Record Breaking!!!!!

The first episode of season 2 has smashed the previous record for downloads for the Drew Carson show set by Dan "The Beast" Severn. I want to thank Arthur Smith and the music of Cara and Thomas G. Waites for making a great show and thank each and everyone of you for helping the show reach new heights, thanks guys and gals. 

~ Drew

Season 2 Episode 1 Arthur Smith Interview

Here is the link for the opening episode of season 2 featuring an interview with Arthur Smith and music by Cara and Thomas G. Waites.


http://www.podcastgarden.com/episode/arthur-smith-interview_67601

This Week's Guest is legendary alternative Comedian Arthur Smith!!!

Yes we are back with the second season of the Drew Carson show kicking off this week (8th) with the insanely funny and charming Mr. Arthur Smith. Arthur was one of many stand-up performers on the alternative comedy scene in the 1980s. He still performs today in much the same manner, and has regularly attended the Edinburgh Fringe comedy festival since 1977, and still compering the long-running Hackney Empire New Act of the year competition final. He has also written a body of serious or semi-serious work, including stage plays such as An Evening with Gary Lineker and his autobiography My Name is Daphne Fairfax. 

In addition to stand-up comedy, Smith has performed musical comedy shows such as Arthur Smith Sings Leonard Cohen (later broadcast on Radio 4). He returned to this theme for the Edinburgh Fringe in 2013 with "Arthur Smith Sing Leonard Cohen (Volume Too). He is also a radio presenter on such BBC Radio 4 programmes as Excess Baggage and Loose Ends, and appears on television comedy panel games. He took over as narrator of the TV series A Life of Grime after the death of John Peel and more recently was one of the Grumpy Old Men in the television series of the same name. You can find Arthur at the links below and remember to please download and subscribe to the show to hear all the great interviews that are coming over the entire season. Thank you.

Website: http://www.arthursmith.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArfurSmith

Video clip: https://youtu.be/Y6NjxDTz0AI?list=PLQ4Tg8xUFDJB6R-P_40j8cBNFtXxSB-7W

Season 2 Guests Announcement!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Podcast News

This week brings some very interesting news for the podcast regarding guests for season 2. Firstly I have been in talks with some very interesting people and those talks are for the most part going extremely well. I know its annoying for me to say this and then not drop some names but I feel its best to wait until they are recorded. What I can say is I am very excited for what season 2 could be if these interviews work out and I will drop the names one by one as these interviews are recorded. In other podcast news I am thinking of mixing the formula of the show up for season 2 much to the recomendation of you, the listeners. Yes the one thing most requested when answering my question of how can I improve the show for season 2 was break up the show a bit so its not just an interview and thats it. So I will be talking about things that are on my mind or that I am working on each week. The working title for this segment is Drew's Corner but don't hold me to that title I may rename it haha. 

Novel News

The rewrite stage of my novel is taking longer than I wanted but not longer than I expected. On the plus side the first half of the book is a lot better produced and presented than I thought as I was writing the the second half of the story. I may have mentioned this before or not but the story is split into two parts. Part 1 takes place on the Isle of Deamhan in 1986 and part 2 begins in Edinburgh in 2016 and travels to Glasgow and returns to the Isle of Deamhan. The first half of the book was well plotted out in advance and took around a third of the time it took to write part 2. The reason for this being that the story changed genre and style as part 1 was ending. The story began, back in January as a gritty crime story but by April it was now changing and morphing into a story about magic, monsters and mayhem with a Scottish accent. The story now is far more interesting and of a grander nature but that transformation led to certain issues. Issue 1 how to use what I had to set up part 2 and have the reader come along for the journey? Issue 2 would this story work as well on paper as it did in my head? The answer to issue 1 is easy to answer it just took the addition of a few new scenes and characters that became vital in part 2. The answer to issue 2 is unanswered until the novel is released. 

The cover design above is a mock-up of the kind of cover I would have liked to use in the beginning but I don't feel represents the mood and direction of the book the way I would like it to so I am changing it. I am also changing the title. So here is the exclusive for you guys, never mentioned anywhere else before the new title for the novel is;

 

Blog Post

With the first draft of my novel now finished and editing and re-writes underway I have come to realise that I feel partially overwhelmed by this stage of the journey. The closer the book gets to being complete the more I dread releasing it into the world for others to read and judge as I may not be ready to recieve that kind of feedback. i seem to be in a constant battle with doubts, doubts, doubts and oh yeah doubts everyday as I try to turn the barebones and concept of this story into something that will be easily followed and hopefully enjoyed by others.

I have been procrastinating on it for a week now instead concentrating more on finding guests for season 2 of the podcast which has been a mix of both great excitement as I get closer to signing some very cool interviewees up for the show and utter despair and embarassment when I recieve emails back from agents and publicists that basically put me in my place with some harsh but possibly truthful replies telling me I am not worthy of talking to their clients as I am not in their leagues. Now I haven't been going after the Tom Cruise's or Jennifer Lawrence's of the showbiz world but to some of these publicists I am about as much use to the promotion of their clients as a massive flop at the box office. I've had everything from my email writing style to my gall to contact in the first place questioned  by some yet by others I have received some incredible feedback and had agents and publicists go out of their way to try to make an interview happen and to them all I can say is a massive THANK YOU!!! 

What I have learned from the podcasting journey which started out contacting celebrities on social media all the way through the more professional route is that you have to develop a rather thick skin if you want to pursue this undertaking. If you want to interview people you admire or find interesting you have to be able to take a "Who do you think you are?" Or "Do not contact me again."  Response because every 50 of these will lead to one that is a step closer to reaching that interview you are after.

The truth is anyone can do a podcast all you need is a recording device which could even be your phone, a computer, a hosting site and an idea of what you want to talk about be it interviews, talking on a certain topic or even about your life anyone can do it and if you are thinking about doing one or have previously just do it. It doesn't matter how many people listen or download your episodes do it for you and an audience will eventually come to you. it is easy to record more difficult to find your audience and guests but it is worth it, most of the time.

So Far I have 4 or 5 pencilled in but as always I won't say who until they are recorded but I'm excited to talk to them and share those episodes with you.  I hope to have the show back week 1 in January but as I will be away around that time for a wedding it may be week 2 instead. i will be doing a Google+ hangout before the end of the year to talk about my novel and officially reveal it's new title..... Yes the title has changed once again and I will give a more indepth description of the plot and characters. 

Thanks for still checking out the blog page and facebook page and I hope to see you all in January for season 2: Bigger, Better & Full of Chat.

~Drew

Drew's 2016 Goals

So as I have recently completed the first draft of my debut novel I have had some free time before taking on the "fun" editing stage. I have recently sent out a few invite/requests to very exciting possible guests to appear on the show in January and beyond as well as heard from a few past guests who would like to appear on the show for a second time so look out for those announcements on this blog and on the facebook page. I have also mapped out what will be my next writing projects including a second novel, a children's book (age range 0-3 years) with the proceeds going to a worthy charity and an extended edition of my memoir entitled "Who Am I" which will feature a brand new cover as well as covering my journey with the podcast, marriage, writing projects as well as a traumatic life event I have been dealing with. 

So for 2016 the goals are as follows;

 1. Publish my novel in January 

2. Have the extended edition of my memoir out by March
3. Have the children's book out by the summer
4. Season 2 of the podcast to continue to reach a wide audience and to chat with more interesting guests
5. Have my second novel, which I will announce the title and genre of early next year, published by December.

Busy year ahead for yours truly with all my projects so should be a lot of fun. I will be making a few announcements regarding my novel and the podcast before the end of the year and I will also be giving out the results of the question I posted for you guys late last month. 



So until then keep up to date by checking the blog and the social media accounts and I look forward to episode 1 of season 2 of the Drew Carson show.

Cheers 
~ Drew