I recently wrote about my venture into podcasts. Along the way I ruminated on the possibility of starting my own podcast. That is very much a project I would like to start.
What would I podcast about? At the moment I am considering making my podcast an extension of my blog: a simple man, talking about what interests him. If you have any thoughts about particular topics to podcast about, please do contact me. I am intrigued about the idea of booking guests to discuss specific ideas. I think Zoom and some other conferencing software can record audio reasonably well, so that may make remote podcasting possible, a necessary requirement.
Speaking of technology, I need to research proper equipment. I have headphones, but I need a quality noise cancelling microphone to capture my audio, at least, right? Do I need a physical mixer? Do I need a pop filter? Should I do video? If so, I need a camera, or could I use my iPhone? All these questions need answering. If anyone has recommendations for tech, send those along. I can use all the help I can get.
The above picture is my podcast cover art, at least for now. The equipment shown is from when I tried to podcast before. I no longer have that microphone or pop filter, unfortunately. Podcasting remains a project in active pre-production.
While I prepare the podcast, another creative project that I have thought about for a long time is being moved up into active production: a book of poetry. I have many poems sitting around waiting for an audience. I thought I would give them one.
I’ve been writing poetry since I was a teenager, and while some of those poems survive, they aren’t my best work. I started writing in earnest when I reached university and studied English literature and composition. Since then I have intentionally written many poems on a variety of themes. I have played with structure and form. I think I have enough poems for a collection.
I have a week of vacation coming up, and I’ve been thinking of beginning work on this literary project while I rest from my day job and other regular activities. I need to start by collecting all my poems under one roof. Some of them are on my iCloud Drive in a folder. Some are in the Notes app. Others exist only on this blog. Still more are scattered in a few notebooks that I have, somewhere. That will be a job in and of itself.
Next, I need to group the poems by subject. Given what I know I have, that makes most sense right now. Then I would spend time to figure out a theme and structure to the overall collection. Finally, the task would be format. I would like to include a little bit about the writing of several poems, similar to what I did with a recent one here on my blog. Doing that would result in a mix of poesy and prose, which is fine. Clearly there are many decisions to make.
Finally, I want to design the book and release it on Apple Books and in Kindle format, so I could place it on both Amazon and Apple. If I could figure out a print-on-demand service, that would be fantastic! I’d love for readers to have the choice to order physical copies as well as download digital versions. Again, I ask for help. If you’ve done any of this, and have tips or advice, I’d be grateful for any suggestions.
It looks as if the rest of my summer and my autumn will be busy. Not only will I be working on my book of poetry (due in December), researching my burgeoning podcast (launching in January?), but I am also helping my wife write a book (due in October) and working two part time jobs. But it is good to have things to do, especially for me. I struggle with knowing what to work on sometimes, and projects with deadlines help focus my energy.
I’ve often wondered what I have “accomplished” with my life, and lately two thoughts have emerged in my mind. First, life isn’t about accomplishments. It’s about enjoying the journey and making the world the best you can while you are at it. Second, people “accomplish” things at all ages and stages of life. My thirties are simply where I start in earnest. With that in mind, consider this my launch event.
As Of Yet Untitled: A Collection of Poetry: Coming Winter 2021!
The RedBeard Podcast: Coming 2022!
a simple man 