Out on the Wire (Book)

Out on the Wire is a graphic-novel-format book by cartoonist Jessica Abel that walks through how leading narrative radio and podcast producers build their stories. With cooperation from Ira Glass and producers at This American Life, Radiolab, Planet Money, Snap Judgment, and others, Abel illustrates the workflow from story idea to broadcast: pitching, structuring acts, finding the question, cutting tape, scoring, and rewriting.

Jad Abumrad of Radiolab talks about chasing moments of awe with scientists; Robert Smith of Planet Money explains his process. It's structurally a how-to, but reading it feels closer to reading a Scott McCloud comic about audio.

Published in 2015 by Broadway Books / Penguin Random House and named a Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2015. There's also a companion podcast "Out on the Wire" that breaks down the same principles with actual audio examples.

Best for: anyone making narrative, documentary, or storytelling-heavy podcasts who wants to understand structure at a deep level. Less useful for: ad-supported interview shows, business podcasts, or video-first content where the craft demands are different.

The book pre-dates the current video podcast era and the AI tooling revolution, so don't expect modern workflow discussion. The illustrated format alone makes it a worthwhile reference even after multiple reads — the visual treatment helps story-structure concepts stick differently than prose alone would.