Fiction Podcasts: Their History, Evolution, and My Journey Creating One

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This is Podcasting where I'm on a quest to conquer the podcasting realm, and I'm bringing

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you along for the journey to help you achieve your own podcasting success.

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What's going on and welcome back to Podcasting.

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It's been a while since my last episode, and I'm excited to be here again with you today,

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and we're diving into something that has taken a lot of my energy lately, and that is Fiction

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Podcast.

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But first, let me catch you up to where I've been, so since my last episode I've been busy

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between a new job, the holidays, and focusing on my other podcasts.

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So I've had to take a step back from podcasting.

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Now one of the projects I've been working on is a fiction podcast originally called

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Jack's Chronicles.

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It has since evolved into the Jack Moore Chronicles, and later in the episode I will share why

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I made that title change.

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So first, let's dive into a little background into fiction podcasts.

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So fiction podcasts or audio dramas are not a new concept.

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They've been around for a long time, dating back to the golden age of radio.

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Thanks to the rise of podcasting, audio dramas are experiencing a major comeback.

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Shows like Welcome to the Night Veil and the Magnus Archives have garnered a massive following,

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bringing new attention to the genre.

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Fiction podcasts may feel like a new trend, but they have deep roots in the history of

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audio storytelling.

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Before podcasts ever existed, radio dramas were the original form of serialized audio

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entertainment, with shows like The War of the Worlds and The Shadow.

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Over time, the popularity of radio dramas waned as television became the dominant medium

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for entertainment.

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However, the storytelling techniques and creative spirit of those early audio dramas never

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truly disappeared.

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Instead, they found a new home with the advent of audiobooks.

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Audiobooks surged in popularity thanks to advancements in recording technology and the

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convenience of listening on the go.

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Classic novels and contemporary bestsellers were suddenly more accessible to busy readers,

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leading to an audiobook boom that continues to this day.

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Platforms like Audible have helped bring storytelling into people's daily routines,

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whether during a commute, workout, or while cooking dinner.

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Enter the era of podcasts.

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With the rise of podcasting in the mid-2000s, fiction audio dramas began to make a significant

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comeback.

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What's particularly fascinating is that fiction podcasts are evolving as an art form.

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They're no longer just stories with sound effects.

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They're experiments in storytelling.

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This historical evolution is what inspired me to explore the world of fiction podcasting.

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Knowing the rich legacy of audio storytelling made me want to take on the challenge of creating

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something uniquely my own.

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And that's exactly what I'll dive into for the rest of this episode.

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Now if you've listened to past episodes of podcasting, you know I've discussed the overall

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growth of the podcasting genre before.

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If you're interested in learning more about that, I recommend checking out those episodes

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and doing some research, particularly look into Edison Research.

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I always recommend them on this podcast for more podcast research and statistics.

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According to their latest studies, fiction podcasts have seen an increase in listenership

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over the past few years, with no signs of slowing down.

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So what's driving this growth?

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One reason is that listeners are creating more immersive and creative content.

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Fiction podcasts offer escapism and a way to experience stories in a deeply personal

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way.

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Through the use of sound effects, voice acting, and layered storytelling.

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My fiction podcast journey began almost by accident.

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I started writing just for fun and the first episode was born.

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I didn't initially plan on creating a full-fledged fiction podcast, but once I uploaded the first

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chapter I realized how much I enjoyed the process.

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At first it was just an experiment, a way to scratch that creative itch if you will,

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but as I continued writing I found myself getting more invested in the characters and

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the world I was building.

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I'm sure if you're a writer you can relate to the filling of a story taking on its own

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life.

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One unique aspect of my podcast is the way I'm approaching storytelling.

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I write one chapter at a time and only move on to the next chapter after I release the

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current one.

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This makes the story feel more improvised and I love not knowing what will happen next

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along with the listener.

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I'm also considering ways to involve listeners in the storytelling process.

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If you have any suggestions let me know.

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Perhaps they can help shape future chapters by submitting ideas or voting on plot twists.

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So as I teased in the beginning, let's talk about the title change.

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Originally the podcast was called Jack's Chronicles, however after doing some research I discovered

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several other books and projects with similar titles.

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To improve search engine optimization and stand out I changed the name to the Jack Moore

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Chronicles.

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Not a big change, but a change enough to set the title apart from the other Jack Chronicles

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things that are out there.

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Hopefully this change will make it easier for new listeners to find the show.

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Changing the title wasn't an easy decision.

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Titles carry a lot of weight, especially in storytelling.

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I wanted something that felt unique and also hinted at the story's mysterious and evolving

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nature.

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Fiction podcasts differ from other genres in several ways.

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They often require more scripting, sound design and editing compared to conventional or interview

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based podcasts.

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The immersive nature of audio dramas makes them a truly unique medium for storytelling.

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One major difference is the importance of sound effects in music.

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These elements help set the tone and create a more vivid mental picture for listeners.

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If you're a writer, you might be wondering if a fiction podcast is worth it.

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In my very limited experience it absolutely is.

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It provides motivation to keep writing and acts as a built in deadline if you commit

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to uploading episodes on a regular schedule.

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It's a great way to hone your storytelling skills while sharing your work with an audience.

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Fiction podcasts also offer a unique opportunity to experiment with serialized storytelling.

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You can test out new ideas, develop characters over time and see how your audience responds.

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It's a dynamic and evolving process that can help you grow as a writer.

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So should you start a fiction podcast?

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If you love stories and want to explore a creative medium, I say go for it.

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The genre is growing and people are hungry for new engaging narratives.

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Just be prepared for the work that goes into it.

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It's not just about writing, you'll also need to focus on recording, editing, marketing,

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film design and a whole lot more.

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So since my last episode of podquesting, I've been focusing almost exclusively on the Jack

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Moore Chronicles, releasing one chapter per month.

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This schedule has been manageable with my full time job, but I'm working on putting

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together a stricter schedule so I can release more episodes across my different podcasts.

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Both podquesting and curiosity overload have taken a backseat, but I wanted to continue

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producing episodes for both shows.

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I'm also considering launching another fiction podcast, which I think I could handle if I

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released episodes once a month or even less frequently.

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Balancing the desire to run multiple podcasts and build a podcast network while working

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full time is a challenge, but it's part of the quest I'm on and I'm working really hard

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to overcome it.

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Some strategies that have helped me include setting clear priorities, blocking out dedicated,

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time and learning to say no to projects that don't align with my goals.

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It's all about finding what works for you.

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So thank you for joining me on this episode of podquesting.

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If you're interested in fiction podcasts or thinking about starting your own, I hope this

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episode gave you some insights.

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Don't forget to check out the Jack Moore Chronicles on anywhere you listen to podcasts and my other

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shows if you haven't already.

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Until next time, thanks for listening to this episode of podquesting.

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If you are a podcaster looking to join a network of like-minded individuals growing their podcasts

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and embarking on this quest, well check out WolfShield.media.

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There's an application on the website where you can apply to be part of a pack.

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Again, that is WolfShield.media to check out that application.

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Until next time, keep on questing.