Belinda Lopez is a writer, performer and radio producer for ABC RN’s This is About podcast.
Kate Montague is the founder of Audiocraft, a community for Australian radiomeakers and podcasters.
What inspired you to pursue careers in podcasting?
KM: It wasn’t until I had my first child – and I was home more – that I started listening to a lot of podcasts and radio programs. This period of listening completely changed the way I thought about storytelling, and then once I started working with sound I was hooked. The intimacy of audio, and the ability to create entire worlds with sound is endlessly exciting.
BL: I love non-fiction narrative journalism, especially stories about uncovered issues and diverse voices. And when it comes to capturing a person’s true voice and character, I think audio can often do that much more powerfully and authentically than print and video.
What are the advantages of developing podcasting skills?
KM: I think working with sound and the voice is a great opportunity for writers to explore new ways of sharing their story. Writing for audio is quite different – it’s generally more succinct and spare, and sound can draw out another layer of emotion and/or tone in a piece that can take a story to a new place.
BL: It’s the zeitgeist! But even before that, I had started making audio stories thinking of myself as a writer who liked to perform their work. Podcasting gives writers an interesting platform for that, and to play with voice and sound in fascinating ways beyond what you’d originally written.
What’s one key tip for creating a podcast to share personal narratives?
KM: It might sound corny, but I think being yourself and finding your own voice is really important. Finding your own style might be scary at first, but it’s hugely rewarding.
BL: There are so many (excellent!) personal narrative podcasts out there. Have a really clear idea of how your podcast is different from all the others- whether it’s theme, style, sound design – or something else we haven’t thought of yet.
Join Kate and Belinda in Personal Narratives: From Page to Podcast on Saturday 11 February at the NSW Writers’ Centre.