Theme music by Latché Swing. Commercial music by Kevin MacLeod.

Theme music by Latché Swing.

Theme music by Latché Swing.

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Creative Commoners Extend Writing Challenge Deadline!

Submissions now due by APRIL 27TH!

It’s that time again, folks!

We’re calling all Commoners back to their writing desks (and hopefully their microphones) for our third writing challenge! This time, we’re asking you to look deeply into your past, or maybe last week, and tell us of a time when you did something that utterly mortified you. Maybe it was something that ruined your day or cost you your job, or made your dog run away from home because he was so embarrassed for you. Or maybe it was something that just made a few people laugh before they went back about their business, but you’ve still been unable to forget it, and you need a form of cathartic closure that only your sage and thoughtful Creative Commoners hosts can provide.

Whatever it is, we want to hear it in 1500 words or less. And as always, we encourage listeners to record their stories and submit an audio file so we can play it for the show. Nothing is better than when one of our writing challenge episodes becomes a tapestry of voices. Besides, who better than you to really capture the tone of your life-alteringly embarrassing moment than you? You can even embellish your anecdote a bit if you like. Think David Sedaris or Dave Barry.

If you can’t record yourself reading it, no worries. We’d still be happy to butcher read it on the air ourselves.  Just make sure you have it to us by April 27th. Please send all entries to creativecommoners@gmail.com.

We look forward to laughing at…er WITH you!

Theme music by Latché Swing.

Theme music by Latché Swing.

Tips for Kickstarting Your Project:

• Kicking Ass & Taking Donations: 9 Tips on Funding Your Kickstarter Project
• How to Get Funding on Kickstarter

Awesome Projects We Liked:

• Story Forge: Brainstorming Cards for Storytellers
• Shell Game: An Art Show About the Financial Meltdown
• Mysterious Letters
• Double Fine Adventure

Maybe your project will be next? If so, let us know about it so we can share it on the podcast with your fellows!

• Telegraph us at creativecommoners@gmail.com

Theme music by Latché Swing.

Theme music by Latché Swing.

Theme music by Latché Swing.

Theme music by Latché Swing. “Just Cause” book cover image courtesy of Ian Thomas Healy.

Theme music by Latché Swing. Laughter provided by lonemonk.

Written by Corey Bishop

One of our main goals here at the Creative Commoners Podcast is to foster creativity in all its forms. Each week we talk about how to encourage that creative spark. We have even held two creative challenges to get our listeners involved. We talk a lot our various creative projects: Chris’ webcomic, Allison’s novels, and Corey’s short stories and game development. But, until now, we haven’t gone into detail on how we produce one of our biggest creative projects, the podcast itself.

This post serves as a companion to Episode 30: Creating an Electric Audio Podcast. Listen to that episode to hear the story behind the start of Creative Commoners and the hurdles we had to work though. While the podcast episode gave more of the story behind creating the podcast, this post gives the technical details.

One more thing before we get started. When your podcast on Bavarian folk music or obscure 1980’s Japanese video games (or whatever you’re into) becomes wildly successful and you become rich and famous, remember who helped you get started. Throw the Creative Commoners some love. It’s the least you can do.

Content is king

Your first and most important concern when creating a podcast is what the show will be about. Your content is what will get people to keep listening. Unfortunately, this is the hardest part and the part where you are most on your own. All this stuff really depends on what type of show you want to do, so only the most general advice can be given.

You will need to come up with a (preferably) unique or interesting topic and name. You will also need to consider length, how often you release a podcast, the format (if any) for the show, and co-hosts (if any). When choosing how often to release the podcast, don’t overextend yourself. Start slow. No matter what topic you choose, it is important that you are passionate about it. Otherwise, you will lose steam quick.

Communication

One tiny hurdle we had to overcome was due to the fact that we all live in different states. Getting together in the same room to record a podcast would be impossible. We needed to figure out a way to talk to each other and record it. We pretty quickly decided on Skype to talk to each other. We had all used it before, it’s (mostly) reliable, and it’s free. The harder part was figuring out how to record the conversation.

Recording

Microphones
Sound quality begins with your microphone. We needed a microphone that worked well, but wasn’t too expensive (and microphones can get very expensive). We settled on the Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 Headset Retail 39.99 (23.99 on Amazon). It works great, has great sound quality, and a nice price point. It also has a convenient mute button so you can mute while coughing or taking a drink. The only down side is the headphones can be a little uncomfortable for long periods of time. Take note that it is a Microsoft product so you may have less support on an Apple OS.

Recording Software
Since we all live hundreds of miles apart, we were not sure how to actually record the podcast. We do not have the luxury to record together in the same room. We first looked at recording the Skype call itself. For this, Pamela seemed like a good solution. Pamela records the Skype conservation, it does it well, and only costs $30. But, the sound quality was not to the level we wanted for the podcast. We still use Pamela as an emergency backup, but we wanted to look elsewhere to get better sound quality.

We decided to opt for recording locally on each person’s computer, then edit the files together. We decided to use Audacity to record and edit the show. It is a free, open source recording and editing program. You cannot beat free and it does everything necessary to record a podcast. Syncing the different tracks is the only issue. To get over that hurdle, we all press record at the same time and all say “sync” at the same as an audio cue when editing.

Once you have edited podcast with whichever software you choose, make sure you check out a program called Levelator. It automatically adjusts the sound levels in a finished podcast and just makes it sound better. It has saved us a bunch of time, made our podcast sound better, and is free.

Hosting & Domain

Once you have an edited and wonderfully sounding podcast, you need to put it up on the web. There are many options for hosting. There are several web hosts that specialize in podcasting such as Libsyn and Podbean. Podbean even has some helpful tools to create a website and RSS feed which I’ll talk about next. Since the Creative Commoners is a weekly, hour-long podcast, the storage space we needed made Libsyn and Podbean cost prohibitive. Also, they both give you a web domain specific to those hosts. It would be very difficult to move off of them later.

We ended up using Godaddy for hosting and to buy our own domain. Godaddy is a regular web host and domain registrar and does not specialize in podcasting. There are a number of different hosts to choose from. We went with Godaddy because we had experience with them, but there are many equal or better hosts out there.

A free option is www.archive.org. They host podcasts for free, but it is harder to get setup and the reliability is not as good as paid hosting.

Publishing

The next step is publishing so that you listeners can subscribe to your podcast and download it to their favorite audio listening device. To do this, you need to create an RSS feed. A podcast RSS feed is a listing of podcast episodes including title, description, and location in XML format. This RSS feed is the file a podcast aggregator like iTunes reads to list a podcast.

We use a plug-in for WordPress called Powerpress to create our RSS feed. WordPress is a powerful content management system to create websites and blogs. It is free and has a huge user base with a large ecosystem of plug-ins and add-ons. WordPress is not too difficult install if you have some technical knowledge and they have a handy guide. Some web hosts have push button WordPress installation. The other advantage of WordPress is it makes it easy to create a blog or a full blown website to go with your podcast. Powerpress is a well supported third-party plug-in that creates an iTunes compliant RSS feed for you. It helps you set up all the meta-data and settings required for iTunes and then gives you the URL to submit to iTunes.

The process to submit your podcast to iTunes is pretty straightforward. Apple has provided a handy guide to submitting a podcast. One thing to keep in mind is that Apple approves all podcasts before they are listed in the iTunes. This can take days, sometimes a week or two.

Congratulations! Your Are Now a Podcaster

Once your podcast is up on the web and listed in iTunes you are done. The next step is to promote your show through all the usual social media suspects like Twitter, Facebook, and Google +.

Have fun! Oh, and remember to throw us some love when you’re famous.

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Article by Allison Dickson

This post was syndicated from the blog at Allison’s website.

I was inspired to write this post after reading the article by Jairus Reddy over at the Hobbes End blog. It basically cautions authors, particularly indie authors, from being too forthright with controversial topics (i.e. politics and religion), or making asses of themselves in social media, because it can cost them book sales.

Anyway, this is a topic that has been on my mind for awhile now, and I think it’s something anybody should have to consider when they start opening themselves up to the world, be it through books or music or any other trade by which you are using your name as your brand. It was something I even had to consider when I started doing freelance editing, because I didn’t want to appear unprofessional to potential or current clients. How much of oneself is it prudent to share via Twitter and Facebook when you’re trying to make a name for yourself in the world?

I’m pretty well aware that I’ve already opened Pandora’s Box (aka “my mouth”) a little too wide by this point. I’ve been online a long time. The internet, at least since 2005 when I started blogging, has always been an outlet of expression for me, and I’m a very expressive, “heart on sleeve” individual. I took really big advantage of that up until around 2008 or so. Hell, anyone who is curious enough about the sick and twisted inner-machinations of yours truly could spend a couple days rifling through my backlog of posts here, which I’ve since imported from the original domain. I’ve considered going through and deleting most of that, but seeing as how almost nothing is ever truly deleted from the internet, I’ve decided it’s best to just own my past exploits — for better or worse. Besides, I’m ashamed of none of it. Those are my words, and if anything, I think it shows a progression of a girl in her mid-20s still trying to figure out the world to someone who is perhaps still a little topsy-turvy, but is pretty damn sure of who she is.

But what about the now? I’ve always felt relatively “safe” from scrutiny until the last year or so, when I started branching into self publishing. Now that thousands of people have my work on their e-readers, I’ve started to feel more… Well, I guess paranoid isn’t exactly the right word, but it’s a close enough fit. Back in the day, I used to spend a lot of time on political message forums. I used to be very open with my opinions on  much any topic with which I had a passing interest. My bold and brash and irreverent self was ready to take on pretty much anybody in a rhetorical boxing match if need be. It was a sport for me.

But in the last year, I’ve found myself abstaining from being TOO provocative. Oh sure, I’ll share some topical news articles or the occasional blasphemous or politically incorrect picture on Facebook, but not in order to start debates. Mostly to amuse friends whom I know share similar views as me. And those friends of mine who disagree still (I think) respect me as a person because I’m not a total asshole.

I’ve worked hard to cultivate healthy and friendly online relationships in recent years, with all kinds of people. I don’t know that I’ve curbed my need to “vent” quite to the extent that I’d like, but I keep most of that under wrap at Facebook, where such “inner” thoughts are not available to the public. I don’t know that I will ever be able to be completely silent on certain topics. I’m not nearly as into core politics as I used to be, but environmental and human rights issues are huge for me, and I believe my views are consistent among most people. My need to express myself outwardly and respond to social injustices is as much a part of my personality as my compulsion to laugh at stupid jokes, and it also feeds my desire to write fiction. I’m not sure I could have any presence online if it didn’t contain at least some of my slightly acidic flavor.

I am interested in attracting readers from all walks of life, and I believe my fiction work is universally appealing to Democrats, Republicans, Christians, Atheists, and every stripe in between. I certainly welcome any and all comers, and although you may derive pretty easily the direction in which my values lie just by reading my old blogs and Twitter feed, I realize I have to be a bit more careful these days and choose my words wisely. There are other avenues of expression for my beliefs that don’t include being a passive-aggressive whiny wank on Twitter. And even if I wasn’t trying to cultivate a decent public image, that’s probably a good idea anyway.

Being a passive-aggressive whiny wank is just not something I’m into these days.

However, I still reserve the right to swear. You’ll find plenty of that in my books anyway.

We thought it appropriate to direct you to the funny T-shirts of NIFT so you can check them out yourself. Whether an original design or a play on recent fads, you’re bound to chuckle, possibly even bark out loud, as you check out the site.

NIFT Shirts

Note: We apologize for the quality of some of the audio in this episode. That’s what we get for recording on an old phonograph.

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We’re still in the starting stages, so our YouTube channel isn’t super hawt yet. Find us at TheCreativeCommoners and like us, leave an intelligent message, and most of all, have fun! You can also hit the social media button added to our list above.

New episodes of the podcast will filter out to the YouTubes each week, so stay tuned for the electric audio program 9 out of 10 audiophiles prefer!

We’re nearing completion of the revamp. Once that happens, expect to see more content beyond the podcasts, including articles, syndication of our other creative works, and more.

Thanks for hanging with us.

]]> http://creativecommoners.net/?feed=rss2&p=656 0 http://creativecommoners.net/?p=776 http://creativecommoners.net/?p=776#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:00:46 +0000 Chris http://creativecommoners.net/?p=776 Wherein we expose our nuts and bolts! You may wonder how three very busy people came together across three time zones to bring you this weekly podcast, and we’re going to show you exactly how we do it. Here you will find tips and how-tos on equipment, recording software, web hosting options, and organizational techniques that make a podcast possible. Also, Corey is fed up with the end of the world, Chris reveals his intimate knowledge of our sound imprints, and Allison unveils a new social network that may just leave you quivering with ecstasy.

Theme music by Latché Swing.

Theme music by Latché Swing.

Theme music by Latché Swing.

Here is the list in its entirety:

Frankenstein, Mary Shelley 1818
From the Earth to the Moon, Jules Verne 1865
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne 1870
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson 1885
Time Machine, H. G. Wells 1895
The Island of Doctor Moreau, H. G. Wells 1896
Invisible Man, H. G. Wells 1897
War of the Worlds, H. G. Wells 1898
Martian Tales Trilogy (John Carter), Edgar Rice Burroughs 1912-1914
The Lost World, Arthur Conan Doyle 1912
Brave New World, Aldous Huxley 1932
The Lensman Series, E.E. Smith 1937-1942
Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell 1949
Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov 1950
The Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury 1950
I, Robot, Isaac Asimov 1950
Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury 1953
Childhood’s End, Arthur C. Clarke 1953
The Door into Summer, Robert Heinlein 1956
Starship Troopers, Robert Heinlein 1959
The Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut 1959
Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes 1959
Solaris, Stanisław Lem 1961
Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein 1961
The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick 1962
A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L’Engle 1962
Cat’s Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut 1963
Dune, Frank Herbert 1965
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress, Robert Heinlein 1966
Dangerous Visions, Harlan Ellison editor 1967
Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey 1968
2001: A Space Odyssey, Arthur C. Clarke 1968
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick 1968
Slaughterhouse 5, Kurt Vonnegut 1969
The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin 1969
Ringworld, Larry Niven 1970
Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke 1972
The Forever War, Joe Haldeman 1974
The Mote in God’s Eye, Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle 1974
Gateway, Frederik Pohl 1977
The Pride of Chanur, C. J. Cherryh 1981
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Series, Douglas Adams 1979-1992
Neuromancer, William Gibson 1984
Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card 1985
The Handmaid’s Tale (Oryx & Crake), Margaret Atwood 1985
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, Robert Heinlein 1985
Contact, Carl Sagan 1985
Hyperion, Dan Simmons 1989
Red Mars Series, Kim Stanley Robinson 1992
Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson 1992
The Diamond Age, Neal Stephenson 1995
Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson 1999
The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger 2003

Theme music by Latché Swing.

Theme music by Latché Swing.

Theme music by Latché Swing.

Here is a little something to tide you over until we return next week:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!