Rephonic
Artwork for The Story Blender

The Story Blender

The Story Blender
Storytelling
Writing
The Usual Silence
Justice
Folktales
Irish Culture
Crime Fiction
Mystery
Psychology
Education
Northern Ireland
Hudson Valley
Community Engagement
Children's Literature
Cultural Appropriation
Folklore
Historical Fiction
A Very Bad Thing
Tiffany Yates Martin
Lavender Scare

WHERE GREAT STORYTELLERS SHARE THE SECRETS TO GREAT STORYTELLING. Hosted by Steven James.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes321Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ArtsBooks

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Story Blender

Latest Episodes

This week, internationally known psychologist Dr. John-Paul Abner joins me to talk about the psychology of story, its power to draw people together, and how stories help us share our values and build bridges between people. If you’ve ever wondered ab... more

My guest this week is bestselling, award-winning author, poet, screenwriter, and playwright Clay Stafford. With millions of books sold, he’s also the founder of the annual Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference. We talk crime writing, how... more

This week, horror author, actor, and playwright Nat Cassidy joins me to talk all things horror. You may have seen him playing a villain on the TV shows Quantico, FBI, or Law & Order: SVU, or read one of his acclaimed novels. Listen as he shares insig... more

This week, I catch up with veteran Hollywood actor Jon Lindstrom, who has appeared in thousands of hours of television over the last three decades. He’s also a bestselling author with a new book out, a Los Angeles crime novel, Hollywood Payback. Join... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
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.

Writer's Routine
Writer's RoutineDan Simpson
Writing Excuses
Writing ExcusesMary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler

Recent Guests

Nat Cassidy
Acclaimed novelist and actor; author of I Know A Place
Author, I Know A Place
Episode: Season 10 - Episode 14: Nat Cassidy
Jon Lindstrom
Four-time Emmy Award nominee, actor turned novelist and filmmaker
Actor, Novelist, Filmmaker
Episode: Season 10 - Episode 13: Jon Lindstrom
Jane Friedman
Author/educator focused on publishing and author education
The Bottom Line newsletter, The Business of Being a Writer
Episode: Season 10 - Episode 12: Jane Friedman
Nick Petrie
Award-winning suspense and action novelist, author of the Peter Ash series
Author
Episode: Season 10 - Episode 11: Nick Petrie
Jayne Ann Krentz
New York Times bestselling author of romantic suspense across multiple subgenres
Episode: Season 10 - Episode 10: Jayne Ann Krentz
Bede Blake
Screenwriter and content creator
PillarBoxer
Episode: Season 10 - Episode 9: Bede Blake
C.J. Box
Number one New York Times bestselling author and writer of the Joe Pickett series.
Episode: Season 10 - Episode 8: C.J. Box
Wendy Walker
USA Today bestselling author known for psychological thrillers
Not specified
Episode: Season 10 Episode 7: Wendy Walker
Karen Morgan
A national touring comedian and expert in storytelling and humor.
Episode: Season 10 - Episode 5: Karen Morgan

Hosts

Steven James
Host of The Story Blender
Carter Wilson
Best-selling author known for psychological thrillers

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 54 ratings
  • Mark greaney episode

    Despite my crazy user name, I am a real person. 😬. Loved the episode with Mark Greaney. I learned a lot. This podcast is fantastic for writers and readers. Thanks for hosting it SJ.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    !! jnknsjsnrjne d
    United States2 years ago
  • An absolute inspiration

    I go away from each episode so inspired.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    FBis1203
    Singapore3 years ago
  • Valuable insights!

    This show is brilliant! I highly recommend to listen!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Claribelleee
    Philippines3 years ago
  • You’ll love this author to author behind-the-scenes!

    Steven James is a world-class entertainer yet his magic as an interviewer is allowing his guests to shine. I love the authenticity in these author to author talks, five stars high!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Goodbye Orchid, a novel
    United States6 years ago
  • Great interviews with great authors

    I especially enjoyed the Orson Scott Card interview. Every time he apologized with, “I’ve been rambling too much, but can I keep going?” I was glad Steven James chuckled and said “Of course!” Exactly how I felt. Thanks, Steven, for letting us hang out with you and many other wonderful writers.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Clark L. Zeuss
    United States6 years ago

Listeners Say

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

High-quality storytelling-focused discussions with practical tips
Listeners praise depth and warmth of interviews with writers like Mark Greaney and others
Engaging host with authentic author-to-author conversations
Guests shine and provide actionable insights for writers

Top Books Podcasts

Boozy Bookgasms
Boozy BookgasmsJenLynnKim
The Book Club
The Book ClubGoalhanger
The Book Review
The Book ReviewThe New York Times
Fantasy Fangirls
Fantasy FangirlsFantasy Fangirls
Myths and Legends
Myths and LegendsJason Weiser, Carissa Weiser, Nextpod
Selected Shorts
Selected ShortsSymphony Space
Poetry Unbound
Poetry UnboundOn Being Studios

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Season 10 - Episode 14: Nat Cassidy
Q: When you're writing horror, how do you balance honoring genre conventions with avoiding overused tropes?
You start from a place of fandom and familiarity, write as a reader, and then revise through a lens that asks whether you've seen this before and if you're approaching it with respect to the human experience, not just shocks.
Season 10 - Episode 11: Nick Petrie
Q: How do you handle a long-running series to keep it fresh for new readers and loyal fans alike?
Maintain core character integrity while allowing gradual, believable changes. Provide new challenges and evolving relationships, and ensure changes are justified within the world and over the arc of the series so readers feel a natural progression rather than a sudden shift.
Season 10 - Episode 11: Nick Petrie
Q: What is your view on writing processes—pantsing versus plotting—and how has your approach evolved?
Petrie describes a flexible approach, starting with a rough direction but staying curious and open to happy accidents. He emphasizes incremental planning within a pantsing framework, revising and refining through multiple passes, and learning from both formal craft and lived experience.
Season 10 - Episode 8: C.J. Box
Q: What is one thing you wish you could tell your younger self before you launched into your writing career?
C.J. Box wishes he could tell his younger self to be patient, as his career eventually worked out well after many experiences.
Season 10 - Episode 8: C.J. Box
Q: What would you say is one book besides yours that everyone should read before they die?
C.J. Box recommends 'Catch-22' as one of the best American novels.

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 Story Blender

What is The Story Blender about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A program focused on craft, storytelling, and the business of publishing, featuring best-selling authors, screenwriters, and storytelling experts. Discussions routinely cover character development, narrative structure, genre conventions, and real-world craft tips for writers and creators, often tied to market dynamics, series longevity, and the publishing ecosystem. A notable hallmark is the author-to-author conversational style, which yields practical advice, behind-the-scenes process insights, and guidance for aspiring writers and industry peers. The show stands out for embracing a wide range of fiction—from thrillers and mysteries to romantic suspense—while centering on storytelling technique and authentic voice, frequently anchored by s... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Story Blender?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Story Blender. 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 Story Blender and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Story Blender get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Story Blender, 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 Story Blender?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Story Blender, 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 Story Blender have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Story Blender 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 Story Blender?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Story Blender:

1. Writer's Routine
2. Writing Excuses
3. Fiction Writing Made Easy | Top Creative Writing Podcast for Fiction Writers & Writing Tips
4. The Creative Penn Podcast For Writers
5. Helping Writers Become Authors

How many episodes of The Story Blender are there?

The Story Blender launched 7 years ago and published 321 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 Story Blender?

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 Story Blender?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Story Blender 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 Story Blender?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Story Blender. 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 Story Blender?

Recent guests on The Story Blender include:

1. Nat Cassidy
2. Jon Lindstrom
3. Jane Friedman
4. Nick Petrie
5. Jayne Ann Krentz
6. Bede Blake
7. C.J. Box
8. Wendy Walker

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