
The Creative Nonfiction Podcast with Brendan O'Meara is a weekly podcast that showcases leaders in narrative journalism, essay, memoir, documentary film, radio and podcasts about the art and craft of telling true stories. Follow the show @creativenonfictionpodcast on Instagram and visit patreon.com/cnfpod to support!
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 560 | Founded | 14 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | BooksArts | |||

"We probably have some sense of what narrative is. So when your brain starts turning into the little movie camera because this is a juicy scene, then it's like, well, what would I want to show? What what would I want to know here?" says Jennifer Keis... more
"My career is not a straight path; it's a lot of happenstance where I just sort of somehow get a job and then figure out how to do it once I'm there," says Rachel Hartigan, author of Lost: Amelia Earhart's Three Mysterious Deaths and One Extraordinar... more
"I feel like before I have the confidence to write in the way that I want to write, where I really own the material, I have to spend so much time with people. I will say at the outset, once I walk someone through what it's going to involve after they... more
"I love talking with people. I also like that process of trying to shape messy reality into some kind of story, or that moment when you're alone with your notes, and you're trying to figure out how to organize it, and how to bend it into something th... more
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I drive back and forth between Maine and Massachusetts an hour and ten minutes which is exactly the length of an average CNF podcast. This tells you the first thing you need to know about our boy Brendan O’Meara. He doesn’t just play to our culture’s bite-sized attention span like so many other pods. He conducts hour-long in-depth interviews with his authors, skillfully pulling out stories, emotion, and advice, bracketed on either side by our host’s own insightful and entertaining takes on liter... more
I’m so angry I only discovered this wonderful podcast last month! I’m a part time author with dreams of making every sentence a joy, and what I find here is everything I want: great advice, wisdom, and talented authors, all shepherded by O’Meara’s wit and skill. You will love this podcast and with hundreds of episodes in the can, you WILL find what you need.
The CNF pod is great fun. Crucial insights into writing nonfiction from a pool of excellent writers who know their stuff. Must-listen not only for aspiring nonfiction writers but working, successful ones, too. This is the community you’re looking for.
As a reader and writer I appreciate Brendan’s knowledge and preparedness with his interview subjects. As a lister, I love the candid conversations that unfold.
I’ve listened to Brendan’s earliest episodes, the later ones and most of his latest episodes and I’ve learned much and been entertained by all of them. He encourages his guests to be relevant and to the point, while at the same time allowing for a free flowing conversation. Congrats for the 500.
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
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Apple Podcasts | #29 |
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A thoughtful, craft-focused show that centers on narrative nonfiction across writing, publishing, journalism, memoir, and related media. Episodes consistently explore the mechanics of writing, reporting, and storytelling—balancing practical craft, editing, and personal narratives with industry context. Listeners are likely aspiring and established writers, editors, and journalists who want concrete guidance, honest discussions about obstacles, and strategies for sustaining long-form work. Notable strengths include deep craft conversations with a rotating roster of acclaimed authors, editors, and journalists, along with a willingness to address the emotional and logistical realities of long-form storytelling. For potential listeners, the mix... more
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5. Radio Atlantic
The Creative Nonfiction Podcast launched 14 years ago and published 560 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
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Recent guests on The Creative Nonfiction Podcast include:
1. Pamela Colloff
2. Matthew Wolfe
3. Alex Ronan
4. Wil Haygood
5. Susan Orlean
6. Barry Meier
7. Austin Kleon
8. Sayward Darby
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