Meet Laurence Simon, host of The 100 Word Stories Podcast. A pioneer in the practice of brevity and our November Podcaster of the Month, Simon posts a daily podcast episode comprising precisely 100 words. With such strict criteria, you could perhaps say Simon is a storyteller with the punctuality of a quantum clock — precision peppered with some serious sarcasm, sass and snark.
What began as an extension of a college experiment evolved into a marathon of stories exactly 100 words long that refuses to end, which, yes, does seem like an oxymoron. Simon vowed to write and record a new story every single day until he kicks the proverbial bucket. Thus, like a podcasting Prometheus, Simon pushes forward despite any podcasting pain, securing the record-setting title of the longest-running daily podcast of original material in the world. Got a podcast you think tops that? Simon welcomes the challenge, though no one has managed to take his crown.
Amid all this glory, it is important to note that Simon is generous too. The Weekly Challenge invites listeners to channel their inner would-be Shakespeare, proving that brevity truly is the soul of wit (or at least this form of podcasting). If you appreciate the art of telling a story in 100 words — or if you just want to bask in the glory of Simon’s ever-shifting topical queue — subscribe and enjoy the vibe of The 100 Word Stories Podcast.
Consistency is always a challenge; what’s your best time management hack for podcasters? Has there ever been a day where you almost missed posting? If so, how did you handle it?
I think up the stories during my daily walks, write down ideas, record when I take a break from working. I don’t believe in production value. The worse the quality, the better. I should make an effort to sound like William S. Burroughs recording into a tape deck.
As for missing a day or so, I go back and fill in the gaps. I’ve been in the hospital a few times, pre-loaded some episodes for when I travel. That kind of thing.
Do you have time set aside each day to record your episode or do you do them in batches? Have your recording habits changed over time, and do you find batching or daily recording more effective for creativity?
I record them in batches on Sunday for the week ahead. Recording and writing are separate efforts … I write when the whim hits me.
Since you have pledged to publish a podcast each day until the day you die, and you seem pretty young, what routines or strategies do you have in place to ensure your longevity?
55 is young? Tell my doctor that.
As for ensuring my longevity, I walk daily and take way too many pills.
The weekly challenge – where your coconspirators conduct their own 100-word stories based on a theme – features six contributors. What role do collaboration and community play in the development of your podcast?
And then there were six … when I started this, there were about that many, then a lot more, people come and go over the years. Mostly go.
One turned his series of stories into a Masters thesis… or was it a Doctorate? That was kinda neat.
They give me a list of topics, I post the topic or topics for the week, and they go from there. You’d have to ask them for their motivations and inspirations.
Can you tell us a little about your audience and the kind of feedback you’ve received? Have there been any surprising or unexpected interactions with listeners that have influenced the show?
… I have an audience? Since when?
I used to read these live in Second Life at the Seanchai Library and other places. But I’m lazy and that takes effort.
Some people have complained over this or that over the years. One got all up in arms over “The bad man touched me in Cleveland” and since then I’ve come to the conclusion … the hell with critics, positive and negative. Just write.
I’m not on the level of Salinger, but I respect the writing and attitude towards critics.
(The creep factor though… blech.)
You say Woody Allen’s play about Abraham Lincoln obsessing over “How long must a man’s legs be? Long enough to reach the ground,” inspired you. Can you elaborate? Are there other literary influences that have shaped your approach to storytelling?
That story inspired me to write 100 stories about Abraham Lincoln. The Wacky Adventures of Abraham Lincoln ended a long time ago. So did he.
(Sheesh… Woody Allen … creep factor again. Blech. He and Salinger make the cat-fancying drug addict Burroughs seem respectable.)
The 100 Word Stories Podcast has somewhat dark and satirical undertones. What aspects of dark humor do you think resonate most with your audience?
Once again, I have an audience?
Some stuff they like. Some stuff they don’t. I really can’t control how they react. Which is, usually, a private thing for them since there’s so little feedback or comments or death threats or whatever.
How do you determine your daily topics and those for the weekly challenge? How do you stay motivated and what about podcasting makes it worthwhile for you?
For the weekly challenge, it’s pretty simple … I ask for suggestions, the contributors send them, and I collect them in order on a backlog. I post them for the year and bundle up five or six of them for the last weekend of a month as a Pick Two.
The daily stuff, whatever comes to mind. Eventually, I’ll run out of things to whine about.
If other podcasters decide to take on the challenge of publishing a daily podcast, what is the one pitfall you’ve found (if any) you would warn them about?
Don’t. The more you write, the more inquiries you’ll get from people who want to take your art and squeeze all the creativity out of it and inject it with whatever agendas or messages they have. Stay pure. Do your thing.
What else would you like the podcast community to know about you and The 100 Word Stories Podcast? How do you see the future of the podcast? Any long-term goals or dreams?
I’d like to go to the Dali Museum in Tampa. Is Tampa still there? If so, then that.