Writer and podcaster Anthony Olivieri is a good friend of mine, and a fellow member of the FateCrafters network (where my own audio drama, Girl In Space, dwells). His first audio drama (a.k.a. fictional podcast), the dystopian dreamscape of 2298, landed with great success — and today, we’re talking about how he did it.
“Reading it [aloud] was the best editor I ever had.”
First and foremost, as you’ll learn in today’s episode, Anthony and I are the same person (INFJ and INFP, respectively). As a writer, he’s a bit more Hemingway-esque than I (episodes of 2298 are each 8 minutes long, as opposed to my 30+ minute Write Now and Girl In Space episodes), but he creates his one-man show in addition to holding down a full-time job and dealing with anxiety, imposter syndrome, and all of that other fun stuff Life throws our way.
“I am self-deprecating, but the key word in that is self. I decided I’m going to let other people tell me — I’ve been telling myself what my worth is for 30-some-odd years. I’m going to let other people tell me now, finally… It’s freeing, almost. If I’m awful, I’m going to let other people tell me I’m awful. And what I think happens to everyone… is that people will like what you make.”
In today’s episode, we’re talking about balance, inspiration, and building both a sense of mystery and deeper meaning into your work.
“When I first started, I reached out to people I admired. And they’ve helped me. That is why it’s been successful.”
We also talk about why Anthony decided to publish his writing via audio instead of through more traditional channels, and what it means to create Mary-Sue vs. truly resonant characters. I hope you enjoy our conversation!
Mentioned in this episode:
- Anthony on Twitter
- 2298 on SoundCloud and iTunes
- Anthony’s new show, Magic King Dom, on SoundCloud and iTunes
- The Girl In Space audio drama (my show!) on iTunes and online
- My interview with the wonderful Paul Sating... you know, the guy who got us both into audio drama! (And Paul’s own show, Horrible Writing!)
#THENETWORK
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Good morning Ms. Werner!
I am a fan of Girl in Space and this interview in particular was awesome! I am also a fan of 2298. I wanted to contact you and hopefully reach Mr. Olivieri also, because I have many story ideas, but I am not a producer or a great writer overall. It would be amazing to speak with you to see what you think of them and if you’d like to move forward with any of them. I do not know how all of this works, but I am not looking to make a profit. I just love sci-fi content and thought you’d be the best for it.
Thank you and thanks for your work!