I’m sure I’ve mentioned it here before but I’m a big listener of podcasts. Although I only do this at my desk. I don’t have a commute so I don’t have that time in which to listen and I did download an app on my phone with the intention of listening when walking the dog but I’m rubbish at keeping earbuds in and actually quite like the silence when I’m walking rather than the constant chatter.
Among the podcasts I listen to are fun ones that make me laugh, or cringe, depending on their content and they are good for background entertainment when I’m doing some of my day job work. I say some because of course it does depend on what I’m doing as to how well I take in the podcast material. Often I can start a podcast episode turn back to my work and not realise until much later the episode has ended and I’ve not heard a word of it.
One of my favourite presenters, Phoebe from Criminal and This is Love, started up a new podcast at the beginning of the first lockdown where she read a chapter of a book each day. I think it was called Phoebe reads a Mystery and I initially leapt at subscribing to that as I love listening to her voice. Sadly, it didn’t last long as I can’t work and listen to stories at all as I can’t keep track of the plot. For the same reason I don’t listen to audio books.
I also subscribe to several writing podcasts, naturally, and I noticed this week that since the Christmas break, I’ve been reluctant to get back to listening to those, and they are piling up. I don’t like this. It is much better for my stress levels if I am completely up to date with everything. However, piling up they are and yet I’m actually still feeling fine about not listening to them. Several of them often contain interviews with incredibly successful indie authors and while I know this is meant to be inspirational and shows how others have managed it, it also feels incredibly out of reach, particularly when so many cases revolve around having to publish a book a month (or less!), which can be quite deflating.
The other downside of subscribing to all the podcasts is I’ve had no opportunity to listen to music and it wasn’t until I heard something in my library recently that I realised how much I missed it. In fact, I’d downloaded the latest album by Bruce Springsteen, Letter to You, when it came out, weeks and weeks ago, and hadn’t even gotten around to listening to that.
So, as with other things in my life I shall be doing some judicious pruning and I might not feel quite so overwhelmed with the task of having to keep up with all the pods, and can get back to enjoying those I like. I might even simply skip through the interviews so as to only listen to what I consider to be the more useful information, news and updates on the publishing market.
Image by FabioRibeiro from Pixabay
Do you listen to podcasts? How do they make you feel? Have you thought about cutting back on, or increasing, the number of those you listen to? And when do you listen to them? I’d love to know.
I was intrigued to read how you value silence, Georgia. I’m not a regular podcast follower but I do like listening to something informative while I’m doing other things (though not while writing, obviously!). But I confess that mostly I’m happy with my own thoughts which does cut down available listening time. I don’t spend much time listening to audiobooks either, though those I do listen to tend to be non-fiction. I’ve tried fiction but due to the way my listening time is protracted, it’s difficult to keep hold of the plot. The narrator is also key. A book I might be fascinated by can be ruined if I don’t warm to the narrator’s voice.
“Listening” would be an ideal way to do research for novels and there must be useful and relevant information out there, so perhaps as I’m at that point at the moment it might be something I should look into. It would also allow me to sew at the same time, an activity I’ve taken up again since lockdown. Sounds like perfect a combination!
Yes, I think sewing is definitely something you can do while you listen. I know others do so when they’re ironing, but as I try to cut my ironing time to the bare minimum it doesn’t grant me a great deal of extra listening time! I think if I did really long walks I’d get myself set up earphone-wise to listen to something gentle, but my dog is so old now she only manages a half hour or so out. And, we writers do just need time when there are no external distractions to let our thoughts assimilate, or as I like to think of it percolate through our brains. So, there are some changes ahead in my listening pleasure I think.
I used to listen to NPR while driving, but rarely do anymore. I know that isn’t a podcase per se, but it was the only “talk” kind of show I listened to. I don’t listen to podcasts as I prefer audio books. This is just too much out there to keep up with.
You’re quite right, Jeanne, there is too much out there to keep up with. That’s how I’m feeling.