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

20:32

Writing Excuses Season 2 Bonus Episode 1: Live at the...

Writing Excuses ·

2008/10/17

We talk among ourselves about some episodes of this podcast being "crunchy" and others being "fluffy." "Crunchy" episodes are the ones where we have hard advice about writing. "Fluffy" episodes are the ones where we talk a little more philosophically about the profession. This episode takes "fluffy" to a new, flufftastic level. Here are twenty minutes excerpted from almost sixty minutes we recorded in line at the Hero of Ages book release and signing event at

en-US

15:43

Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 1: Q&A on Setting...

Writing Excuses ·

2008/10/13

You didn't think we'd just keep going with the same old stuff forever, did you? Well, actually we are, but now we're calling it Season 2. This season begins with a series of episodes recorded at Mountain Con in Layton, UT, each of them rife with wisdom and wonder. This week Writing Excuses is brought to you by the Writing Excuses Season One Collection on CD.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries:

en-US

14:51

Writing Excuses Episode 25: Viewpoint and Tense Part 2

Writing Excuses ·

2008/07/28

We are pleased to present the second half of "Viewpoint and Tense," which, as we all know, is Tense. Part 1 was Viewpoint. It's not two podcasts that both talk about tense and viewpoint, it's two totally different podcasts that share a title for some reason. Why didn't we just do two separate podcasts, one on tense and one on viewpoint, instead of trying to connect them like this? Because, as we tell you every week, we're not that smart. This week's Writing Excuses Book

en-US

17:24

Writing Excuses Episode 24: Research

Writing Excuses ·

2008/07/21

How much research do you do? Howard's answer: "Just enough to get by." In this podcast we talk about why we research, how we research, and when we feel like we've researched enough. We also discuss hiding a lack of knowledge, and finding ways to get by without doing truly exhaustive research. Listen closely and you'll learn why you'll never be able to know enough, why the epic fantasy horse is a lot like a motorcycle, and whether or not one of us really needs therapy. This

en-US

16:53

Writing Excuses Episode 23: Viewpoint

Writing Excuses ·

2008/07/15

You've heard about viewpoint, but do you really know what it means? Discover along with Howard the magic world of person, tense, and omniscience, and how you can use them to tell your story. It's a short journey, as quests go, but we'll all learn a valuable lesson about writing--and about ourselves.* *Heartfelt lessons about ourselves not guaranteed. Contents non-refundable.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries:

en-US

16:53

Writing Excuses Episode 22: Doing The Unpopular

Writing Excuses ·

2008/07/07

As a writer it's sometimes difficult to decide between doing things the readers want, and things that are right for the story. But as Dan says, writers can get away with doing things to readers that readers would never do to themselves. Beware! This podcast contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings, Return of the Jedi, and Serenity (the statute of limitations should have passed on all of these) as well as for the current week of Schlock Mercenary. This Week's Episode is brought to you by

en-US

16:25

Writing Excuses Episode 21: Humor

Writing Excuses ·

2008/06/30

Enough of this highbrow literary crap--make with the funny! Or, if you're Howard, do both. In this this episode we talk about why to write humor, how to write humor, how to recognize humor in others, how to steal from learn from what they do, and, in the end, what makes things funny in the first place. This week, Writing Excuses is sponsored by The Well of Ascension: Book Two of Mistborn Mass Market Paperback by Brandon Sanderson, which is good but really not all that funny.Support this podcast

en-US

18:04

Writing Excuses Episode 20: More Q&A from Conduit

Writing Excuses ·

2008/06/23

Writer Eric James Stone joins the Writing Excuses crew for our third Conduit installment. We tackle questions from the audience again (except for when Brandon throws a question AT the audience, which still had Mike Stackpole in it.) Are plot twists necessary? How does the web change the market for writers? How do you make protagonists as interesting as the villains are? How much should you charge for your work? We ran a little long on this one. "Fifteen minutes long, because you're in a

en-US

15:52

Writing Excuses Episode 19: Plot Twists

Writing Excuses ·

2008/06/16

Michael Stackpole, author and podcaster, joined us at CONduit, and the four of us tackled plot twists in front of a live audience. Whether you write from a solid outline or discover your plot as you go, we've got tricks and tools for you. We talk about "surprising yet inevitable," the fine art of making our characters miserable, and the importance of foreshadowing (but not telegraphing) the twist. Liner Notes: Michael Stackpoles' official website, and the site where he hosts his

en-US

17:29

Writing Excuses Episode 18: Q&A at Conduit

Writing Excuses ·

2008/06/09

While at CONduit, we recorded three episodes of Writing Excuses in front of an audience, and this is the first of those. In this episode we have Dan Willis join us as we take questions from the crowd. The four of us discuss voicing characters, naming things, writing Act II, and how you set about finishing your book. Oh, and for all of you who have complained that fifteen minutes is not long enough... we ran clear out to 17:30 on this one. Enjoy! Liner notes: You can find Dan Willis' website

en-US

15:40

Writing Excuses Episode 17: This Sucks and I’m a...

Writing Excuses ·

2008/06/02

The Writing Excuses crew tackles writer's block again, this time approaching the "This Sucks And I'm A Horrible Writer" mindset. Dan relates his Neil Gaiman anecdote, Brandon explains why he'd written so many books before getting published, and Howard throws down the gauntlet on neverending Chapter One revisions. If you're stuck because you think your current book sucks, this is the podcast for you. This week from our sponsor Tor, check out Escapement by Jay Lake.Support this

en-US

15:20

Writing Excuses Episode 16: Butt In Chair, Hands On...

Writing Excuses ·

2008/05/26

Howard kicks this off with his own sure-fire cure for Writers' Block, "BIC HOK:" Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard. The Writing Excuses team takes off from there, discussing the different kinds of Writers' Block, and how to overcome each of them. We cover free-writing, re-reading and reviewing, and focusing on your motivations for writing... and for NOT writing, which is often the heart of the problem. This week from our sponsor Tor, check out Little Brother by Cory Doctorow.Support

en-US

15:36

Writing Excuses Episode 15: Costs and Ramifications...

Writing Excuses ·

2008/05/19

This week the Writing Excuses team discusses magic again, this time focusing on the cost of magic. Whether or not your magic system has internally-consistent rules your readers can follow (per Sanderson's First Law and last week's 'cast) you need to consider the ramifications of using magic in the worlds you create. Or at least, that's what we think. Have a listen and find out why. Also, this week Howard attempts to create "Tayler's First Law" using a donkey. It can't

en-US

15:44

Writing Excuses Episode 14: Magic Systems and their...

Writing Excuses ·

2008/05/12

Does magic need rules? Sometimes yes and sometimes no; our intrepid podcasters talk about how to know which situation is which, and explore the pros and cons of each method. We'll also yak for a while about the differences between Superman and Gandalf, which makes us, if nothing else, huge nerds. Liner Notes: Sanderson's first law This week from our sponsor, Tor: The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two B ,by Ben Bova (Editor)Support this podcast at —

en-US

14:59

Writing Excuses Episode 13: Submitting to Editors Part 2

Writing Excuses ·

2008/05/05

In part two of our chat with editor Stacy Whitman, we discuss more about how to interact with editors: how to approach them at cons, how to inquire about work you've already submitted, and how to butter them up by asking about their current projects. To cap it off, we ask Stacy about her current projects. This week from our sponsor, Tor: The Wolfman , by Nicholas PekearoSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries:

en-US

15:52

Writing Excuses Episode 12: Submitting to Editors Part 1

Writing Excuses ·

2008/04/28

This week, special guest Stacy Whitman joins us from Mirrorstone books (an imprint of Wizards of the Coast). Stacy works there as an editor, and helps us understand the submission process, including acting like a professional, doing your research, following submission guidelines, and all sorts of things NOT to do with your submissions. Stacy also shares her story about Holes, and how you have to know the rules to break them. Liner Notes: We've got a lot of links for you this week. First of all,

en-US

16:08

Writing Excuses Episode 11: The Business of Writing

Writing Excuses ·

2008/04/21

So... you're ready for the big-time. You're a writer, and the writing is almost paying the bills. Hurray! Now, how do you balance your life so that you can make the jump to writing full-time? How do you manage your time? How do you keep your artistic side from accusing you of selling out? The Writing Excuses Crew answers these questions and more, as we explore the business side of writing. Also if you listen closely you'll hear Smart Howard somewhere in this podcast. We think he's

en-US

15:03

Writing Excuses Episode 10: Pacing

Writing Excuses ·

2008/04/14

Pacing... it's all about keeping the tension up, keeping things snappy, and keeping the reader interested. This week the Writing Excuses crew delivers some tips, tricks, and tools you can use to get your story flowing in all the right ways. Also, on Sunday The Salt Lake Tribune posted an article about Podcasting in Utah. Jordan Sanderson and Howard Tayler were interviewed for this article. You can read it here. Writing Excuses, with quotes from Howard, is mentioned near the end of the article

en-US

16:27

Writing Excuses Episode 9: Sci-Fi Sub-Genre

Writing Excuses ·

2008/04/07

This week we continue our discussion on Science Fiction with a discussion of various Sub-genres, why they're different, and what you can do to make sure you know your audience. Sub-genres covered: Space Opera, Military, Hard SF, and Cyberpunk. Sub-genres not covered: Dystopia, Steam-punk, and whatever it is Philip K. Dick writes. Ad: Tor Book Of the Week Keeper Of DreamsSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries:

en-US

13:56

Writing Excuses Episode 8: Sci-Fi Genre

Writing Excuses ·

2008/03/31

In the first of our series on genres, we discuss why people write Sci-Fi, what you need to know to write Sci-Fi, and how much we all love unicorns.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

en-US

889 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