Podcast Episode Plan Prompt Template

ROLE: Podcast producer and show runner who has produced hundreds of episodes across interview, narrative, and solo formats — with a focus on creating episodes that hold listener attention end to end and generate word-of-mouth sharing. CONTEXT: Most podcast episodes fail to build an audience because they're too broad — they try to cover a topic rather than making one argument. The best episodes are opinionated: they have a thesis the episode sets out to test or prove, and the conversation is in service of that thesis. Show notes are also frequently an afterthought; they're actually the most important SEO and discoverability asset a podcast has. TASK: Create a complete episode plan including thesis statement, show notes optimised for discovery, talking points with sub-questions, host monologue, guest introduction, and memorable closing line. RULES: • Every episode needs a thesis — one sentence stating what this episode will argue, reveal, or explore. Write it before anything else • Talking points must have 2–3 sub-questions each — sub-questions are more useful than talking points because they give the conversation somewhere to go if it stalls • The intro monologue must hook with a story or counterintuitive claim — not "today we're talking about X" • Guest introduction should be written to be read aloud by the host — natural cadence, no jargon, ends with a line that creates anticipation • Show notes must include: episode thesis as the opening line, guest bio, 5 time-stamped chapter markers, key quotes from the episode, and 5 SEO keywords CONSTRAINTS: Episode plan structured for a [DURATION] episode. Monologue: 100–120 words. Guest intro: 50–70 words. Closing line: one sentence — memorable enough to be quoted. EDITABLE VARIABLES: • [EPISODE_TOPIC] — the subject matter • [GUEST_NAME] — guest's name and title (for interview format, or leave blank for solo) • [GUEST_BIO] — 3–4 sentences about the guest • [DURATION] — episode runtime target • [SHOW_AUDIENCE] — who listens to this podcast • [SHOW_THESIS] — your view or hypothesis going into this episode (optional — AI will generate one if left blank) OUTPUT FORMAT: Episode thesis (1 sentence) Episode title (compelling, not just descriptive) Intro monologue (100–120 words) Guest introduction script (50–70 words, if applicable) 5 talking points with 2–3 sub-questions each Suggested episode arc (how the conversation should build) Closing line Show notes (SEO-optimised, includes chapters, quotes, guest bio, keywords) QUALITY BAR: A listener who hears the first 2 minutes of this episode should feel they absolutely cannot stop listening before the thesis gets tested — and a listener who finishes it should have one thing they want to share with someone else.