30/05/2025
Been digging back into Jessica Abel's "Out on the Wire" recently and it's reminded me why this book should be on every podcaster's shelf.
It's a graphic novel that takes you inside the world of radio storytelling - sounds like an odd combo, but it works weirdly well! Abel gets access to the teams behind This American Life, Radiolab, Planet Money and shows you their actual process.
A few things that really stood out to me:
🔎 The way Ira Glass talks about having a clear "focus sentence" before you even start - basically, what's your question, your segment, or your episode actually about? He's got a sentence structure - "Someone does something, because ___ but ___" which is cracking for nailing this down.
📐 How Radiolab creates those "whoa" moments that make you stop whatever you're doing and really listen. They'll take a simple concept and then hit you with an unexpected angle or consequence that completely reframes everything you thought you knew. That's the difference between background noise and compelling content.
😳 The interviewing secrets from Planet Money - they've got this down to an art form. Robert Smith talks about using slightly awkward silence after someone finishes talking, because people naturally want to fill that gap and often reveal their most honest thoughts in those moments. Makes you realise how much technique goes into getting people to open up properly.
✏️ The editing sections are brilliant, too. Really tactical. You see how they take mountains of audio and turn it into these perfectly paced stories. There's real craft involved - nothing's left to chance. Applies to refining an interview episode as well as narrative shows.
What I love is that it shifts your mindset from "I'll just record a chat" to thinking like a proper storyteller. Whether you're doing interviews, solo episodes, or narrative work, these principles apply.
Honestly, if you're serious about making your podcast stand out, this book digs deeper into the craft of great podcasting than anything else I know.
Anyone else read it? What's the best podcasting book you've come across?
