Leigh Turner podcasts

Leigh Turner podcasts are a new way of listening to posts about writing, books and stories. Comments and feedback welcome.

How to listen to Leigh Turner podcasts

‘It’s great you’re writing,’ my friend Greg said. ‘Trouble is, I never have time to read blogs. I’m flooded with e-mails, and books to read. How about you do some podcasts? I listen to ten hours of week of them when I’m out running, or exercising. Here in the US, a lot of people listen to podcasts.’

‘Nice idea,’ I say. ‘But I’m a bit short of time. My job seems busier than ever. I’m trying to finish my next novel. Plus, I have no idea how to make a podcast. It all looks bloody complicated.’

‘No sweat,’ Greg says. ‘I have a friend from the marines. He has been making podcasts for a while. ‘I’ll ask him to have a chat with you.’

How to make a podcast

A couple of weeks later, I was on the line to Brian Wilson, whose Combat & Classics podcast has been going since 2017. Combat and Classics offers podcasts and free online seminars on leadership, interpreted through classic literature: it’s pretty cool.

Like many US marines I’ve met, Brian is a bit of a renaissance man. He was generous with his time, and talked me through the basics of how to make a podcast. Key tips:

• you need a good microphone (thanks, Owen for your Christmas present!)
• you can use “Audacity” software to merge voice and music
• try googling “free music for podcasts” to find that music
• once you have made your podcast, you can upload it on Anchor.fm
• have fun.

This was all invaluable advice, and I’m immensely grateful to Brian and Greg for their help. Do take a look at Combat & Classics.

Learning a new skill

Meanwhile, I have spent a significant amount of time following Brian’s advice, and watching countless YouTube videos about how to make a podcast, including how to use Audacity, how to build a home studio, and so on.

It has been a steep learning curve.

But as so often, I have found learning a new skill rewarding. Uploading my first podcasts has been thrilling. It’s also a reminder that something which may appear daunting becomes attainable if someone gives you a helping hand.

The podcasts

If you’d like to listen to, or download, my podcasts, you should be able to find them wherever you usually get our podcasts. Do subscribe! Or take a look and subscribe if you like at Spotify , on Apple podcasts or wherever you usually get your podcasts. Links to the first couple of podcasts are here:

• Writing a book: tips for writing novels – and enjoying it.
• “50 Shades of Grey”: 5 reasons it’s a masterpiece, 5 reasons I hate it.

Happy listening!

P.S. if anyone would like any tips from me on how to make a podcast, do get in touch. I am still a beginner, but I’ve learned a lot. You can find more reading tips, and more writing tips, on this blog.