Rephonic
Artwork for The Creative Nonfiction Podcast

The Creative Nonfiction Podcast with Brendan O'Meara

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

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes572Founded14 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BooksArts

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Creative Nonfiction Podcast

Latest Episodes

"It's all about consistency, and I know that that's the most boring answer on the planet, and the answer I didn't want to hear when I started my Substack three years ago. I just published every single week, trying out different niches, seeing what I ... more

YouTube

“What I tend to do is, if I write this really difficult explanatory section that is going through a lot of technical information and trying to boil it down, once I'm finished with that, then I get to write this other scene that I really want to write... more

YouTube

It was a few years ago at this point when I came up with the idea of a themed issue of the audio magazine called CODES. I was watching The Mandalorian and these bounty hunters never remove their helmets. They often punctuate an encounter with each ot... more

YouTube

"In terms of the research, I can get lost in detective mode. Sometimes it's good if I know, okay, I only have an hour. I'm going to see what what can I learn about this one person in an hour. Then take it in those little pieces, and when I have time,... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Writers on Writing
Writers on WritingBarbara DeMarco-Barrett and Marrie Stone
The New Yorker Radio Hour
The New Yorker Radio HourWNYC Studios and The New Yorker
The Book Review
The Book ReviewThe New York Times

Recent Guests

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
Catherine Grace Katz
Author and historian specializing in narrative nonfiction
Viking (Shadow Before the Flame)
Episode: Episode 547: Catherine Grace Katz Needs a Portable Murder Wall and PB&J to Write
Seth Wickersham
Senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPN The Magazine (RIP)
ESPN
Episode: Episode 546: Seth Wickersham is On That Hill
Joshua Robinson
Sports editor for the Wall Street Journal and co-author
The Wall Street Journal
Episode: Episode 544: Writing a Book is Like Driving a Bus, says Joshua Robinson

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 Kingdom2 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 States4 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 States9 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
#171
United Kingdom/Arts/Books

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Episode 546: Seth Wickersham is On That Hill
Q: What role did your notes and tooling play in keeping complex reporting organized?
I bound all my notes into a bound chronology, highlighted key moments, and then used those flags to reconstruct the best beats and scenes, allowing for a coherent synthesis without losing momentum for the long-form piece.
Episode 546: Seth Wickersham is On That Hill
Q: How did you arrive at the narrative structure for the Payton profile and related material?
The structure emerged from treating the arc like a book: varying the week-by-week timeline, selecting the strongest material from the right moments, and letting the middle deviation enrich the overall journey while keeping the AFC Championship climax as the anchor.
Episode 545: Stories Can Sit in the Notebook for Years. Just Ask Matthew Wolfe.
Q: Why did you decide to present Gabriel and Tamara's accounts as two competing versions rather than a single authoritative truth?
Because memory and perspective differ, and the piece benefits from reflecting multiple viewpoints, inviting readers to engage with the ambiguity and decide what resonates as the likely sequence of events.
Episode 545: Stories Can Sit in the Notebook for Years. Just Ask Matthew Wolfe.
Q: At what point did you know you had enough material to pursue the story for publication?
The moment when independent investigative documents and corroborating accounts from participants emerged, giving a reliable base beyond personal testimonies, allowing publication with confidence in the story's integrity.
Episode 545: Stories Can Sit in the Notebook for Years. Just Ask Matthew Wolfe.
Q: What were some little potholes in the road that you were looking to pave over?
The discussion covers editing decisions, trimming excessive scenes (like expanded family meetings and cafe scenes), and balancing lean narrative with essential context to keep the story tight while preserving needed texture.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

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

Where can I find podcast stats for The Creative Nonfiction Podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Creative Nonfiction Podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Creative Nonfiction Podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Creative Nonfiction Podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Creative Nonfiction Podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Creative Nonfiction Podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Creative Nonfiction Podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Creative Nonfiction Podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Creative Nonfiction Podcast?

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

1. Otherppl with Brad Listi: Books & Culture
2. Between The Covers : Conversations with Writers in Fiction, Nonfiction & Poetry
3. Writers on Writing
4. The New Yorker Radio Hour
5. The Book Review

How many episodes of The Creative Nonfiction Podcast are there?

The Creative Nonfiction Podcast launched 14 years ago and published 572 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Creative Nonfiction Podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Creative Nonfiction Podcast?

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.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Creative Nonfiction Podcast?

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.

What guests have appeared on The Creative Nonfiction Podcast?

Recent guests on The Creative Nonfiction Podcast include:

1. Sam Sharp
2. Lindsay Street
3. Jennifer Lang
4. Judith Evans
5. Eren Simpson
6. Elizabeth Chamblee Burch
7. Catherine Grace Katz
8. Seth Wickersham

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.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days