‘Having a podcast is a great excuse to talk to other writers.’
Today I am delighted to welcome Máire Brophy, author of After The World, a fantasy novella just published in May 2018 with Strange Fictions Press.
Máire is the co-host of Irish Writers Podcast with Cathy Clarke and Kate Mulholland since 2015 and has written a really interesting post today on Podcasts and the associated benefits for writers.
I’ll hand you over to Máire now and I do hope you enjoy….
The benefits of podcasting for writers
by Maire Brophy
I’ve been podcasting with my friends and fellow writers Cathy Clarke and Kate Mulholland since 2015. Irish Writers Podcast is now up to episode 50 and I don’t think we ever thought we’d get that far. We talk about our current projects as well topical issues in the writing world. We’ve delved deep into some areas that took our fancy, like Kate’s engagement with artists, Cathy’s addiction to writing courses and my report on writing for Dungeons and Dragons. And we’ve also interviewed other writers.
Engaging with other writers
Having a podcast is a great excuse to talk to other writers. It might seem naval gazing but getting a sense of someone else’s process when you’re stuck with your own is an uplifting experience. And it’s not just been in the moment. Some of the things other writers have said to me in the interviews have stuck with me, ready for the time when they were needed.
There were definite trends across the discussions – how living life is important for the art and it’s not just about the craft. Having something to say featured a lot – both in terms of writing flowing really at a time of having something to say, and the impetus of maybe never getting around to saying the things you have to say.
Unsurprisingly passion was evident across all of these writers. Not that sometimes they weren’t jaded or facing set backs, but through all this there was this passion for their stories. It’s good for me to remember that when I’m tired, that the drive for the story has to make it through in the end.
An excuse to explore new avenues for writing
I love when we get an inkling of something and decide to go down the rabbit hole. I love finding new and interesting ways to work as a writer. This was one of the reasons I talked about writing for D&D, or even novellas.
The exploration of novellas was really pivotal for me. When I knew that my book wasn’t going to be that long I started to look into novellas. And the first piece of info told me not to waste my time writing novellas. Some more research later told me about their resurgence and popularity on ebooks and in certain genres. It was great to talk through those things on the podcast and get the sense of the possibilities.
Having the process documented
Once when I was shredding a pile of old bank statements, I imagined this as a great loss to a future biographer of me. I’m sure I’m destined for greatness, but I’m not sure as what! As it turns out the process of writing my first book is completely documented by our podcast.
The podcast shows the burst of writing about 30,000 words in NaNoWriMo, the subsequent failed plan to make it to a full length novel, the exploration of novellas, discussions about writing good fantasy, and then talking about editing and trying to find publishers.
You can hear about close calls, and finally finding a home for my book, and the editing that followed. The most recent episode was on my launch day, and we talked about the book and where it came from.
I’ve moved house three times since I started writing the book, so nothing much on paper has survived, but this podcast has (so far!). It’s a great resource for me to reflect on my process and hopefully hone it for the next book.
Is there a downside?
The main downside is realising how much you say ‘um’ and ‘you know’ when you talk! Of course it takes a bit of time to record and edit, but we make sure we have cake whenever we get together and that more than makes up for it!
The real benefit is the camaraderie
There’s nothing like having people cheer you along on your journey and I really get that from my co-hosts, the interviewees and the listeners.
About The Book:
After the war is lost, all that remains is to survive. And when you know what you’ve done, you can’t hope for anything more.
Bereft in a hostile world, an orc general struggles to come to terms with his role in the destruction of his people. Running and hiding from the humans and elves that hunt him down, he searches for other orc survivors.
When two human wizards finally pin him down in an abandoned orcish mountain fortress, he must use his wits and cunning to prevail, redeeming himself and the magic of his people.
Purchase Link ~ After The World
About Máire Brophy:
Máire Brophy lives in Dublin, Ireland. By day, she works with researchers to help develop and express their ideas, and by night she mostly sleeps. In between she’s often found playing Dungeons and Dragons, eating cake and watching movies. She is currently considering learning to play golf.
Máire cohosts Irish Writers Podcast, a podcast about writing.
Her debut book After the World is published by Strange Fictions Press.
Website ~ https://www.mairebrophy.com/
Twitter ~ @MaireBro
