When I’m not listening to an audiobook, I often listen to a podcast about writing (or about books, as I posted a few months ago). Here are some of my favorite podcasts for writers. Let me know what writing or bookish podcasts you listen to!
The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, with Bianca Marais
This podcast is most helpful for writers who are querying (or thinking about querying) agents. At the start of each episode, literary agents Cece Lyra and Carly Watters critique queries and first pages from listeners. Host Bianca Marais interviews novelists in the second half of the show, with emphasis on craft, process, and writing journeys.
Favorite episodes: Lauren Groff, Karma Brown
How Do You Write, with Rachael Herron
Multi-genre novelist Rachael Herron interviews a range of novelists about their own writing journeys, writing process, and publishing. Supportive advice for writers and a little of her own life story too.
Favorite episodes: Emma Brodie, Tiffany Yates Martin
A long-running podcast that mixes it up. #Amwriting’s three hosts, novelist KJ Dell’Antonia, romance author Sarina Bowen, and nonfiction author Jessica Lahey, interview other writers and publishing experts, like Jenny Nash. They delve into their own writing journeys, as well as craft and publishing issues.
Favorite episodes: KJ and book coach Jenny Nash debate some of their favorite writing books.
First Draft, A Dialogue on Writing, with Mitzi Rapkin
Host Mitzi Rapkin interviews all the literary writers, mostly novelists. Thoughtful podcast with an emphasis on craft and the writing life.
Favorite episodes: Joshua Henkin, Alice McDermott.
The New Yorker Fiction and The Writer’s Voice
The New Yorker’s weekly fiction podcast features authors reading their own short stories or novel excerpts that are running in The New Yorker that week. The monthly Writer’s Voice podcast features fiction writers reading other writers’ stories from The New Yorker archive. After reading the story, that episode’s reader discusses the story with fiction editor Deborah Treisman. It’s usually a wonderful conversation—great for writers to listen in on!
Favorite episode: Too many to list, but I especially enjoyed Tessa Hadley’s reading of the John Updike story New York Girl (from 2018), and Ann Patchett’s reading of Maile Meloy’s story The Proxy Marriage (from Aug. 2021).
Selected Shorts, in which actors read short stories or excerpts from longer works onstage at Symphony Space, isn’t meant for writers, but listening to a dramatic reading always gets me thinking about a story in a new way. Sometimes an episode will include an interview with the writer of the featured story.
Hear Us Roar, with Maggie Smith
Host and novelist Maggie Smith interviews debut novelists from the Women’s Fiction Writers Association about their publication journeys, book-launch experiences, and theirs novels (I belong to WFWA, which offers many great resources to writers working on women’s fiction).
Favorite episodes: AH Kim, Lisa Braxton
Kris Clink’s Writing Table, with Kris Clink
Host Kris Clink interviews a mis of authors (though mainly women’s fiction authors) about their writing and their publishing journeys. She asks great questions!
Favorite episode: Laurie Frankel
The Best of Women’s Fiction, with Lainey Cameron
Host and novelist Lainey Cameron interviews women’s fiction writers.
(Yes, another women’s fiction podcast! Lainey, Maggie, and Kris have some overlap among their guests, but they each have pretty distinct interviewing styles and emphases.)
Favorite episode: Kathleen West