Photo from Pexels
If you spend enough time writing, you realize that the best encouragement comes from hearing other writers talk honestly about the process. Not the polished social media version of writing life, but the real stuff: messy first drafts, self-doubt, publishing frustrations, creative burnout, and the determination to keep going anyway.
Funnily enough, as a writer, I don’t have as much time to read as I’d like, but I do enjoy listening to podcasts and audiobooks while I multitask. I’ll listen while walking my dog, cleaning the kitchen, or trying to convince myself to tackle another revision pass. So I thought I’d share a few of my favorite podcasts for writers. In no particular order, these are my current don’t-miss podcasts for writers.
Essential Guide to Writing a Novel by James Thayer
James Thayer is a thriller author and writing instructor who now shares his straightforward advice with the rest of us. His episodes are practical, encouraging, and easy to listen to when your brain already feels overloaded from trying to untangle plot problems or fixing an outline. He covers topics like pacing, dialogue, scenes, and character development without making writing feel overly complicated. And bonus, sometimes you’ll get to hear his cat in the background! His podcast is like sitting down with a mentor who understands but pulls no punches about telling you to get to it. And if James Thayer believes you can do it, you should, too. He ends every episode with, “Please, keep tapping those keys!”
The Sisters in Crime Writers’ Podcast
Hosted through Sisters in Crime (SiNC), this podcast features conversations with mystery and crime writers about publishing, creativity, and the writing life. Executive director Julie Hennrikus leads thoughtful interviews that feature SiNC members. If you’re a mystery writer, I highly recommend this one, because it gives a behind-the-scenes look at how other authors approach storytelling and publishing. Authors run the gamut from indie publishing to those who’ve published books with major publishers.
The Indy Author Podcast by Matty Dalrymple
Matty Dalrymple is an indie author who shares practical information about self-publishing, marketing, productivity, and writing craft. One of the things I appreciate most about this podcast is that it acknowledges writing as both an art and a business. The episodes are packed with useful information without feeling overwhelming, especially for writers trying to figure out the publishing side of things.
The Creative Penn Podcast by Joanna Penn
Joanna Penn is a well-known voice in independent publishing and entrepreneurship. She’s a bestselling thriller author, international speaker, and she also publishes a series of nonfiction books that offer practical help to writers. Her podcast covers everything from writing and mindset to marketing and emerging industry trends like AI and audiobooks. Her podcast is especially helpful for writers interested in self-publishing or who enjoy thinking long-term about their author careers.
The Write It Scared Podcast by Stacy Frazer
Stacy Frazer focuses on overcoming fear, perfectionism, procrastination, and the mental hurdles that show up somewhere around chapter twelve when you suddenly become convinced your entire manuscript is terrible. Her podcast acknowledges all of that while helping listeners move forward with practical tools. If you’ve ever struggled with imposter syndrome or fear of failure, this podcast is a reassuring voice reminding you to keep going.
The Resilient Writers Radio Show by Rhonda Douglas
Rhonda Douglas explores the realities of sustaining a creative life over the long haul. Her conversations often touch on burnout, rejection, confidence, productivity, and the emotional side of building a writing life. There’s a warmth and honesty that makes this one especially comforting during difficult creative seasons.
There are countless podcasts for writers out there, but these are the ones I keep returning to because they leave me feeling inspired instead of intimidated or overwhelmed. Sometimes all it takes is hearing another writer talk honestly about the process to help you sit back down and keep at it.
If you have a favorite writing podcast, I’d love to hear about it! Please share it in the comments.
