u/MulberryOk7

So I’ve been doing mostly solo episodes/monologue-style content for a while now and honestly got pretty comfortable with it. I can ramble for an hour alone with zero issue lol.

But recently I recorded my first proper guest episode with a friend and wow… hosting is a completely different skill.

Trying to actively listen, think of follow-up questions, keep the pacing good, avoid awkward silences, watch audio levels, AND stay focused with ADHD brain overload happening at the same time was chaos

Listening back wasn’t terrible, but I could definitely hear moments where the conversation lost momentum because I didn’t guide it well enough. I ended up turning the transcript into more of an outline for attempt #2 so I have some structure without sounding scripted.

Curious how other podcasters made the jump from solo content to interviews/conversations:

• Did hosting feel awkward at first?
• Do you prep heavily or mostly freestyle?
• Any tips for staying focused during longer conversations?
• What free/cheap software are you using for remote recording?

Would love advice from people who’ve already gone through the “wait… I’m actually bad at interviewing” phase