I'd Rather Be Writing podcast
A technical writer's deep dive into the impact of AI on documentation, developer experience, and the future of the profession.
This is a practitioner's real-time journal on navigating the tech industry as a writer. The podcast's focus has sharpened intensely on AI's role in technical communication, examining how large language models are changing workflows, tools, and the very definition of the job. It mixes formats between roundtable book club discussions on seminal AI texts, conversational deep dives with a regular co-host, and interviews with other professionals on the front lines.
“Unlike purely theoretical or news-recap shows, this podcast is grounded in the host's own weekly work challenges and experiments. The blend of hands-on practitioner talk, structured book club analysis, and expert interviews provides a uniquely comprehensive view of the field's transformation.”
Who hosts this show
Tom Johnson is a Seattle-based technical writer at Google, focusing on API documentation. He runs the long-standing blog and podcast "I'd Rather Be Writing," where he explores trends in technical communication, content strategy, and, most recently, the profound impact of AI on the field. He holds an MFA in literary nonfiction from Columbia University and often blends narrative and personal experience into his technical explorations. His work provides a practitioner's perspective, as he is actively working in the field he analyzes.
Credentials & credits
- Technical Writer at Google
- MFA in Literary Nonfiction, Columbia University
- BA in English, Brigham Young University
- Formerly a technical writer at Amazon
- Formerly taught writing at The American University in Cairo
Other ventures
- I'd Rather Be Writing (blog)
- API documentation course (online course)
- AI Book Club (podcast segment)
- Formerly co-hosted the Write the Docs Podcast
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01Podcast - Judging beautiful docs, AI fatigue, and tool slopJun 1, 2026 · 58 min
- 02AI Book Club discussion recording of Life 3.0 by Max TegmarkMay 17, 2026 · 57 min
- 03
- 04
- 05The Emerging Picture of a Changed Profession: Cyborg Technical WritersApr 6, 2026 · 1h 29m
- 06
- 07
- 08
Notable episodes
- 01AI Book Club discussion recording of Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark
Demonstrates the unique book club format where the host facilitates a group discussion on a foundational AI text.
- 02How valuable are agent skills? Conversation with Larah Vasquez and Fabrizio Ferri-Benedetti
A prime example of the practitioner-focused interview format, diving deep into a cutting-edge topic ('agent skills') with experts in the field.
- 03AI Book Club discussion recording of Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future, by Dan Wang
Shows how the podcast connects broader geopolitical and technological themes back to the core interests of AI and engineering.
- 04Podcast - Judging beautiful docs, AI fatigue, and tool slop
Highlights the recurring conversational format with co-host Fabrizio Ferri-Benedetti, blending philosophical concepts with practical tech writing issues.
What you'll be asked on this show
Tom Johnson's style is more facilitative than interrogative, creating a collaborative, exploratory tone. He often opens with casual, personal chat before transitioning to the main topic. He grounds conversations by referencing a guest's specific work, such as a public code repository or blog post, and asking them to elaborate. Questions are often based on direct experience ("Have you played with X?") or aimed at gauging future relevance ("Is this a fad or the thing to learn?"). In the book club format, he starts with broad, open-ended questions to poll the group's general opinion before guiding the discussion into specific themes and connecting them back to AI and technical writing.
The format is a mix of styles. Some episodes are conversational two-handers with co-host Fabrizio Ferri-Benedetti, often using a blog post as a jumping-off point. Others are group discussions for the "AI Book Club" segment, which the host facilitates. Guest episodes are structured as collaborative, three-way discussions rather than formal interviews, with a disclaimer that opinions are personal and not those of employers.
Questions the host keeps coming back to
12 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when the host reaches for it.
personal
3- Q.01
“What are your high-level thoughts on the book? Did you like it?”
This is his standard opening for book club episodes, used to elicit general, high-level reactions from all participants.
- Q.02
“Are you getting busier or less busy with the new AI tools?”
Asks this to cut through the hype and assess the real-world impact of AI on a practitioner's daily workload.
- Q.03
“How does this connect to your firsthand experience with [place/event]?”
Connects abstract topics from a book or article to a participant's personal, real-world experiences.
advice
1- Q.01
“What are your favorite channels for staying in the loop on AI?”
Seeks to gather and share concrete resources for the audience to stay current in a fast-moving field.
future
2- Q.01
“Is [new trend/tool] a fad that will fizzle, or is it something tech writers should learn?”
Probes the long-term viability of a new development to help listeners prioritize their learning.
- Q.02
“What's the most promising idea from that list you would implement tomorrow?”
A follow-up that pushes the guest to reveal their immediate priorities and focus.
process
3- Q.01
“Tell us more about the [specific project/repo] you created.”
Zooms in on a guest's concrete work to ground the conversation in practice rather than just theory.
- Q.02
“What are your bread and butter tools for your daily work?”
Aims to understand a guest's practical, day-to-day workflow and toolset.
- Q.03
“Are you experiencing a similar [challenge, e.g., review fatigue]?”
Compares his own professional experiences with his guest's to find common ground and industry-wide patterns.
controversy
1- Q.01
“What do you think about [controversial topic, e.g., air-gapping AI]?”
Directly addresses contentious security, political, or ethical issues raised by a book or technology.
technique
1- Q.01
“What about [specific technical challenge, e.g., long-term memory for LLMs]?”
Dives into a specific technical hurdle or limitation of current technology being discussed.
craft
1- Q.01
“Can you talk more about your [specific project]?”
A frequent follow-up used to get deeper details on a project a guest has mentioned briefly.
Signature segments
- · AI Book Club: A Human in the Loop
- · Conversational analysis with co-host Fabrizio Ferri-Benedetti
- · Using the host's own blog posts as a starting point for discussion
- · Disclaimer that speakers' opinions are their own, not their employers'
- · Grounding discussions in practical, on-the-job challenges
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are fellow technical communication professionals, academics, and writers grappling with the same challenges as the host. They are often practitioners from other tech companies or experts in a niche area like documentation testing or API design.
- Larah Vasquezon How valuable are agent skills? Conversation with Larah Vasquez and Fabrizio Ferri-Benedetti
- Fabrizio Ferri-Benedettion Podcast - Judging beautiful docs, AI fatigue, and tool slop
- Nupoor Ranadeon Will tech writers survive AI? Perspectives from two professors, Nupoor Ranade and Jeremy Merritt
- Manny Silvaon Podcast: Doc testing, skills files, and the guardians of knowledge -- with Manny Silva
- David Kowalskyon AI Book Club discussion recording of Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast primarily promotes the host's own ventures, including his extensive blog at idratherbewriting.com and a dedicated AI Book Club. No external sponsors were mentioned in the evidence.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
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People also ask
- What is the host's name?
- The host is Tom Johnson, a technical writer at Google.
- What is the I'd Rather Be Writing podcast about?
- It's a podcast for technical writers focused on API documentation, content strategy, and the impact of AI on the profession.
- What is the format of the show?
- The show uses a mixed format, including interviews with practitioners, conversational deep dives with a co-host, and a recurring 'AI Book Club' roundtable discussion.
- Is the podcast still running?
- Yes, the podcast is active, with new episodes released on a regular basis as of mid-2026.
- How can I join the AI Book Club?
- The host mentions that information for joining the book club is available on his website, idratherbewriting.com/ai-book-club.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on the host's website, idratherbewriting.com, YouTube, and major podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Tom Johnson | I'd Rather Be Writing Blog and API doc courseidratherbewriting.com
- [02]I'd Rather Be Writing podcast - YouTubeyoutube.com
- [03]Tom Johnson | API the Docsapithedocs.org
- [04]I'd Rather Be Writing Podcast - Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [05]Tom Johnson: documenting APIs and collaborating with developersellessmedia.com
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