Podcasting has been a challenge for me for a few reasons. I don’t like my voice. I sometimes lose my voice. What exactly should I talk about?
However, I’ve always loved the audio realm, even before audiobooks and podcasts became fashionable. It started years ago (like over 40!) on road trips. One time my dad found tapes of old radio shows from the 1930s and ’40s that he’d listened to as a kid. Scary and mysterious ones.
He got the idea that we could play them when we passed through areas where we got very little or spotty reception.
It started as an experiment, but I loved it. I was about the same age as he would’ve been first hearing some of the programs. He loved being able to share part of his childhood with me while also reliving it a little too.
Little did my dad know he’d start a tradition. When Wayne and I lived in Arizona and drove home to Colorado for holidays and vacations, we’d always check out books on tape from the library. In some rare cases, we even bought a few. (I splurged for Stephen King’s The Mist book on tape because, for whatever reason, that’s perhaps my favorite story of his.)
Anyway, the point is, I’ve always liked listening to stories.
But creating a podcast…I was curious to try my hand at it and thought it might be a fun addition to Haunt Jaunts. So in 2019, I took the plunge to figure it all out.
Curvy Road
Creating a podcast meant learning a whole bunch of new things. Starting a blog —or even a book— was a bit daunting at first too, but at least I was basically familiar with the tools and lingo.
But podcasting was a whole new beast. New terms, concepts, and programs. It was all very similar to writing in some respects. Basically you’re creating something and then “publishing” it somewhere.
But the way you do it resembled nothing I’d ever done before. Although that’s not entirely true. I was familiar with a couple of concepts from editing videos.
Like with anything, the more you do it, the more familiar it becomes. Luckily it’s become a lot easier now. I’m still learning and it’s not as intuitive as writing, but it’s not all Greek like it once was.
The Struggle
But I did struggle with exactly what I should talk about. I didn’t have any structure at first. Sometimes I’d interview people and that was good, but most of the time I just read old Haunt Jaunts posts and pretty much felt like I was floundering. Which I was.
But the whole time I’ve been watching, learning, and absorbing from podcasts I like. That’s where the idea to create a season came from.
If I had a theme maybe I wouldn’t feel so untethered?
Going Themed
So I gave it a try and launched the first themed season, Haunting American True Crimes, in September 2021.
It worked on multiple levels, most importantly it kept me focused. For another, I doubled my listens, which had started out strong when I published my very first episodes, then dwindled as I faltered to create content week after week.
But people seemed to like this new format. That’s why I decided to experiment with another season, Haunted Christmas.
It hasn’t been as well-received, though. At least the first two episodes haven’t.
I wondered if that was because they’re a bit longer than the ones I had done before. Or maybe it had to do with the true crime element? Or, rather, lack thereof in the Haunted Christmas season. Maybe people had really liked that?
Or maybe it’s just the season. Historically traffic to Haunt Jaunts slows down enormously in December. Which is understandable. Who isn’t busy this time of year? Also, paranormal high season runs from August through November. Was I really expecting the same amount of listens? (Yes and no. “Hoping for” would be a better choice of words.)
So when I published my first fiction episode on the podcast yesterday, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d informed people from the start we’d make that deviation this season, but how would it be received? Would anyone even listen? I had my doubts…
The Fiction Gamble
One thing I knew —and have learned— from the fiction podcasts that I listen to: sounds matter.
I’ve been getting a little more creative with adding in ambient sounds or ones that punctuate a point I’m trying to make in the regular podcasts. But with fiction, it helps bring the story to life even more. I enjoy it when people go the extra mile to add that to their episodes.
And since I didn’t have actors to voice every part, it was just me, I felt even more conscientious about producing a fiction episode. Especially because even though I did take acting lessons once upon a time, that was a long time ago. I convinced myself the fiction episode would need a little something extra to enhance the listening experience.
So I added noises and background music for atmosphere. It took longer, but thank goodness for Film Music and Freesound. I found amazing audio assets for free from both.
When I hit the “Export as MP3” on Audacity after finishing editing the “Making Merry: Night of the Living Christmas Decorations” fiction episode, I felt a huge swell of pride like I do when I type “The End” on finished manuscripts.
I felt the same sense of accomplishment when I did the Haunting American True Crimes episodes too. Particularly the “Bonus” one. I included some research in that one about a fake vampire story I’d uncovered after doing some fact-checking that I felt particularly proud of.
Anyway, my stomach was all bunched in knots when I went to grab the code to embed the episode on a Haunt Jaunts post about it. It was to the point I wasn’t even going to look. I was just going to turn my head as I scrolled down to where I grab the code.
But, of course, the cat in me couldn’t resist the curiosity. I peeked.
The Shock
I was blown away to see how many listens it already had. In one day it had as many listens as the other two Haunted Christmas episodes have each had since they’ve been released.
I’m not sure what to make of that. It might mean nothing. Like I always do, I’ll keep track and see how it does overall.
But I’m psyched people at least listened and gave it a shot.
I’m biased because not only did I produce the episode but I also wrote the story. It’s always been one of my faves. I always thought I’d put it in print somehow and hadn’t ever thought about turning it into a podcast episode.
But now that I have? I love it’s ventured into the world for public consumption in this form. It’s not perfect sound quality because I don’t have a studio, but for my little DIY at-home set up that I have?
Yeah, it’s a pretty cool gift to myself this year. And I hope to others too.