This week’s Vlog is actually going to be a blog. The structure will be the same as my typical Vlogs. I’ll start off talking about what I learned in these two weeks, then I’ll talk about my goals for the next two weeks.
What I Did This Week:
This week was largely about making the actual Podcast again. I ran into some hiccups with Episode 3, which I’ll talk about in a minute. I’ve been struggling with motivation on the Podcast, so I’m taking the advice that many authors get when they are starting out: Read plenty of books. So, I’ve been doing the equivalent and listening to a lot of history podcasts. In some cases, I’ve been re-listening to old favorites. I would recommend the following to anyone interested in approachable but engaging podcasts about history:
The History of Rome – Mike Duncan. This one is a little old, but it is in many ways the blueprint for my own history podcast and others like it. It can sometimes be confusing and a little convoluted, but Mike Duncan uses his great writing skills and calming voice to keep it enjoyable.
Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History – Dan Carlin. He only posts once a year or so, but his episodes are worth the wait. He actually inspired the first series I’m doing with his episode “The Celtic Holocaust”. I think the main thing I take inspiration from is Carlin’s rhetorical method. He asks the audience a lot of questions, and I find it to be very engaging and thought provoking.
Revolutions – Mike Duncan. This is Duncan’s more recent series and it’s got a lot more polish. The history can get very convoluted, and it is more so targeted at people who are ‘fans of history’ so-to-speak. I take inspiration from his signposting in this series. He is always very clear at the beginning of the episode in terms of what he plans to talk about. It helps me follow along and I try to implement it into my own work.
There are others, but those are the main ones I have been drawing inspiration from recently. I actually recorded Episode 4, but I was pretty unhappy with it. I went back and did some rewrites, and just last night I came into the DKC after-hours to record the rewritten episode. I added some new stuff that reflects what I mentioned above, and I like the episode a lot more now. I also wrote an email to a Podcasting friend of mine, Eric Halsey, who does a Bulgarian History Podcast. I need to catch up on his work, but he is definitely inspired by some of the podcasts I also enjoy. I tried recording myself in the podcast room last night, but I wasn’t super happy with it. I plan on doing more recording this week, and I’m going to try and record myself again.
What I Learned:
All in all, this week was a lesson on setbacks. I wanted to get Episode 4 out, but because it didn’t meet my expectations, it seems it will have to wait another week. Every creative person will tell you that setbacks are normal, but this sort of thing always feels a bit disheartening. Regardless, I’m hoping this week will be better and I’ll have a Vlog out that talks about all the great progress I’ve made!
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