5 Inspirational and Informative Podcasts for Fiction Writers

When it comes to hunkering down and writing a story, I'm always on the lookout for two things: sources of inspiration, and technical advice on the nuts and bolts of writing itself. In my (albeit short) time as a writer, I've found some great podcasts that cover both of those bases. Your mileage may vary, but the following are my personal favorites, in no particular order:


Writing Excuses - Hosted by authors Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Howard Tayler.
This one should be on the top of any writer's list, as far as I'm concerned. Writing Excuses is a bite-sized podcast at a mere fifteen minutes each episode, but because only one sliver of a topic is picked for each episode, it's ample time to cover the material without becoming tiresome. Full of comedy, wonderful guest hosts, and a broad array of topics, it's a fantastic resource.



Mysterious Universe - Hosted by Benjamin Grundy and Aaron Wright.
Each week, this Australian duo covers the gamut of supernatural topics. Aliens, Bigfoot, time traveling - you name it and they've discussed it. Their format consists of news articles, typically an interview, then listeners call in with their personal "mysterious" stories. While this has no relation to the act of writing itself, I've found inspiration for literally dozens of story seeds just from listening to this podcast. I would say this podcast is especially useful for science fiction writers.



I Should Be Writing - Hosted by Mur Lafferty.
Mur Lafferty's podcast is another great resource for writers, irrespective of genre. She has a consistent rotation of writing tips and author interviews, and every few episodes are punctuated by a "feedback" episode, wherein she answers listener questions and comments. She's also a very articulate and clear speaker, making for a pleasant listen.



StoryCorps - Hosted by...everyone?
This is another that falls under the "inspirational" category for writers. StoryCorps is a nonprofit organization that works with the Library of Congress to document and preserve the stories of everyday people. I can't emphasize enough what a treasure this podcast is; every episode is a complete wild card, and the stories run the gamut from happy, to nostalgic, to sometimes heart-wrenching. The best ideas for characters and stories come from real life, and the ones documented by StoryCorps are about as real as you can get.



The Writing Show - Hosted by Paula Berinstein.
The Writing Show is a long-running podcast geared toward writers of all varieties (non-fiction, fiction, screenwriters, etc). Chock full of interviews, discussions, and general writing advice. It also features a recurring feature called the "Slush Pile Workshop", in which Berinstein reads the submissions of amateur writers and critiques them.