Americaland

Short, fictional tales of Americans chronicling their lives in a near-future, apocalyptic United States under Trump's rule.

Podcast Direction | A brief vision of the podcast

Each episode is a first-person account of his/her experiences in a Trumpian, apocalyptic America. Their stories will be told in the manner of character-driven, literary fiction. They can be dark, comic, both dark and comic. It's up to you.

This podcast should not Trump-bash in overt ways. References to the negative effects caused by the Trump presidency will be handled artfully and subtly, leaving most to implication.

The first episode takes place in the spring of 2019, somewhere in the Northeast. However, episodes do not need to continue in chronological order; that is, the time can jump around, back and forth. And they can take place in any region of the U.S. 

The Basics | For Season One

  • Season One will feature 5 to 7 authors (with yours truly being one of them).
  • Each author will write three short stories; each story is one podcast episode (for a total of 15 - 21 episodes in Season One).
  • Author: Your three stories should be written in first-person, and all three of them should be narrated by the same character/voice; the stories are your specific character's chronicles. Think of it like this: there are three parts to your story, but each part should be a story that also stands on its own. Feel free to jump back and forth in time with each part.
  • Structure-wise, my first story (Episode 1) is written in a journal format. You absolutely do not need to follow this; write your story using any structure you wish. For my second story, I plan on going to a time period prior to the first story's narrative moment. For my third story, the narrative moment will be further into the future.
  • After the first stories from all five authors are broadcast, we'll come back around for the five authors' second stories, followed by their third stories.

Podcast Format & Production | Length, production, submission times, and other notes
 

  • Submission Guidelines:
    • Please submit the written version of your first story to the email listed below within the next two weeks.
    • I'll then send you a thumbs-up, after which you let me know if you're producing the piece, or if you want me to produce it.
    • If you're producing the piece, please send the produced episode to the email address below no later than two weeks after I gave you the thumbs-up on the written manuscript.
    • Please email written and produced submissions to americalandpodcast@gmail.com
  • Production 
    • Voiceover: Each author should have the same voiceover in all three stories, as the stories should be coming from the same character.
    • Talent: Authors can voice their own stories—or find talent to do it for them; in fact, this is preferable, as this gives the authors more control over the production of their piece. If you don't have the means of voicing it over—or having someone voice it over for you—that's totally cool. I'm happy to find a voice on my end over here and use my company's recording booth to have someone read your story. Just let me know.
    • SFX/Royalty-Free Music: If you are not producing the episode yourself, please note on your manuscript any sound effects or music (royalty-free stock or public domain only) if applicable. 
  • Story/Episode Length: We should feel comfortable breaking the typical podcast format. Lengths of episodes can vary. Think how Lydia Davis breaks the short story form—some stories are just a sentence, others are closer to what some might consider traditional length. As long as it feels like a complete story—a complete, poignant story—that’s all that matters.