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For many years, I’ve referred to Ray Bradbury as my “story father.”  I’ve only recently given dedicated thought to what that actually means to me… and in the process, discovered there are other members of my story family, too!

In this episode of Sonitotum, I unpack the concept of the “creative family,” and invite you to take up this particular perspective as a way to add a level of accountability and quality control to your creative endeavors… and add meaning and impact to your work, too.

Hint: it’s all about love, really.

Links and Topics Mentioned In This Episode

Here are some of the things I talk about in this episode, including a few links to sites with which I have an affiliate relationship. I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you purchase products through those links. It’s a lovely way to show your support for Sonitotum!

• The artwork for this episode features a photograph of picture frames on a wall from Travis Isaacs used via a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) license. I’ve manipulated his image to include photos of Ray Bradbury, Ursula K. Le Guin, and two books from my personal collection.
• Ray Bradbury died June 5, 2012, a touch over six years before this episode. Here’s the post I wrote where I first refer to him as my “story-father.”
• R Is For Rocket is the Bradbury short story collection that got the ball rolling for me. My mass-market paperback edition is from 1978, when I was ten or eleven years old, but I may have read a library book edition before I owned my own copy.
• Ursula K. Le Guin wrote a remarkable proto-transmedia mosaic novel, Always Coming Home, that is not only a very moving, brilliant work, it also stands as a worldbuilding high-water mark in my mind.
• I mentioned this post on how gratitude will make you a better writer.
• In the uncut / unedited patrons-only edition of this episode, I go into much more detail on the concept of the customer avatar. Become a patron to hear the uncut episode.
• Hazy Days and Cloudy Nights: “How It All Got Started” is my ongoing serial fiction project available exclusively to my patrons. Read the first three installments and then get the rest for as little as $1.00 per month!
• Interested in being an interview guest on Sonitotum? The details of what I’m looking for in a guest are at the end of the episode… if you fit the bill, email me or use the contact form. Thanks!

Get Forty Percent More Content!

My patrons get exclusive, early access to the uncut / unexpurgated version of Sonitotum a few days before it goes out to the rest of the world. Their version of this episode has about ten extra minutes (about 40% more) of content, including a bit more personal stuff and an explanation of the customer avatar concept.

You can get early access to the unedited edition of every episode of Sonitotum for as little as $1.00 month, the free Sonitotum theme song (“Anastasia”), and whole lot of other stuff. Click here to learn more about become a patron of Sonitotum and my other creative endeavors.

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Making the Episode

This episode took over seven hours to record, edit, and produce the two different editions of the show, and to prepare the social media assets and graphics and write the show notes.

Equipment and Software

For those who are interested (folks sometimes ask), here’s what I used (and use) to make this episode. I have affiliate arrangements with some of these products and services. If you make a purchase when you click through using my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It’s a great way to help support the podcast… so thank you!

• Aurycle a460 large diaphragm studio condenser microphone
• Zoom R16 Recorder:Interface:Controller (digital multitrack recorder)
• Akai Professional MPD218 (MIDI drum pad controller for performing drum parts of “Anastasia”)
• Sennheiser HD 202 headphones
• Mixcraft 8 Pro Studio (digital audio workstation / music creation software — used when recording and producing “Anastasia”)
• Adobe Audition CC (digital audio workstation for recording, editing, and producing audio — used to mix and produce the podcast)
• Zencast.fm (podcast media file hosting and distribution service)

What Do You Think?

So what do you think about the concept of the creative family? The story parents and story soulmate?  Let’s hear from you in the comments!