What Is Work, What Is Important, What Brings Joy?

I asked some bestselling authors to reflect broadly on the writing vs. podcasting question. Their answers are revealing,

You see what I did there?! I broke out of the lonely, head-banging cell of solo writing and collaborated with some other minds in order to untangle the “to write or to podcast” question. It’s a bit messier this way but it’s more fun.

Here’s my solo essay wrestling with the question: To write or to podcast.

I belong to a private Facebook group of nonfiction writers. A number of the members are bestselling authors and a number also host podcasts.

I asked the group:

“Which is more important as a form of expression for you — writing or podcasting? Which is more pleasurable? Easier? I think we can all agree that much about the writing process sucks. It's lonely compared to podcasting. So why do we keep doing it? Do we have to in order to be taken seriously?”

The answers are insightful. And pretty much line up with my own conclusion that podcasting is more enjoyable but writing is more durable and thus remains vitally important. Even if the process of writing is sometimes maddening.

At work, writing. Or pretending to. Alicia Allen Photography

Before I posted the question to Facebook, I emailed Silicon valley legend Guy Kawasaki, a bestselling author of 15 books, host of the Remarkable People podcast, and a recurring guest on [B]OLDER.

Does he prefer writing or podcasting, I asked. Which is more or less fun? Easier or harder?

When Guy and I last spoke on [B]OLDER, he insisted that podcasting was his ikigai (a Japanese expression meaning reason for being or purpose). He told me that he loves the immediacy, the independence (no waiting on a book publisher’s schedule of 18 months or longer), the preparation (he learns so much), and conversing with his hundreds of fascinating guests.

In his email Guy reminded me that his ikigai, more broadly, is “to empower people to achieve their full potential.” And he continued, “I have big capacity. I can have two ikigais. Podcasting and writing are two ways of empowering people.”

He was evading my touchy-feely question. But I understand why. He does both (podcast and write), he’s currently working on a new book, and he’s not really in a position right now to choose one medium over the other.

To write or to podcast: more answers from nonfiction authors

Back to the Facebook answers.

Mitch Joel, a well-known Canadian author, entrepreneur, and host of the Six Pixels podcast (nearing 900 episodes), responded succinctly: “I love both... I want to do both. I think they are equally important… equally enjoyable and stressful.”

Aha, that word: stressful. Mitch, a very generous soul, is the founder of the Facebook group.

From astute author, business book coach, and collaborator Josh Bernoff: “Writing is fun for people who love to write. Podcasting is fun for people who love to talk… Writing is worth it because writing persists. It has value for years, or longer. Podcasts are ephemeral, people listen and then they are gone. Few are listening to podcasts from a year ago, but lots of people read books from a year ago.”

Those are my italics. Good point. Putting the ordered words on the page or screen, no matter how hard it is to arrange them, is a more permanent form of creative expression. But I disagree; plenty of people who “love” writing do not find it fun.

Responded author and empathy expert Anita Nowak: “Podcasting has become a bona fide joy for me. And writing is more a labor of love. They both take effort. They're both satisfying. But podcasting gives more than it takes.” Anita is the author of a new book, Purposeful Empathy: Tapping Our Hidden Superpower for Personal, Organizational, and Social Change.

Anita nails it for me: the joy of podcasting vs. the labor of love of writing. And what an interesting idea that podcasting gives more than it takes.

Said Mike Vardy, author, podcaster and Productivityist: “I do both. I look at the podcast as an arm/extension of my work, allowing for discovery. The writing is the “real” work.”

Yup.

Tom Webster, a podcaster and audio industry expert responded: “I write to think, and my main podcast is completely scripted. They are both equally important to me but anything good I do starts with the writing.”

Spot on. Thank you Tom. Joan Didion said it first: “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking.”

From author Thomas Weddell: “Writing… is still one of the most rigorous ways to examine an idea and see if it really holds. Podcasts can do the same if the discussion is focused… It's only when I have to write a cogent piece on the idea that I discover whether my thinking is truly clear or not.”

Unfortunately, yes. It takes many iterations to get to clarity.

And from author Robert Rose: “I enjoy both equally. The way I think about it is that writing helps me better express what I think about topics and podcasting helps me better express how I feel about topics.”

Thank you, Robert. Love this.

And finally, a practical answer from bestselling author and speaker Laura Gassner Otting: “I interview people on my podcast so that I can write about them in my books. I have to do the research anyway.”

Well, yes!

Thank you to all these writers for responding with such clarity.

My final conclusion

Good writing is work. It takes time and courage. Sometimes the process sucks. Occasionally it flows. So writing is both joyful (when you finish) and challenging (while you’re in the middle of it).

I hope you agree that it’s worth the effort.