Why the Midwest is the Secret Star of Christian Audio Dramas

 Hi guys, the site is not dead haha, I am just really focusing on the SSALTW.blogspot.com series, which should be done by the end of May. Then you will get my undivided attention. Today's article and video will explain why the Midwest is the spot for all the audio dramas. Enjoy!!

 

        If you’ve ever listened to a Christian audio drama—think Adventures in Odyssey or Down Gilead Lane—you’ve probably noticed something weird: they’re almost always set in the Midwest. Yeah, that big, flat chunk of the U.S. full of cornfields, Chicago, and weather that can’t make up its mind. But why? Why not the deserts of Arizona or the beaches of California? Well, buckle up, because I’ve got some though to explain why the Midwest is the unsung hero of audio storytelling.

First off, let’s talk weather. The Midwest has it all: scorching heatwaves for that one Odyssey episode where everyone’s sweating through their moral dilemmas, and snow days—like that classic “Snow Day” episode—where kids learn life lessons while buried under 14 inches of the white stuff. (Yes, Iowa can get 30 to 40 inches annually, with occasional storms dropping more than 14 in one go. Boom.) Try pulling that off in Texas. Four inches of snow shuts down Dallas for two days—it’s a “historic” event, people!—and you’re not getting a heatwave in Wyoming, where July averages a measly 63°F. The Midwest gives you a full weather buffet, perfect for any plot twist.

Then there’s the audience factor. About 20% of the U.S. population—60 million people out of 340 million—lives in the Midwest. That’s Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, the Dakotas, and maybe Kansas if I squint at the map hard enough. That’s a solid chunk of potential listeners who can relate to the setting. Set your drama in New Mexico, and all you’ve got is desert—no one’s buying that as a universal vibe. The Midwest, though? It’s got plains, big cities, and small towns. It’s relatable enough to feel like “anywhere, USA,” but vague enough that writers don’t have to pin it to a real ZIP code.

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    Speaking of vagueness, that’s the real Midwest magic: you can make up whatever terrain you want. Adventures in Odyssey tosses in a random “really tall hill” somewhere in its fictional town—sure, why not? Down Gilead Lane can invent whatever geography fits the script. Minnesota’s got mountains (kinda), Iowa and Nebraska have plains, Wisconsin’s got lakes, and Illinois has Chicago if you need a city vibe. It’s like a geographic choose-your-own-adventure. Compare that to, say, Arizona—desert, desert, and more desert. Snooze. The Midwest is a tapestry of hints at a location without locking you into anything specific.

     And here’s the kicker: size matters. I asked Perplexity, and it confirmed the Midwest sprawls over 800,000 square miles. Texas, the second-biggest state in the contiguous U.S., clocks in at a measly 270,000 square miles. That’s three times less room to play with! Alaska’s bigger, sure, but it’s just an icebox—good luck setting a relatable family drama there without everyone freezing to death. The Midwest gives writers three times the space and three times the weather options of even the Lone Star State. It’s a storytelling goldmine.

    Now, I’m not saying the Midwest is perfect. It’s not like The Brinkman Adventures—which, by the way, is based on real people near Milwaukee—couldn’t work elsewhere. But the Midwest’s got that sweet spot: practical weather, a big audience, and enough geographic wiggle room to let imagination run wild. California? It's too cliché. Everyone knows that when a character goes to Cali in Odyssey, they’re either turning evil or coming back in two episodes. Florida? No snow. Idaho? No heatwaves. The Midwest just works.

    So next time you’re listening to Whit pontificate in Whit’s End or Haley wrestle with holiness in Down Gilead Lane, tip your hat to the Midwest. It’s the quiet MVP holding up these audio worlds—one cornfield, snowstorm, and made-up hill at a time.

He takes our bad out and puts His good in. Do you still mess up sometimes? Me too. But now we can have something we didn’t have before: forgiveness! Pray and ask God to forgive your sins because of what Jesus did. Instead of being guilty you’ll be forgiven. Now that’s not just good news – that’s the BEST news! Do you know how to look up verses in your Bible? Give these a try to read more about the best news ever.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Accept Christ today by admitting you are a sinner. Believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again. Choose Jesus as your Lord and Savior. You are now a new Christian!!

Source https://gospelcenteredmom.com/2015/03/26/free-printable-gospel-tract-for-

children/