Go listen to Episode 48 of Pseudopod. I swear I’m not doing this to drive listener figures, there’s a point.
That first episode, hell those first forty or so I sound like Matthew Lillard at the end of Hackers, suddenly acutely aware he’s speaking to an open mic connected to anyone on the planet who cares to listen.
It’s huge, and scary and weird and suddenly your brain does that thing where every single step that’s unconscious becomes conscious. You can hear it too, your thoughts suddenly going ‘NORMAL PEOPLE BREATHE OUT HERE, SO BREATHE OUT OH SHIT OH SHIT DID WE GO TOO EARLY?! DID WE BREATHE OUT AT ALL?! WHAT IS BREATH?! WHAT IS *AIR?!*’
You’re going to suck for a while is what I’m saying. Because you probably haven’t podcasted before and you’re not quite sure what the hell you’re doing. That’s not just fine, it’s compulsory. As someone pointed out if you listen to episode 1 as you celebrate episode 100 and you don’t cringe? You’re doing something wrong.
Conversely if you’ve recorded episode 1 and you listen to it and cringe? Cut yourself some slack. This is a job you learn by accretion. Lose track of time, it’ll solve itself. Just keep going.