
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 | 539 | Founded | 14 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | BooksArts | |||

"You can't go and find all of our stories. You can't just click a button and and be served up. You really have to appreciate them in person by holding the magazine in your hands, and that, to me, makes it more special," says Laura LeBleu, co-founder ... more
"Those people who shaped the people are often more important than the subject, because they have insight into this young person that they were working with. It's crucial," says Keith O'Brien, bestselling author of Heartland: A Forgotten Place, an Imp... more
"A book is not a long magazine article, and it took me a long, long time to understand that, to even understand what it means. It's something that you can say, but you have to live it to understand it," says Tom Junod, author of the memoir In the Day... more
"The worst thing you can do is pitch a topic, not a story. You start with a topic. I like to talk to a few people before I write a pitch, which can be difficult because people you're asking to talk to don't know where it's going. I just look for topi... more
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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.
All the interjections in this show destroy the flow of the interviews, as well as any illusion of intimacy.
As an aspiring author myself, having access to a constant stream and massive archive of talented writers, talking through how they made their sausage, and all the ups and downs in the process is extremely valuable. And inspiring. Brendan is doing great work here.
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
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Apple Podcasts | #140 |
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The show centers on conversations with writers, editors, and journalists who shape narrative nonfiction, memoir, and investigative storytelling. Guests range from authors and editors to freelance journalists and publishing professionals, exploring craft, reporting methods, and the realities of building a long-form career. Listeners often gain practical insights into reporting, structure, and the emotional elements of storytelling, making it valuable for both aspiring and established writers. A notable strength is its ability to pull back the curtain on the craft through candid discussions with industry practitioners across publishing, editing, and journalism.
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1. Between The Covers : Conversations with Writers in Fiction, Nonfiction & Poetry
2. 99% Invisible
3. On Being with Krista Tippett
4. The Moth
5. Death, Sex & Money
The Creative Nonfiction Podcast launched 14 years ago and published 539 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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Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Creative Nonfiction Podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
Recent guests on The Creative Nonfiction Podcast include:
1. Tom Junod
2. Peter Ward
3. Tony Rehagen
4. Melanie D.G. Kaplan
5. Mary Margaret Alvarado
6. Seyward Darby
7. Jane Marie Chen
8. Daniel Pollack-Pelzner
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.