Recalibrating

The ForceCast, the podcast that I've co-hosted for the past two years, unveiled a new format in this week's show. At the end of the episode, I made an announcement: Beginning next week, I will no longer be one of the voices welcoming you to the ForceCast.

I'm not leaving the network, and you'll still hear me on the flagship program on a regular basis. But beginning with ForceCast #341, Justin Bolger will be the main host, with Erik Blythe as co-host, and I will assume a new role as a contributor. (More on that in a second.)

I will continue to host the Rebels Roundtable, with Spencer Brinkerhoff III as my co-host. I will continue to appear as a regular panelist on Echo Base, hosted by Erik. I will continue to produce special reports for the ForceCast, including long-form interviews and convention coverage. (Celebration Anaheim approaches!) The only change will be on the main show.

A lot has changed in my life since Erik and I released our first episode on February 14, 2013, which will be exactly two years ago tomorrow. The biggest change is that I graduated from college and started a full-time job. I'm incredibly fortunate to be employed so soon after college, doing exciting work with amazing colleagues. The problem is that there are only so many hours in the day. As I've settled into my job, I've found, unsurprisingly, that I have less time for extracurricular activities. By far the most time- and energy-intensive of those activities is hosting the ForceCast.

This is the right time for me to recalibrate my role on the ForceCast. Having discussed this change with Justin for the past two months, I can tell that he knows exactly what he's doing. The show's new modular format revolves around pre-recorded segments, which makes planning a lot easier for Justin and Erik—and me.

Yes, although I won't be a host anymore, I will be pitching, scheduling, recording, and producing segments that will appear on the ForceCast. I won't be introducing episodes or reading our closing credits, but I will continue to be a regular voice on the show.

This new arrangement really is the best of both worlds for me. I'll still be participating in exciting Star Wars discussions that you'll hear on Fridays. I'm happy to let someone else spend all of Thursday trying to give the latest episode the perfectly witty title.