There’s something rather squeamish about the phrase ‘having you in my ears each week’. I wince slightly when I hear it, my shoulders shrugging involuntarily as I cross the busy roads, through the morning commuter traffic on monotone, cold mornings. I listen to ‘Great Writers Share’ podcast on my morning walk to the office. Invariably, at some point, one of Daniel Willcock’s guests will use the phrase. It makes me smile though, it is oddly apt and captures the personal nature of these broadcasts.
I can’t recall how I discovered Great Writers Share but I do recall realising that I was there at episode 1, as it started, something I had not experienced before – so I felt an instant loyalty and after listening to a couple of episodes I found his Patreon page and added my £1 a month pledge. It seems such a small thing to do but it tied me closer to it.
The podcast is full of helpful advice, conveyed through informed interviews with writers and indie publishers. Daniel’s style is perfectly balanced, a good mix of informality and professionalism. Its greatest strength is that it maintains an easy, friendly approach without letting the interview fall into irritating and time-filling banter that seems to haunt many other podcasts. Daniel keeps the pace and focus of the interviews at just the right level to give his guests the opportunity to let their own selves shine through whilst giving his listeners informative and insightful information.
As a novice to the more serious business of writing for publication, I have found Daniel’s own thoughts as well as the insights of his guests extremely helpful. Topics have ranged from tips for online advertising, how to build up a writing routine, the nature of writing collaborations, the experience of leaving full time employment to focus on your writing and many other related topics. Through his guests he also manages to broadcast a range of individual stories, of dealing with depression, life crises, balancing writing with having young children and coping with those days when, well, the writing just doesn’t come together.
More importantly, whilst I listen I regularly hear an inner voice, one of my own, excitedly responding ‘Yes! This is what I do, I write!’. This is significantly motivating. It has helped me build a writing practice and create the time to learn more about the craft of both writing and self-publishing.
Occasionally Daniel muses with his guests whether the current format of 1-hour podcasts is too limiting, whether he should push the time out to allow further exploration with his guests. This would risk losing the current tight focus that he has managed to achieve and could possibly invite in the temptation to fall into less informed, more banal chat in order to fill the minutes and I hope he continues to resist that temptation. The current format works – plus an hour neatly covers my walking commute to and from my office.
It is well worth a listen and can be found here:
His Patreon page is also here:
