It’s rare to come across writing tools that are completely free and actually useful. You can ring up quite a tab attending webinars, seminars and retreats. For most writers, those price tags are far out of reach. On the other end of the spectrum, writing tools and tips that are advertised as free have a tendency to disappoint. †

Enter podcasts. They’re portable, engaging, and free. Want to hear straight talk on how to publish your novel? Listen to a lecture from an acclaimed writing professor? Just pop in some earbuds and hit play. You’ll discover hundreds of free podcasts focused entirely on writing and its various subgenres. No matter what kind of writer you are, something is bound to pique your interest. All you need is about 15 minutes and an audio device.†

Here are six of our top free podcast picks:

Writing Excuses

Writing Excuses is a fiction writing podcast run by†Brandon Sanderson†(Mistborn,†The Wheel of Time,†and†The Stormlight Archive),†Dan Wells†(I Am Not a Serial Killer), and†Howard Tayler(Schlock Mercenary). You can listen to these weekly podcasts directly from the Writing Excuses website. Each is just 15 minutes long, “because youíre in a hurry, and weíre not that smart.” With their own special brand of humor, the show hosts dish out advice on topics germaine to creative writing, including†literary techniques,†idea farms,†plotting, and the†publishing industry.

The Writing Studio: On Writing

On Writing is a series of conversations with faculty and other advanced writers at Vanderbilt University about their writing practices. Conversations examine writersí eccentricities and the ways in which a given writer generates ideas, cultivates a style, and responds to various writing situations.†

AmericanWriters.com Creative Writing Podcast

The Creative Writing Podcast at AmericanWriters.com is designed to help writers of all levels. The focus is on characterization, narrative, plot development, dialogue, conflict, setting, literary archetypes, etc. Episodes are not centered around mindless, useless pep talks and recycled writing tips. Rather, the Podcast at AmericanWriters.com offers in-depth analysis of what works and what doesn’t, with explanations and original writing samples.†

Write For Your Life

Co-hosted by writers†Iain Broome†and Myke Hurley,†the Write for Your Life podcast is part of†the 70Decibels network. Season three is currently underway, and you can catch up on the whole backlog of past episodes by browsing the Write For Your Life archives on Iain’s site. The hosts “talk writing, reading and all things digital.” You can “expect thoughts, advice, nonsense and guests.”††Write For Youre Life has†been featured in the ënew and noteworthyí section of iTunes.†

The Creative Penn Podcast

These bi-weekly podcasts from author and entrepreneur Joanna Penn feature†interviews, inspiration and information on writing, publishing options and book marketing. Listen to any of the podcasts in the archive here.†

I Should Be Writing



Author and editor Mur Lafferty hosts “I Should Be Writing,” focusing†on the emotional road blocks that get in the way of a writing career.†Winner of the Podcast Peer Award and the Parsec Award, this is a show about a writer going from wanna-be to pro. It reaches over 8000 listeners every week and features interviews and how-tos.†