paying freelance jobs are looking for. I also have a writing sample that, until this job, i was just too lazy to write. I think freelance work suits me. There's nothing better than working for yourself. Of course my mother thinks I'm a shut-in now. She's worried I'll spend too much time at home if I keep working online. Hmmm... she's got a point, but I'm sure that I can balance work and human interaction. I'm going to try head outside and have some fun this weekend... if I don't freeze to death from the wind chill first.

The only downside of this whole freelance thing is that I probably should invest in a new computer. I've been so podcast crazy that I have under 1 gig left free on my hard drive. I can't believe my computer is still functioning right now. I don't really have the assets to get a new one, so I think I just need to restrict my podcast subscriptions. But that might be a lot harder than it sounds. I found a gold mine of old public domain and B-movies. And old radio shows too. I just can't give them up... and most of them I haven't even heard yet. And if I find any other podcast of interest... well that might just send my computer to the grave.

I had a much more lively day today then the last week and a half. I actually have someone else to talk to (besides myself) around the house again. So tonight I watched two movies: Just Friends and The Goonies. I know what you're going to say--you haven't seen The Goonies until now? No, I haven't. But it was decent. I would say Just Friends was my favorite of the night though. It was hilarious, and I love comedy. And really... who doesn't like Ryan Reynolds? But watching all the extras on the DVD made me so confused about the filming process and why the writer seemed to have a lot of say on what was going on... I have always been told that was not the norm. What I need to do is finish one of my scripts to see what really happens once the writing is done.



PODCAST UPDATE: I think I've made decent progress on catching up with my podcasts. I have under 325 left to watch/listen to. That's pretty good, considering what the number was yesterday... it might even be smaller. I haven't updated my ipod lately. I know that I only have about five episodes of AC 360 left and I'm making a huge dent in the Grammar Girl episodes. I would just skip all the old ones and only get the new ones, but the information is so useful and entertaining that I just can't. At least I'm not so OCD that I have to listen to them in order! Please, give me credit for that one.

I went with a friend to see Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story last night. Let me just say first that I haven't been to a movie theater in almost three years, so that automatically gives the experience much more to me than it does to everyone else... but, the movie was amazing! Funniest things I've seen all year (all year? ha ha). Though my friend wasn't ready for the breif male nudity we both had a great time. The Apatow Group, apparently as it's known now, turns out great movies. I'll admit I probably haven't seen more than two of them, but the ones I did see deserve praise.

I downloaded two new podcasts last night. I think that brings my total podcast count up to nine podecsts, with 169 episodes unseen, and about 61 new ones downloading. I think I've gone a little podcast crazy. BUT, as I said before my "cable" company screwed me out of CNN, so a podcast is the only way I can watch AC 360. I also like to sleep in now so it is vital that I get the Today Show podcast. The Nightly News podcast I could do without just because I catch it on TV most nights, but sometimes the "cable" searches for its satellite signal and I can't get the station it's on.

But the new ones: VintageToons and Scrubs. Now I'm a little upset: Scrubs isn't downloading. There's a problem. But once I get it, I'll be happy. And you know how much I love to rant and rave about old cartoons being morally high and mighty while still retaining racist and ethnic stereotypes. Ah, the good old days.

I promise my blogs won't always be this boring. I'm just getting a slow start on 2008 and haven't prepared myself enough to blog daily, like I'm trying. And no--it's not a resolution to blog daily. It's a goal. There's a difference.