Narrative podcasting training program: full module descriptions

▫︎ Life gets colorful with creativity ▫︎

▫︎ LEARN IN ONE SEMESTER WHAT TOOK US TWO YEARS ▫︎

Sixteen weekly lessons cover all the elements of creating a standout scripted podcast: ideation, scriptwriting, story structure, interviewing, audio editing, VoiceOver, sound design, project management, and budgeting. These are the things we learned creating 200 scripted episodes of Shelter in Place.

But the lessons also cover many creative, vocational, and life lessons it took us the past 20 years to learn: discovering your creative personality. Discerning how personal to be in your writing. Working through different types of blocks. And not just doing creative work, but building creative habits that will set you up for a lifetime.

Course modules: from idea to launch

Image of award-winning podcaster Laura Joyce Davis, writer and host of Shelter in Place, used to illustrate module 1, "why create?" of Labs Weekender self-paced narrative podcasting course.

1. Why create?

This is where it all begins. We’ll dig into this deceptively simple question that guides everything we do, from episodes to coaching, training, and mentorship.

Sketch of Kurt Vonnegut's famous "person in hole" story diagram, illustrating module 2 of Labs Weekender self-paced narrative podcasting course, "great story."

2. Great story

You’ll get tools to move from idea to first draft to final episode script, and a larger framework that centers your listener as the hero for any story or episode type.

3. Creative personality

You’ll use leadership development tools to understand your creator frame of reference, and use that framework to find your creative superpower.

Audio editing screenshot, to illustrate module 4 of Labs Weekender self-paced narrative podcasting course, "Great sound."

4. Great sound

You’ll articulate your audio editing ethos, learn which parts you can speed up and which to slow down, and create an audio editing manifesto.

Image of two women talking, to illustrate module 5, "tell me more," about interviewing, for Labs Weekender self-paced narrative podcasting course.

5. Tell me more

You’ll develop a personal guide that identifies what’s most important as you interview guests—and be prepared to be your best when you are interviewed yourself.

Host Laura Joyce Davis with microphone, used for module 6 about VoiceOver, in Labs Weekender self-paced narrative podcasting course.

6. Finding your voice(over)

You’ll learn how to get high-quality audio no matter where you’re recording, and how to sound natural when you’re hosting, even when reading a script.

Stock image of woman with striped shadows over her face, to illustrate module 7 of Labs Weekender self-paced narrative podcasting course, "let's get personal," about vulnerability in writing and storytelling.

7. Let’s get personal

You’ll learn how to see discomfort and resistance in your writing as windows to the heart of the story, and how to discern what to share, and what to leave out.

Image of books and post-its on a desk, to illustrate module 8 of Labs Weekender self-paced narrative podcasting course, "how not to podfade," on starting well and establishing good practices.

8. How not to podfade

You’ll learn how to start well: to align your intentions and actions with conditions, and get advice from us and other experts on priorities and practical details.

Image of post-it notes illustrating scenes in a script, for Labs Weekender self-paced narrative podcasting course module 9, great structure, about storytelling elements.

9. Great structure

You’ll be introduced to structures and provided with the templates and tools to implement them—and experiment with and refine your own writing processes.

Image of jumbled computer mice, illustrating module 10 of Labs Weekender self-paced narrative podcasting course, "the messy middle," about overcoming different types of blocks in podcasting.

10. The messy middle

You’ll gain tools for assessing where and why you’re stuck, and for diagnosing and working through practical, intellectual, emotional, creative, or writing blocks.

Image of paw prints, illustrating Labs Weekender self-paced narrative podcasting course module 11, "befriending the beast," about podcast production.

11. Befriending the beast

You’ll go deeper into podcast production both for individuals and teams, and develop a personal guide for making project management and production sustainable.

Image of person with eyes closed, illustrating module 12 of Labs Weekender self-paced narrative podcasting course, "sonic storytelling," about sound design.

12. Sonic storytelling

You’ll learn how to use music, sound, and dynamics to create vivid cinematic soundscapes that surprise, delight, and highlight your story’s ideas and voices.

Image of two women talking, to illustrate module 13, "pitch perfect," about pitching ideas and stories, for Labs Weekender self-paced narrative podcasting course

13. Pitch perfect

You’ll learn the secret to pitching yourself and your ideas well, to increase your odds from episode pitches to magazine submissions to job interviews.

Image of moleskin notebook and pen, to illustrate module 14, "creative living," of the Labs Weekender self-paced narrative podcasting course.

14. Creative living

You’ll develop satisfying creative habits, and identify which creative work you need to feel fulfilled—and how to find a place for that even if it’s not your job.

Image of people's hands, to illustrate module 15, "beyond networking," of the Labs Weekender self-paced narrative podcasting course.

15. Beyond networking

You’ll learn to approach the industry not as self promotion, but as relationship building that results in sponsors, partnerships, and collaboration.

Image of creative director Nate Davis in front of a painting, to illustrate module 16 of Labs Weekender self-paced narrative podcasting course, "why keep creating?"

16. Why keep creating?

You’ll audit your current commitments, develop a strategy to avoid (or recover from) burnout, and plan steps to stay true to your creative vision.

Questions? See the FAQ’s

(Or read the official press release in PodNews!)