More Than Just Podcasts

So I'd like to take a moment and say that this blog is more than reviews of podcast novels. From time to time, I'll review a short story podcast like Escape Pod (next week maybe), and even some non-fiction podcasts. This will at least give me time to catch up on my listening, and be able to provide better reviews.

That said, the past week and a half or so, I've been listening to Mur Lafferty's podcast "I Should Be Writing". I started at the beginning of the 'cast, at which time she had not yet published her novel, or even finished it for that matter. (A side note, "Playing for Keeps" did wonderfully on the amazon charts, being released this past Monday.) In Mur's own words, ISBW is a "podcast for wannabe writer, by a wannabe writer." In the 'cast, Mur lays it down, and tells it like it is. Almost harsh at times, she removes excuses, provides helpful tips, and tells the listener to just start writing. There are no secrets, no magic potion that "great" writers have found (aside from maybe coffee?). All it takes to write, is to write. The episodes are rather short, on the order of 15-20 minutes, but it's long enough for Mur to cover one small topic in the process of getting started in writing. Instead of feeling like a writing seminar or workshop, it's got the feeling of sitting down over a warm beverage, and just talking about writing with a soon-to-be new friend. Casual, easy to listen to, and as such hits you smack in the face with the truth, "Just do it."

In my listening, I'm moving forward into the processes, and Mur's experiences, with trying to get published. The rejections, the rewrites, the re-rewrites, etc. and I might give updates on how the 'cast progresses. Each episode, Mur also gives updates on her own personal writing projects and progress. The 'cast has been running since late 2005, so it might take me a while to catch up, but it has been fun listening to the contrast between her talk about her hard work then, and hear her podcast novel, "Playing for Keeps", just recently published.

Moving on to my own projects, at some point, about 4 years ago, I fancied myself a Sci-Fi writer. I had written about 6 short stories, none of which were published, before finding my time for writing had run off somewhere to hide for a while. In listening to ISBW, I have regained my desire to write, and will be searching for the runaway time. I'll keep everyone updated here on what projects I'm working on, and how far along they might be.

You also may have noticed the new picture on the right. Yes, I have joined NANOWRIMO. The National Novel Writing Month, which is a frenzied outpouring of words in the month of November. The goal is 50,000 words from November 1 to November 31. No edits or rewrites, just writing as much and as fast as possible. I don't have any ideas for it yet, but will be working on it, outlining it, and possibly give some character interviews here and on the NANOWRIMO forums. If interested, my UN is CDspace, and my profile page is here.

I suppose that's all for now. Next week, nothing planned, but I'll find something to talk about.

A small update, I've got the internet at home now, although it's not exactly reliable. So, totally unrelated to the blog, my Zune card at the top will be updating now. It's been stuck for about a month. Also, due to my frelance programming work, I've got myself a 22" LCD monitor. I'll be getting another LCD monitor, and then a high quality headset/microphone. At that point, I'll begin looking into making this an actual podcast. Also at that point, project Cast-A-Line will begin taking shape. So things are rolling people. Slowly, but at least moving.

I Should Be Writing
NANOWRIMO
Escape Pod