The work of being a writer is never ending. When you’re not writing, you’re reading. When you’re not reading, you can listen! Podcasts are a wonderful way to learn about new books, hear authors talk about their writing practice, learn new skills, improve your writing craft, and gain fresh perspectives on the business of publishing. Here’s a short list of some of my favorite podcasts for writers. Fresh Air – This weekly program airs on WHYY in Philadelphia and is rebroadcast on many public radio stations nationwide. You may have heard this program on the radio and not even realized it was also a podcast, available for downloading and listening at your convenience. Offering intimate conversations with contemporary authors, this podcast is one of public radio’s most popular and long-running programs. Host Terry Gross asks the questions you want answered and elicits the best responses from bestselling authors of fiction, memoir, and nonfiction. Reading and Writing Podcast – Jeff Rutherford hosts another podcast with tremendous crossover appeal for readers and writers alike. He interviews authors about their new books, writing habits, favorite novels and how they got started. He includes genre fiction – mystery, romance, thriller, fantasy and science fiction. Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing – Mignon Fogarty’s podcast helps you improve your writing skills and answers those questions you’re too embarrassed to ask. Every episode is short, answers a question, and provides examples. I got hooked on her website which offers a great guide to…
If you’re an aspiring author, pursuing a career in the world of words, or just writing an email to your boss later today, chances are your work will need some editing. New to the world of books, I quickly learned the best sentences can become even better by using some great free tools at your disposal. No, I’m not talking about the pamphlets we received… [Read More]
Filed Under: DIY Self-editing, Grammar Girl, Grammarist, Grammarly, Khan Academy, OWL Purdue
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As more people come to value the natural world and venture into wildlife areas, a reference guide to help identify the animals who call these places home has never been more useful. A Field Guide to Tracking Mammals in the Northeast will be released July 4, 2017, from Countryman Press (W. W. Norton). I recently interviewed author Linda J. Spielman about how she came to… [Read More]
April is National Poetry Month. Do people hate poetry? According to novelist and poet Ben Lerner, yes. His new book, The Hatred of Poetry, argues we are always looking for our humanity in poetry and find mere poems instead. There are three reasons why I haven’t picked up an epic poem for decades. 1. The Epic of Gilgamesh. 2. The Illiad. 3. The Odyssey. My… [Read More]
Across the nation there are community reading programs that ask everyone to read and discuss the same book. For almost 20 years the American Library Association has developed resources for librarians to build community–wide reading programs. People who share a common reading experience come together to discuss the book. “The idea is that the city that opens the same book closes it in greater harmony,”… [Read More]
If you watch a lot of movies, then you’ve likely seen continuity errors. In Jurassic Park, there is a scene where programmer-turned-thief Dennis Nedry converses live with an accomplice on his computer but the workstation clearly shows he’s speaking to a pre-recorded video instead. Plot hole. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays an action hero in Commando where he badly damages his Porsche giving chase and in the… [Read More]