PODCAST

Writing Excuses

Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler

Fifteen minutes long, because you're in a hurry, and we're not that smart.

fiction careers

All Episodes

27:39

20.33: Raising Children as a Metaphor for Writing

Writing Excuses ·

2025/08/17

Throughout this season, we have been doing a series of episodes that feature different metaphors for writing. Today, we’re talking about raising children and what it can teach us about our own writing practice. It’s common knowledge that parents want their children to grow up to be happy and successful. But the real joy in raising children, Dan and Howard tell us, is watching them express their individuality, and meet these goals (of success and happiness) in very different ways. We talk about the

en-US

26:19

20.32: Revision and Character Consciousness Téa Obreht

Writing Excuses ·

2025/08/10

Téa Obreht is a short story writer and novelist. Her debut novel, The Tiger’s Wife, won the 2011 Orange Prize for Fiction, and was a 2011 National Book Award finalist and an international bestseller. In our conversation, we focused on revision and character consciousness. Téa talked to us about the difficulty of the idea-generation stage of writing, how to cultivate layered characters, and how she writes event-first. You can learn more about Téa Obreht here. Thing of the Week from Téa: Deadwood (TV

en-US

26:04

20.31: Framing the Lens

Writing Excuses ·

2025/08/03

This year, we’ve been looking at writing through various different lenses. In two weeks, on August 24th, we’ll begin a 5-part deep dive into these lenses through a specific book: All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders. There will be many spoilers in these episodes, so please read the book if you haven’t already! Now, we’re talking about choosing what your lens is focused on. How do you choose what’s in your story—and what’s not? In this episode, we talk about how to make this choice, and

en-US

18:40

20.30: Using Why To Shape Tone

Writing Excuses ·

2025/07/27

Tone is one of those words people use in many different ways when talking about fiction. On today’s episode, our hosts break down what it means, how we use it, and how it can be a tool in the writer’s toolbox. We dive into the myriad emotional shades of tone, and how you can use this to deepen your story’s themes. Homework: Write a vignette in which one of your characters is pouring tea for a beloved partner. First, try for a joyful tone. Then, write it again but with a tone of terror. P.S. Our 2025

en-US

22:08

20.29: Authorial Intent

Writing Excuses ·

2025/07/20

What the heck is authorial intent? Does it matter? And how do intentions end up on the page without cluttering or overwhelming the story? Today, our hosts dive into message versus content, and how to wrap your intention and narrative structure into your story’s execution.Homework: Take your work in progress, and in two sentences, describe to yourself why you are writing this (could be a scene, a chapter, or the whole book). Then, write one sentence explaining why that is the reason that you’re

en-US

23:11

20.28: The Lens of Tradition

Writing Excuses ·

2025/07/13

Every story has been told. Okay, maybe not, but most stories have a tradition/ influence/ history/ genre/ style that they draw upon, even if only slightly. How do you know what traditions you're bringing to your work, and how can you use them to make your story both resonant and unique?We’re exploring the lens of “why” right now. Why do we write the stories that we write? And what did we read that influenced us to write our work— that is, what are our narrative traditions? Homework: Make a list

en-US

22:32

20.27: The Lens of Why

Writing Excuses ·

2025/07/06

We are joined by author Mark Oshiro, who primarily writes YA and middle grade books and was a guest teacher aboard our 2024 cruise! (Our 2025 cruise is over 50% sold out! Learn more and sign up here.) We ask the question, “Why did you write this book?” while focusing specifically on theme and meaning. We discuss how authors ask questions through their work while readers bring their own answers and interpretations. The hosts and Mark emphasize the value of leaving space for readers to engage and find

en-US

26:07

20.26: Gaming as a Writing Metaphor

Writing Excuses ·

2025/06/29

What separates the way we experience a game versus the way we experience a prose narrative? Erin Roberts has written for many games, and she loves games particularly because they give the person experiencing the narrative more choice and more direct agency over what happens. This changes the way that we experience story. When you’re writing a game, the main thing you have to figure out is the actions: what are the potential things that could happen—and therefore, what are the verbs? We dive into

en-US

21:13

20.25: Writing Confrontation (LIVE Aboard the WX Cruise)

Writing Excuses ·

2025/06/22

Our hosts explore how to write compelling confrontations—whether physical fights or emotional arguments—in a live episode recorded on the Writing Excuses Cruise. Building off Dan Wells' class Why Your Fight Scene Is Boring, our hosts break down reactions into four elements: focus, physicality, thought, and action. The discussion dives into how newness, character history, and anticipation shape these moments, and how effective confrontations reveal both character and motivation. Plus: sword

en-US

35:48

20.24: An Interview with Charles Duhigg

Writing Excuses ·

2025/06/15

How can listening inform the way you write? We decided to ask Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and bestselling author—best known for The Power of Habit and most recently released Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection, a compelling guide that explores the art and science of meaningful conversation. We talked with Charles about myriad elements of writing, speaking, and listening—that is, communication in all its forms! We explored how passion and

en-US

24:14

20.23: The Lens of the Senses

Writing Excuses ·

2025/06/08

How does a room sound? Does your childhood have a taste? What is the smell of summer? In this episode, we dive into the sensory layers that anchor worldbuilding, character, and perspective. We explore how invoking smell, sound, touch, and taste can transport readers more powerfully than sight alone. What makes a setting feel real and lived in on the page? How do the where and the when hit our reader's and character's senses— and how real is too real?Thing of the Week: Darkfield Homework: 5,

en-US

20:27

20.22: The Lens of Time

Writing Excuses ·

2025/06/01

Time isn't just a backdrop—it’s a powerful tool in storytelling. In this episode, we explore how time shapes narratives, beyond just plot structure. From magnifying moments in a fight scene to revealing a character’s morals through temporal shifts, we unpack how timing, pacing, and the passage of time can deepen emotional impact, build tension, and elevate a scene's resonance. We discuss practical techniques like character memory, flashbacks, and sensory shifts, while also considering how

en-US

21:15

20.21: The Lens of Context

Writing Excuses ·

2025/05/25

This week, we’re digging into context—what it is, why it matters, and how it can totally transform your storytelling. Whether you're working in fantasy, sci-fi, or anything in between, the details you choose to include (or leave out) can make your world feel rich, real, and emotionally resonant.We talk about using context to deepen conflict, sharpen stakes, and land those emotional beats. And yes, we also get into puppets, geology, and the perils of overbuilding your world. (Spoiler: nobody

en-US

22:35

20.20: The Lens of Where and When

Writing Excuses ·

2025/05/18

Today we’re talking about setting, which in speculative fiction is often called worldbuilding. But once you’ve finished building the world, how do you convey that world on the page? That is, how do time and place shape your story—and your characters? In this episode, we’re talking about the power of setting through the lens of “where and when.” From daily life details like transportation and sanitation to larger societal pressures like war or peace, we explore how characters are shaped by their

en-US

29:40

20.19: Cooking as a Writing Metaphor

Writing Excuses ·

2025/05/11

What does cooking have to do with writing? In this episode, we explore how the creative choices we make in the kitchen—whether it’s improvising with missing ingredients or following a beloved recipe—mirror the choices we make on the page. From frozen dinners to fine dining, we discuss how all forms of creativity have value, how skills can be learned, and how the act of making—food or fiction—is, at its core, an act of nourishment.P.S. Want to come write with us in 2025?! Our retreat registration is

en-US

26:09

20.18: LIVE: The Art of Teaching

Writing Excuses ·

2025/05/04

This episode was recorded live at our 2024 Writing Excuses Cruise. (Did you know that we host a writing retreat on a cruise every year!?! You can learn more at https://writingexcuses.com/retreats/) While on a boat in Mexico, Erin Roberts was joined by Marshall Carr—our incredible recording engineer who is also a teacher during the school year— and author Mark Oshiro—who also teaches both kids and adults! For those who don’t know, our host Erin is a Creative Writing professor at UT Austin. We wanted

en-US

35:47

20.17: An Interview with Christopher Schwarz

Writing Excuses ·

2025/04/27

This season, we’ve been exploring different approaches to writing through the lens of other crafts and their respective toolkits. We had the pleasure of speaking with furniture-maker, writer, and publisher Christopher Schwarz. Christopher is an incredible artist, writer, and is also the founder of Lost Arts Press, which publishes books on hand tool woodworking. We talked with Christopher about his creative trajectory, and the intersection of tools, methods, and crafts. P.S. Want to come write with

en-US

26:43

20.16: Second Person

Writing Excuses ·

2025/04/20

People often think of first person POV as the most intimate voice. But in a way, we think second person might be more intimate. With second person, you’re forcing the reader’s subjectivity into the fiction itself. You are integrating the person who is reading the story into the experience of being in the story– in a way that can be a little disorienting (or fun) for the reader. In the world of POVs, the second person can sometimes feel like a chaotic perspective. There are several different

en-US

25:28

20.15: Third Person Omniscient

Writing Excuses ·

2025/04/13

With today’s episode, we are continuing our discussion on proximity by focusing on another POV: third person omniscient. In omniscient POV, the narrator can see all and move into any character's head. It's sometimes seen as old fashioned, like Jane Austen. But writers like John Scalzi and Liza Palmer are using it to good effect as a way of exerting control over exactly what the audience sees in ways that are similar to a filmmaker. So why is it so hard to do well? And what does it allow the

en-US

26:35

20.14: Third Person Limited

Writing Excuses ·

2025/04/06

Third person limited is one of the most popular storytelling lenses. Yet it is often understood differently by various authors and readers. So today we’re diving into the complexities, intricacies, and beautiful constraints of third person limited—don’t worry, we’ll be tackling third person omniscient in our next episode! With third person limited POV, you get to use some of the tools of first person, while being able to back away from the character a little. We’re going to address the various

en-US

884 results

Writing Excuses

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

وجوه من الـظل

Medi1 Podcast

Classic Radio Science Fiction

solgoodmedia.com

Daily Science Fiction Books

solgoodmedia.com

Time Traveler"s Radio

solgoodmedia.com

Galactic Sci-Fi Broadcasts

solgoodmedia.com