5 Podcasts & YouTubers For the Crime or Mystery Writer

By Bonnie Randall 

Part of the How They Do It Series 

JH: Today's online world offers a tremendous amount of research opportunities for writers. Bonnie Randall shares some of her favorites today.

Want a fun way to learn authentic investigative procedures, build insight into the emotional impact of crime, or maybe just satisfy your own appetite for real life mysteries? Then check out the following—my Top 5 Podcasts & Chans – and how they’ve informed my fiction.

1. Missing Maura Murray

If you are writing about a cold case, particularly about a person who vanished many years ago, then this heart-wrenching, confounding podcast is for you. The case of Maura Murray is filled with a lot of promising corridors leading to no discernable solutions to its escape room, and is an excellent (albeit tragic) example of how a real-life mystery truly can be littered with opportunists, red-herrings, shady characters, and a passage of years with no lucrative leads. 

Podcasts for Indie Authors

By Julie Musil, @juliemusil

Part of the Indie Author Series

Whether you’re pursuing the traditional path, or venturing into indie publishing, podcasts are an excellent way for writers to learn while on the go. Podcast topics range from the writing craft, to marketing, to new trends in the industry, and so much more.

New to podcasts? Here's what you do:

• Go to Stitcher.com or download the free Stitcher app from the app store (these same podcasts are available on iTunes)
•  Create a Stitcher account
• Browse shows based on your interests (publishing, writing children's books, current events, whatever)
• Sift through the many choices (I typed in "Indie Publishing" and over 500 shows popped up)
• Add interesting shows to your list
• When you're ready to listen, download a show and play