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The Creative Nonfiction Podcast with Brendan O'Meara

Brendan O'Meara
Narrative Journalism
Writing
Journalism
The Atavist
Storytelling
Creative Nonfiction
Creativity
The New Yorker
Writing Process
Narrative Nonfiction
Memoir Writing
Memoir
Hakeem Olajuwon
Sports Journalism
Burnout
Bleak Man
Atavist
Freelance Journalism
Cartooning
Freelance Writing

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!

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Latest Episodes

"The best part of my second memoir that I'm working on right now ... is right now, when you're actually doing the writing, and so that's a good thing to keep in mind when you're perpetually striving. Getting to do the art is the awesome thing about i... more

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"We hit some roadblocks. We thought when we started working on this story we were going to have a huge amount of material, and then as we moved along, we realized we were working with fragments and with shards, and some people were not going to be av... more

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"I always imagine writing is like every thought you have, every idea you have, everything you've learned, every experience you've had regarding a certain subject, it's kind of like a ball of yarn in your mind, and the writing is taking the string and... more

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"For me, it's about being a grown up. I think what I projected even at an early age was I've been doing this a while. I plan on doing it for years to come. There's nothing about me that suggests I'm going to scoop up your words and run away and never... more

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Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Robert Kolker
Writer for The New York Times Magazine and bestselling author of Hidden Valley Road and The Vanishing Family
The New York Times Magazine
Episode: Episode 551: Robert Kolker on Timelining, Confidence, and 'The Vanishing Family'
Amy Suto
Ghostwriter, author, former television writer, and yoga teacher.
Episode: Episode 550: Ghost Writer Amy Suto and Her Quarter-Million-Dollar Substack
Mark Johnson
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author of The Family Plan
Pulitzer Prize; The Washington Post; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Episode: Episode 549: Writing Early, Interview Prep, and 'Reward' Scenes with Pulitzer Prize—Winner Mark Johnson
Sam Sharp
Writer and educator, North Central Ohio/Missoula, MT
Self-identified writer and educator
Episode: Issue 4: Codes
Lindsay Street
Staff writer, reporter, editor; author of books on horses
Multiple North/South Carolina outlets; author
Episode: Issue 4: Codes
Jennifer Lang
San Francisco-based writer; runs Israel Writers Studio
Israel Writers Studio
Episode: Issue 4: Codes
Judith Evans
Author and writer recounting final days of mother during COVID
Substack writer; former journalist
Episode: Issue 4: Codes
Eren Simpson
High school librarian and writer from Eastern North Carolina
UNC system; author
Episode: Issue 4: Codes
Elizabeth Chamblee Burch
Professor at the University of Georgia School of Law; author of The Pain Brokers
University of Georgia School of Law; Little, Brown/Not specified publisher for Pain Brokers
Episode: Episode 548: It's Easy for Elizabeth Chamblee Burch to Get Lost in Detective Mode

Host

Brendan O'Meara
Host with a focus on craft, interviewing writers, editors, and journalists to explore narrative nonfiction and the writing life.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 222 ratings
  • RIFF

    I started listening to Brendan about a year ago, when I realised that the fiction I’d been slogging away at for literally decades just wasn’t my thing and it was writing n-f that I truly love. This pod has helped me enormously and I got my first 5,000 word piece commissioned — in print next month! Cheers BO’

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Munkster2
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • A Riffing Good Time

    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

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Doc CRB
    United States5 months ago
  • Could it be better? No.

    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.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jay from Knoxville
    United States5 months ago
  • Indispensable

    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.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ndyestermorrow
    United States9 months ago
  • Reader, Writer, Listener

    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.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ali257
    United States10 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The host is praised for preparedness, empathy, and insightful questioning, with occasional criticism about intros and flow.
Audiences appreciate the breadth of guests from editors to journalists and memoirists, seeing it as a premiere source for narrative nonfiction craft.
Listeners value in-depth, craft-focused conversations that pull practical tips from established writers.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#197
Spain/Arts/Books
Apple Podcasts
#202
Israel/Arts/Books

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Episode 551: Robert Kolker on Timelining, Confidence, and 'The Vanishing Family'
Q: How have you fostered that approach?
Kolker describes moving chronologically through interviews, listening without interrupting, and then asking for concrete details. The structure can calm sources, encourage fuller recollections, and help him assemble a rough draft.
Episode 551: Robert Kolker on Timelining, Confidence, and 'The Vanishing Family'
Q: How do you dance with it and then get over it so you do get into the meat of things?
Kolker says fear of making a mistake can make him procrastinate at the start of a project. Once he makes the first interview requests, he gains momentum and accepts that asking questions and listening are enough to begin.
Episode 550: Ghost Writer Amy Suto and Her Quarter-Million-Dollar Substack
Q: For people who might be spinning their tires in the mud of the Substack world, how do you counsel people to get a start and then to get altitude?
Suto recommends publishing consistently, experimenting with different subjects, and responding to what readers value. She also advises writers to build an email audience they can retain if a platform changes.
Episode 550: Ghost Writer Amy Suto and Her Quarter-Million-Dollar Substack
Q: How did you grow comfortable inhabiting other people's voices and stories and cultivate that skill?
Suto says fiction writing helped her learn to step into a character's voice. For memoir work, she studies the client's speech through recordings and uses family and friends' feedback to keep the writing authentic.
Episode 549: Writing Early, Interview Prep, and 'Reward' Scenes with Pulitzer Prize—Winner Mark Johnson
Q: How do you handle the line between being liked by subjects and maintaining journalistic integrity?
Understanding that the goal is accurate, respectful storytelling, I push for thorough reporting, keep boundaries clear, and accept that not all sources will want ongoing ties, but those who do can enrich the narrative if treated ethically.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Creative Nonfiction Podcast

What is The Creative Nonfiction Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A deep-dive interview series focused on narrative nonfiction, memoir, investigative journalism, and long-form storytelling. Guests range from authors and editors to reporters and editors of journalism outlets, exploring craft, reporting techniques, structure, sourcing, and publishing decisions. The conversations emphasize practical craft advice, editorial process, and the realities of researching and writing at length, often touching on memory, ethics, and the evolving media landscape. Expect thoughtful, long-form conversations with a steady emphasis on the writing life, collaboration with editors, and the journey from idea to finished narrative. A standout pattern is the blend of craft-first discussions with behind-the-scenes storytelling ... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Creative Nonfiction Podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Creative Nonfiction Podcast:

1. The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers
2. How I Write
3. Writers on Writing
4. The Shit No One Tells You About Writing
5. On the Media

How many episodes of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast are there?

The Creative Nonfiction Podcast launched 14 years ago and published 576 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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What guests have appeared on The Creative Nonfiction Podcast?

Recent guests on The Creative Nonfiction Podcast include:

1. Robert Kolker
2. Amy Suto
3. Mark Johnson
4. Sam Sharp
5. Lindsay Street
6. Jennifer Lang
7. Judith Evans
8. Eren Simpson

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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