The Survey Says!

I have been asking you over that past few weeks to help me by filling out a survey of just who you guys are. I thought it was high time that I gave you the results of your labors. I still need to add more data to this, but enough of you have responded to get an idea of what I can show prospective sponsors.

Before we get to the results many of you have expressed concern that if I start to take on sponsors it will change the podcast. It won’t be as free flowing because of the restrictions having to meet commercial requirements. I can promise you this will not happen. I could have long ago signed up for advertising. However, in most cases, you don’t get to pick the adds or even decide where they are placed. With a sponsor, I decide who they are and I create the spots. Two very different scenarios. The problem is that the second one is harder to pull off.

So having said this here are some of your results:

What is your age?
18-24 ……….6%
25-34 ……….18%
45-54 ……….24%
55-64 ……….18%
65+ …………35%

What is your gender?
Male ………..77%
Female ………24%

What is the highest level of education you have achieved?
Some college …..41%
2-year college …6%
4-year college …6%
Masters ……….41%
Doctoral ………6%

What is your employment status?
Full-time ……53%
Retired ……..35%
Other ……….12%

I still need more of you to take the podcast survey. This will really help me out and you will get a better product in the end. Thank you for listening and a big thank you to those 30 of you that have taken the time to fill out the survey.

-Ron

This Week’s Podcast:

On the podcast this week we have a cryptid wolf story from Yellowknife! We continue with Anything You can Do and Tom tells about making money in the old south. You can listen to this podcast on Thursday at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on Stitcher Radio or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Sunday Night at 8:00 PM (PST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.

Ron’s Amazing Stories is produced and hosted by Ronald Hood:
Email: ronsamazingstories@gmail.com
Blog Page: https://ronsamazingstories.blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ronsamazingstories/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RASpodcast

Helpful Links:
Podcast Survey – Help the podcast by taking this survey.
Story Submissions – Use this link to submit your stories to the show.
Podcast Archives – Looking for the first 100 episodes of the podcast?

Hello And Welcome!

Hello and welcome to the podcast. This is Ron’s Amazing Stories, where we play tales to take you away from today. – Ronald Hood

One of the questions I get asked all of the time is, “Where did that opening come from?”

I never really thought about it, but if I had to come up with a reason my answer would be… don’t all shows have one? I guess in fact they don’t, but in my humble opinion the good ones do. Take for example the phrase, “The Shadow Knows.” We all associate that with the famous radio series starring Orson Welles. How about, There is nothing wrong with your television set. Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are controlling transmission. That of course was from the Outer Limits anthology series.

I guess for me it is way of welcoming you home for an hour of entertainment. Starting the show the same way each week means you are ready to take your break and enjoy what I have to offer. It seems to work, because the comment I get the most is, I can’t wait to be taken away from today.

Thank you for all of your questions. It is a joy to be your podcast host!

-Ron

This Week’s Podcast:

On the podcast this week we will join a few professional ghost hunters going to the hospital. There is a driverless tractor and Mark Nelson gives us more information on the Nipe in our continuing story Anything You Can Do by Randall Garrett. You can listen to this podcast on Thursday at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on Stitcher Radio or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Sunday Night at 8:00 PM (PST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.

No More Replays!

As a podcaster, it is important that the shows get done on time. However, there have been instances where I have taken time off and replayed an old podcast. I hate doing this. I would rather put a new product out each week for you to enjoy then rehash the old stuff. This is an impossible situation. After all, life happens, and you just can’t be there all the time.

I have found a fix for this and I am calling it, The Best of Ron’s Amazing Stories. While technically still a replay there is a difference. I get to handpick the best content from over 300 podcasts and put them together in a whole new way. In fact, I can even have new material to balance out the old. For example, right now we are playing the book Anything You Can Do by Randall Garrett. I can build around that new material with some of the best of the old. I think this makes sound sense.

You might be asking, “Wait Ron won’t that be just as much work?”

The answer is, not really. You see putting old stuff together with new takes far less time and I plan to create a number of these shows so, when I need some time off they will be ready to go. This concept feels better to me than a replay. So, this week we have a test pilot. I am calling it the Best Of #1 and it will air this Thursday. Please be vocal and critical on this one. I want to know what works and what does not.

-Ron

This Week’s Podcast:

We will have a “Best Of” this week, but not to worry we will also have not one, but two chapters of Anything You Can Do read for us by Mark Nelson. You can listen to this podcast on Thursday at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on Stitcher Radio or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Sunday Night at 8:00 PM (PST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.

How to Write Your Story!

I received this email and thought that I would answer the question right here on the blog.

Hello Ron, Thank you for the great podcast. I listen each week and can’t wait for the next episode. At first, I missed the old time radio shows, but the new content with more listener stories is the future of the show. I can see that. Also, I like how easy it is to get stories to you. My question is this – I am not a writer and each time I sit down to tell my story I walk away frustrated. Can you help me? Do you have any tips on how I can tell my story? – Marleen Carlisle – Dover, Texas

Writing short stories or real-life stories can be tough, but not impossible. Start by writing down the events in the order they occurred. What stops people is the thought, How do I start this thing off? Don’t worry about that as much and concentrate on the facts. Once you have your list fill in the gaps with the details and you will see that your story has just written itself. Now all you really have to do is to put it together and then write your opening. This is what I do and it has never failed.

I hope this helps you, Marleen. I look forward to reading your story,

-Ron

This Week’s Podcast:

On the show this week we have a lesson in physics, an attack by a killer owl, a question from Wendy and a tornado at Wendy’s. Also, we continue with Tom’s Growing Up series. You can listen to this podcast on Thursday at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on Stitcher Radio or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Sunday Night at 8:00 PM (PST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.

Ron’s Amazing Stories is produced and hosted by Ronald Hood:

Email: ronsamazingstories@gmail.com
Blog Page: https://ronsamazingstories.blog/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ronsamazingstories/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RASpodcast

Helpful Links:

Podcast Survey – Help the podcast by taking this survey.
Story Submissions – Use this link to submit your stories to the show.
Podcast Archives – Looking for the first 100 episodes of the podcast?

The Stuff Of Dreams

Did you know that some of the best stories that have been written were from the stuff dreams by their authors?

One of the most famous of these is The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. It was first published in 1886 and the idea for the story came from a dream. Upon awakening, he took that inspiration and used it for scenes that would appear in the story.

Another author that has her dreams to thank was Mary Shelley the creator of the classic tale Frankenstein. This book is often cited as the world’s first science fiction novel, but did you know that it was inspired by a vivid nightmare. She experienced what she described as a waking dream:

“I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life, and stir with an uneasy, half vital motion. Frightful must it be; for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavor to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world” – Mary Shelley

Not all stories that are the stuff of dreams have a scary theme. Stuart Little by E B White stemmed from a dream he had in the 1920s, although it took him nearly two decades to convert his notes into a novel. The result is one of the most beloved children’s stories ever written.

So why I am I taking the time to share these facts? I believe that dreams are a wonderous thing. For years I have kept journals of my own and I have to say there are some pretty good story ideas in those writings. Have you ever thought about tracking your dreams? If not…why not?

This Week’s Podcast:

We have another story filled podcast this week. We have a rare Black Eyed Kids story, Mark Nelson continues to read the book, Anything You Can Do, and we have a new installment of, Johnny Is It True? You can listen to this podcast on Thursday at Ron’s Amazing Stories, download it from iTunes, stream it on Stitcher Radio or on the mobile version of Spotify. Do you prefer the radio? We are heard every Sunday Night at 8:00 PM (PST) on AMFM247.COM. Check your local listing or find the station closest to you at this link.