Dear friend,

There was a time (in the good ol’ days before spotify), when I was only able to listen to music by turning on the radio. The thing with radio though, is that it’s not just music. It’s also a radio show (and ads, but that’s besides the point).

There was one radio show I really enjoyed when I was young (besides Adventures in Odessy). It was the morning show of our local Christain radio. The two hosts had great chemistry and were hilarious to my twelve-year-old sensibilities.

While radio shows are still alive and kicking, I don’t listen to them as much as I do podcasts. A good podcast has informed opinions, humor, and solid sound equipment.

Solid sound equipment, because it doesn’t distract from the conversation.

Humor, because laughter is the best medicine.

Opinions, because it’s a form of vulnerability and you get to understand them as people through how they express their opinions. And, well, it’s fun to listen to other people’s opinions and decide if you agree or disagree.

Podcasts are great for finding inspiration, either directly or indirectly. More than once, a podcast host has recommended a book or a movie that I later read or watched, and I found inspiration from it.

I don’t listen to only three podcast, but these are the three that I think would be most helpful to you.

1) Intentionally Blank

In Intentionally Blank, bestselling authors Brandon Sanderson and Dan Wells search for the perfect podcast name and talk about the weird things they love—such as food heists, the perfect popcorn salt, and whether any art can truly be perfect. Listen for commentary on movies, TV shows, books, video games, and wherever else their conversation leads them. This is a fun one to listen to the banter between two middle-aged dads who also happen to be great storytellers.

2) The Kate and Abbie Show

Kate and Abbie Emmons are sisters, best friends, and authors on a mission to help you stoke your creative fire and live the life of your dreams. The sisters have conversations on the science and makeup of stories, with keen insight into storytelling for writers.

3) A Curiously Good Podcast

And last but not least, The Pearl literary magazine recently launched their podcast, a story show for readers. There’s curiously good literature all around us—being written as we speak. On A Curiously Good Podcast, they fold you into the Kingdom conversation: by crafting great stories for you to listen to, by analyzing what goes into a good story, and by breaking down the great and the terrible stories lurking among us.

Podcasts are great to listen to when you’re busy with your hands but bored with your brain. Use the time to fill yourself with inspiration, so the next time you sit down to create, you can pull from what you already have.

Sincerely,

R. J. Catlin