Whom have I chosen?

Becky here, reporting for duty!

As of last week, I'd narrowed my podcast choices down to Grammar Girl or Lexicon Valley. Since then, I've moved definitely into the Grammar Girl camp. For one thing, my passion lies more truly with grammar than with individual words in general. For another, the style in which Grammar Girl is presented appeals to me more.

Whereas Lexicon Valley was presented as a dialogue or conversation between hosts and sometimes guests, Grammar Girl is primarily just one person talking. While I do have talented friends who would be willing to "guest star" in my podcast, my preference, when such a major part of my grade is depending on this one assignment, is to only have to rely on my own contribution. 
 
I also like the general tone of the show, the not-patronizing way the host demystifies a common error in grammar so that her listeners won't have to make the mistake again. The one aspect of the podcast that I am seriously considering not mimicking is the "message from sponsors"-- I don't see how it could be done with integrity for the purposes of the class, though that's something I should probably ask the professors about more as I get closer to working on the details of my podcast. It would clearly not be appropriate to put in a fake advertisement for a real company without permission, which leaves the options of either an entirely fictional ad, or asking a friend to advertise her business on my podcast-- both options which have potential problems attached, as well.

The biggest challenge I'm likely to have in imitating Grammar Girl is length-- all her podcasts seem to run under ten minutes, while for the assignment I'll have to go closer to fifteen (another reason why it might be a good idea to include a "message from sponsors" if feasible). I have faith, however, that I won't have a problem talking for fifteen minutes about grammar.

Which brings me to my specific topic, about which I have no doubt I can talk at length. I actually hit upon my topic idea as I was listening to some Grammar Girl podcasts, and typing to some friends in a chatroom in the background. One friend wrote "who" instead of "whom," and I automatically corrected him. As my friends reacted to the correction, one of them asking me to clarify another point of grammar for him, I realized that this, a pet peeve of mine, would be an excellent topic for the podcast. Specifically, I plan to elucidate subject and object pronouns, and when to use each of them.

Because of the way in which I came upon my topic, I did not need any advice sites to help me with it; I did, however, take a look at SPARK in the name of thoroughness afterward. I don't think the advice it gave is necessarily to my taste, because I as a rule prefer to hit upon my own topics in similar ways to how I did this-- making connections in the back of my head as I go about my business. Still, the principles it suggests are sound, and potentially useful. 
 
What I would add, or adapt, from their suggestions, is rather than look amongst topics for the one that interests me, I would find something (or somethings) that interest me, and then look for a connection between my interests and the relevant topics. That way, I'm sure to be doing the project on something I feel strongly about.