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A Writer’s Podcast starring... YOU!

Dreamhand

Troubadour
*posted with Black Dragon's email permission*

The Roundtable Podcast


The Roundtable Podcast Website
Facebook Page
iTunes
Twitter: WritersPodcast
Skype: d.h.robison


There’s a new podcast in town, my MythicScribes friends and colleagues. It’s called “The Roundtable Podcast” and it was created to explore how writers take ideas and turn them into strong story plots. But instead of offering broad suggestions and non-specific guidelines, this podcast uses a specific story to illustrate how to transform a vague idea into a strong and writable tale.

Which story does it use? YOURS!

Each week, we invite a published author, editor, or publisher to join us as “esteemed guest host”. We ALSO invite a writer to come on to the show and present a story idea they’ve been developing. We then have a no-holds-barred discussion with the writer, going over the strengths and weaknesses of plot, character, structure and theme. In the end, the writer gets a valuable exploration and discussion with one professional (and a couple enthusiastic hobbyists) and hopefully a story they can start writing.

Episode Zero is up on the website (and on iTunes) now, which will give you some background on me and my co-host Brion Humphrey as well as a breakdown of how the podcast is structured. We start releasing weekly episodes on March 6, 2012, and you can subscribe via RSS feed at the website.

We’re looking for writers!
We’re actively looking for writers to present their ideas for the show! We’re hoping to record a couple episodes a week prior to March 6th so we’re ahead of the curve when we launch.

Go to the “BE A GUEST” page on the Roundtable Podcast website (The Roundtable Podcast » Be a GUEST) and fill out the form you find there. Send it off to us and we’ll get back to you in 2-5 days with our decision. We try to match writers with hosts in terms of genre and style so even if we accept your application, it may be a week or more before we can schedule your episode.

Some other details...
  • Your time commitment will be 1.5 hours. We’ll try to be flexible regarding your scheduled recording date but we can’t promise anything (the Guest Host’s availability will likely determine the recording window for your episode).
  • We’d prefer you use Skype to call in because A) it’s free, and B) the recorded sound quality is much better. If you can’t make Skype work (really?), we can work with a normal land-line (no cellphones) but you’ll sound like you’re calling in on a radio show.
  • You’ll need to sign a release for the audio recording we make of the discussion.
  • On request, you will receive a .WAV file of the complete edited episode.

We’re looking forward to some excellent discussions and learning how to take control of our ideas to develop them into solid story lines. We hope you’ll join us... check out the website, listen to Episode Zero and sign up to be a writer.
 
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Telcontar

Staff
Moderator
Well, you know I'm in! I'll fill out the form soon enough, if only to ransom your advice on all things podcasting as I move forward...
 

Dreamhand

Troubadour
Absolutely, Tel. I'll look forward to seeing your application roll in. We have some great hosts lined up and it's a great opportunity to workshop your story for FREE! :)

And let's set up a time to talk about your plans, too. You know how much I HATE talking about this but, for you, I'll shoulder the burden. ;)
 

Legendary Sidekick

The HAM'ster
Moderator
Dreamhand,

I've started filling in the form, but was interrupted last night. I'm toying with a couple ideas for the story now, so we'll have plenty to talk about! Your guidelines for the log line and character descriptions are quite helpful. Believe it or not, I actually like filling in the form! (Fair warning: I'll change my mind if I submit then see another form which includes the phrase "page 2 of 10.")

Also, I once told you Saturdays were best for me. However, if that's not possible, I'm a teacher. I have the weeks of February 20th and April 16th off, making Monday through Friday possible during those weeks.
 

Dreamhand

Troubadour
Hey LS! I appreciate the positive feedback on the form... I didn't want to overwhelm potential Guest Writers, but by the same token, I figured it was reasonable to ask for some basic info. And let me know if you have any trouble submitting the form... one writer mentioned it took a looooong time for it to submit. I want to make sure that was an isolated incident. ;)

And no worries on the availability. Brion (my co-host) and I both punch the clock and HE'S a High School creative writing teacher, so we're all about the evenings and weekends. Once we get you in the system, we'll try and match you up with a good Guest Host so there might be a small wait until we get you scheduled. We'll definitely keep you posted.

GENERAL REQUEST:
Anything you (truly) Mythic Scribes can do to help spread the word will be appreciated. Writers groups, book stores, coffee shops... if you find yourselves in a conversation with writers, drop the URL on 'em. We have 52 episodes a year to fill up, so there's PLENTY of room (for now). :D
 

Legendary Sidekick

The HAM'ster
Moderator
Thanks, Dreamhand. I'll get to that form later on. I'm holding off for now, as I promised my wife to take a break from fiction writing until I finish my paper for my principal's license. It's not gonna write itself!


I wish it would. I HATE writing serious nonfiction!
 

Dreamhand

Troubadour
***UPDATE***

Things have been rolling along at the Roundtable Podcast! It's been a lot like drinking from a fire hose, actually, with astonishing amounts to learn and some great experiences already.

GUEST HOSTS
We've already recorded three episodes and have more scheduled, but I wanted to share a list of some of the truly remarkable guest hosts we have lined up:

J. Daniel Sawyer
Nathan Lowell
Gail Carriger
Gail Carson Levine
Alasdair Stuart (editor and host of Pseudopod)
Justin Macumber (from the Dead Robots' Society)

...and we have more in the pipeline. One thing we've discovered is that the Guest WRITERS have some great ideas for the authors they'd like to workshop with so we've added a field to the submission form to request writers to be the Guest Host for your episode. This led to a delightful but brief email exchange with Mike Mignola (he graciously declined), but you know what... thems that don't asks, don't gets! So check out the website and let us know which amazing author you want to have as your personal one-on-one workshop leader!

Episode Zero-Point-Five is dropping this Tuesday (Feb 21) where my co-host Brion and I discuss some of the amazing things we've discovered about writers, the podosphere, and ourselves, and go over how writers can be on the show. And then two weeks later - on March 6th - the premiere episode launches! Squeeee! :D

We're still learning and expanding the website and our list of writers and hosts so stay tuned... it's gonna be a wild ride!
 

Dreamhand

Troubadour
***Shameless Bump***

We have 3 showcases and 2 workshop episodes posted so far (with the third workshop dropping tomorrow, March 20) and the feedback has been amazing!

Seriously, my MythicScribes brethren and sisteren (?), you gotta get on this show! It's a free workshop of your story idea with an author or editor... on a podcast... FOR FREE! Plus you get to pimp whatever you have out there in the Kindle store or iBooks. Listen to the episodes that are up there and you'll see what I mean. Heck I'M learning volumes and they aren't even my stories!

PLUS, we continue to have some amazing Guest Hosts! Coming up we have...

Lee Harris (editor at Angry Robot Books, Creator of Hub e-zine, and Chair of the British Fantasy Society)
Pip Ballantine (author, podcaster, voice actor and genius behind the Geist series, Chasing the Bard/Digital Magic, and 1/2 the team behind the steampunk series Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences published by Harper books)
Bryan Lincoln (scientist and writer/producer of award-winning full cast audio drama)
P.G. Holyfield (podcasting legend and Author of Murder at Avedon Hill)
Nobilis Reed (podcaster and award-winning author of countless fantasy/erotica titles)

And the list continues to grow.

You don't need a finished story. You don't even need a finished story idea. All you need to do is signup at The Roundtable Podcast website! And even if you don't feel comfortable actually being on the podcast, you gotta check it out. There's some great stuff happening during these shows and value insights for any writer from some remarkable people.

Thanks, everyone!
 

Telcontar

Staff
Moderator
All the cool kids are doing it, join us!

Seriously, though - I highly recommend it. For anyone looking to become a published author (whatever route you choose) it's a good start to getting your name out there.
 

Dreamhand

Troubadour
[Insert shameless topic bump here...]

Well gang, we've crossed into double digits for our episodes and it's been frickin' amazing! I wanted to catch everyone up on some news and showcase some of the amazing guest hosts we've had and WILL have on the show.

We've been Nominated for TWO Parsec Awards!

The Parsec's recognize outstanding achievement in podcasts focused on Speculative Fiction, either the fiction itself, or review and fandom of that Spec Fic, or (and here's where the Roundtable Podcast comes in), the craft and creation of the tales themselves.

After just a couple months of releasing the podcast, we've been nominated for "Best New Podcast" and "Best Content Creation" podcast. This is HUGE and honestly completely unexpected! Finalists are announced in August and the award is presented at Dragon Con in Atlanta over Labor Day weekend.

We'll Be at Balticon

Well, I will. My co-host, Brion Humphrey can't make it, but I'll be there rubbing elbows with other podcasters as well as a veritable smorgasbord of fantasy and sci-fi authors and artists. Check out the Balticon site... it's quite the line up

If any of you are in the Baltimore area, the con is a blast and I would LOVE the chance to meet you. I'll be the tall guy with the chin beard and the amazing voice. ;)

Guest Hosts

OMG... what a line up we've had. Mur Lafferty (author, podcaster, nominated for a John W. Campbell Award), Lee Harris (editor of Angry Robot Books, the Harper Collins SF/F branch), and Gail Carson Levine (author of "Ella Enchanted" and many other superb YA novels) are just a few of the authors we've had workshopping writer's stories on the show (writers like YOU by the way... Telcontar and Benjamin Clayborn of MythicScribes have both been on the show).

And coming up? Tim Pratt, Rachel Swirsky, Seanan McGuire, Cherie Priest, and a wealth of award-winning published authors and editors. We couldn't be more pleased and excited... so much writerly awesomeness! :D

It's been a wild ride so far, gang, and it's just gonna get wilder. Hope you can tune in!
 

Telcontar

Staff
Moderator
You really have had an impressive lineup of artists, and congrats on your nominations! (not the first time I've said it, but it can never be said often enough).

Personally, I've set a modest goal to be the first person on the Roundtable Podcast both as Guest Writer and Guest Host. :) It's rather exciting to have seen the beginning of what is sure to be a long and successful project.
 

Dreamhand

Troubadour
Thanks, Tel... and if anyone can achieve that exalted transition from Guest Writer to Guest Host, it will most certainly be you (and a lot quicker than anyone expected). :D
 
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