Writing Excuses

This week, Mary Robinette pulls back the curtain on some of fiction’s sneakiest power tools: tone and mood. Drawing from a recent craft class she taught for her Patreon, Mary Robinette breaks down how these elements shape a reader’s emotional experience—and why they deserve as much attention as plot or structure. DongWon, Erin, and Howard jump in to poke at the definitions, debate where tone and mood collide, and explore how contrast, character reactions, and even sentence rhythm can totally change a scene. Expect examples ranging from Wizard of Oz to Mike Flanagan as we dig into practical ways to use tone and mood to supercharge your storytelling. Homework: Take a five-part mystery structure (crime → investigation → twist → breakthrough → conclusion) and write a story that uses that structure but is not obviously a mystery . ANNOUNCEMENTS: Last Annual Cruise The final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—don’t miss your chance to be part of it. Learn more and sign up here . *Scholarship applications for our cruise are open now until December 31st, 2025. You can learn more and apply here . Call for Writing Breakthroughs Have you had a breakthrough in your writing because of Writing Excuses ? If so, we want to hear about it. Fill out this Writing Breakthroughs Google Form for a chance to be featured in a WX Newsletter! Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, and DongWon Song. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, DongWon digs into one of the business topics of our upcoming craft book: pitching. How do you talk about your work so other people immediately understand its category, vibe, and why it matters? They break pitching into two parts—content (what you say) and presentation (how you say it)—and share concrete tools like comp titles, short taglines, and simple back-cover formulas to sharpen your pitch. You’ll hear how iteration, audience-awareness, and practicing aloud (think karaoke for pitches) turn a clumsy elevator spiel into something that lands. Tune in for hands-on advice you can use next time an editor, agent, bookseller, or potential reader asks, “So, what’s it about?” Homework: Write three short, 2–3-sentence pitches for your book (or other WIP) that each take a different angle—one focused on worldbuilding, one on character, one on plot. Then read them aloud to someone and watch where they light up, glaze over, or lean in, so you can see which pitch actually works. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Last Annual Cruise The final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—don’t miss your chance to be part of it. Learn more and sign up here . *Scholarship applications for our cruise are open now until December 31st, 2025. You can learn more and apply here . Call for Writing Breakthroughs Have you had a breakthrough in your writing because of Writing Excuses ? If so, we want to hear about it. Fill out this Writing Breakthroughs Google Form for a chance to be featured in a WX Newsletter! Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Dan Wells, Erin Roberts, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, and DongWon Song. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Dan shares his experience of rebuilding and reinventing his writing career from his section of our forthcoming book Now Go Write. Our hosts walk through practical ways that writers can diversify their work— from writing for RPGs and video games to writing in a new genre like middle grade or nonfiction — and why having multiple, truly separate revenue streams matters. They also dig into the psychological work of redefining yourself as a writer (not only a novelist), staying flexible when setbacks hit, and protecting time for the projects that keep your heart in the work. Listen for concrete strategies and encouragement to lean into new formats without losing sight of why you write. Homework: Write something in a genre or format you’ve never tried before — a single TV episode scene, a short RPG adventure, a tie-in short story, a script, or a 500–1,000-word nonfiction piece. And see how it feels! ANNOUNCEMENTS: Call for Writing Breakthroughs Have you had a breakthrough in your writing because of Writing Excuses ? If so, we want to hear about it. Fill out this Writing Breakthroughs Google Form for a chance to be featured in a WX Newsletter! Last Annual Cruise The final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—don’t miss your chance to be part of it. Learn more and sign up here . *Scholarship applications for our cruise are open now until December 31st, 2025. You can learn more and apply here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Dan Wells, Erin Roberts, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, and DongWon Song. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Erin returns with the final two “rules” from her section of our forthcoming book Now Go Write —and why it might be worth breaking them. With DongWon and Mary Robinette, Erin explores the classic advice to “show, don’t tell,” and the debate over whether magic needs a system. We unpack when these conventions can strengthen a story—and when they can get in your way. Homework: Choose one of the four rules Erin covered across both “Break All The Rules” episodes (20.45 & 20.46) and rewrite a scene from your own work to deliberately break it. See what changes when you do. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Call for Writing Breakthroughs Have you had a breakthrough in your writing because of Writing Excuses ? If so, we want to hear about it. Fill out this Writing Breakthroughs Google Form for a chance to be featured in a WX Newsletter! Last Annual Cruise The final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—don’t miss your chance to be part of it. Learn more and sign up here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, Mary Robinette Kowal, and DongWon Song. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode, Erin shares a sneak peek from her section of our forthcoming book, Now Go Write . (To learn more about our book, sign up for our newsletter !) Erin explores four classic writing “rules,” when it’s worth breaking them, and what that can reveal about your own craft. Today, our hosts dive into two of these rules—examining how they can both help and hinder your storytelling. Tune in next week for part two, when we tackle the remaining two rules that Erin wants us to break. Homework: Write down some of the rules you think you follow most rigidly in your own writing. Take one of these rules and begin to think about ways you can challenge this rule, or break it, or soften it in some way! ANNOUNCEMENTS: Call for Writing Breakthroughs Have you had a breakthrough in your writing because of Writing Excuses ? If so, we want to hear about it. Fill out this Writing Breakthroughs Google Form for a chance to be featured in a WX Newsletter! Last Annual Cruise The final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—don’t miss your chance to be part of it. Learn more and sign up here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, Mary Robinette Kowal, and DongWon Song. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We have an exciting announcement! Writing Excuses is publishing a book, Now Go Write , which will feature writing from all of our hosts! Sign up for our newsletter to learn when our book is coming out! So, for our next few episodes, we’ll have each host share one of the topics that they have written a chapter about for the book. Today, we’re starting with Mary Robinette, who will be covering the question of how to handle relationships. We explore how relationships can act like characters themselves—shifting, growing, or breaking under story pressure. Mary Robinette also introduces the “Kowal Relationship Axes” as a way to build believable dynamics and conflict between characters. We hope you come away with practical tools to write relationships that feel real, messy, and full of momentum. Homework: First, sign up for our newsletter to learn when our book is coming out! Then: who does your character love because of their flaws and why? Write an exploration scene where the character is exhibiting those flaws and the other character is watching that fondly. Then, write a different scene where one character is mad at the other and the flaws are pissing them off. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Call for Writing Breakthroughs Have you had a breakthrough in your writing because of Writing Excuses ? If so, we want to hear about it. Fill out this Writing Breakthroughs Google Form for a chance to be featured in a WX Newsletter! Last Annual Cruise The final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—don’t miss your chance to be part of it. Learn more and sign up here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, and Erin Roberts. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Erin and Howard sat down with paleontologist Dr. Tara Lepore for a fascinating dive into the science—and storytelling potential—of deep time. Dr. Lepore explains why paleontology is about far more than dinosaurs and how mammal teeth can reveal “birth certificates” millions of years old. We hope you come away with new ways to think about science as story—and how to weave the vastness of deep time into your own worlds. Thing of the Week: University of California Museum of Paleontology Homework: Find 3 ways that deep time could be interwoven into your current or upcoming writing project. Call for Writing Breakthroughs Have you had a breakthrough in your writing because of Writing Excuses ? If so, we want to hear about it. Fill out this Writing Breakthroughs Google Form for a chance to be featured in a WX Newsletter! Last Annual Cruise The final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—don’t miss your chance to be part of it. Learn more and sign up here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Dan Wells, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. Our guest was Dr. Tara Lepore. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Erin describes her own writing process as, “a bunch of random practices thrown into a bag and shaken up." Nevertheless, for today’s episode, Erin managed to organize her processes into four categories: getting work, getting in, getting done, getting right. Listen as Erin gives us tips and tricks for freelancing, deadlines, and saying no. Homework: Write down all the tips and tricks you’ve learned about your own personal writing process on a single page. Show Notes: https://www.pacemaker.press/ P.S. The final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—don’t miss your chance to be part of it. Learn more and sign up here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Dan Wells, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We’re continuing our episodes focusing on our hosts’ personal writing practices. Like Mary Robinette’s. DongWon’s involves a bit of… chaos. DongWon’s day job as a literary agent is demanding and unpredictable, so they often have to fit in their writing process into their free time. They are also often collaborating with other authors and friends (often writing for games)—so how does all of this inform their unique writing process? Well, first DongWon thinks a lot about the time and space that surrounds their writing– how can they make a simple, low-stimulation environment so that they can better focus? And then when they’re ready to begin, they don’t start with an outline. Instead… well, we’ll let you listen and hear them explain it to you. Homework: Go sit somewhere. Don’t bring your phone or your headphones. Sit there until you feel the itch of irritation of doing nothing, and then push through it a little bit longer. Cultivate your boredom. Then, sit down and write. Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Dan Wells, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

A lot of people ask published authors what their writing process is like, as if it is a key to being able to write. The only important process is the one that works for you. So, we’re going to let each of our hosts spend an episode explaining their own personal process. Our idea is that the best writing process is the one that works for you. Also, this is going to change over the course of your life and career. Today we’re learning about Mary Robinette’s writing process, which is built on having a totally random schedule. Homework: What helps you want to do the things that aren’t writing? For instance, the other tasks and joys in your life? Because the tools that you use for those, also work for writing. Is it lists, or spreadsheets, or body-doubling? Now, see if you can use those same things to help you write more. Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Dan Wells, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today our hosts tell you why you don’t need to listen to all of our episodes—or even most of them. Each of our five hosts weighs in on how you can combine the topics, subtopics, and lenses that each episode features in order to create a structured path forward for your own writing journey. We start with a broad overview of this season’s structure. Why did we use the simple categories that most of us learned in elementary school— Who, What, Where, When, & Why—to organize our year’s 52 episodes? How did we decide on sub-topics for each category, and how should you decide which episodes to listen to more than once, and which ones to skip. Hint: it’s going to be different for everyone. Homework: Think about something that you do really well in your writing. Write down what it is (think of the lenses that we’ve covered in this season), and congratulate yourself on using the lens that you are using the best, the best way you can. Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Dan Wells, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We had the absolute joy of sitting down with Charlie Jane Anders , the author of the book we’ve focused on for our last four episodes (All the Birds in the Sky). We talked with Anders about POV, tone, and how she played around with humor —partly by occasionally using an omniscient POV! Anders also explained how to incorporate humor and whimsy, and what it feels like to take risks as an author in today’s literary landscape. Thing of the Week: Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders Homework from Charlie Jane Anders: Take a scene you’ve already written and add five or six narrative asides that are providing information that the characters in the scene couldn’t possibly know. Ads: If you’re interested in the Whodunit Murder Mystery cruise (which you heard a teaser for at the start of this episode)—you can visit whodunitcruises.com to learn more! The next cruise is February 6th, 2026 and leaves from Los Angeles! For 20% off Scrivener, you can the code “EXCUSES” for at www.literatureandlatte.com . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal and DongWon Song. Our guest was Charlie Jane Anders. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This is our final episode before we have Charlie Jane Anders on the podcast to talk about her writing process next week! Today we’re talking about intention by analyzing thematics, the author’s intent, and the way Anders uses tone and tradition to express the core ideas of the book. We also dive into the friction created in the two opposing viewpoints of the world that Anders presents. On one side we have magic, community, and connection. And then you have rationality and science—that is, a more cerebral approach to the world. How does Anders explore these views through individual characters and also larger systems? And how can we learn how to do this in our own writing? Homework : Take some time away from your drafting, and write down your intentions. That is, what is the why of your project? Why is this the story you want to tell right now? Now, put your intention in a desk drawer somewhere, and don’t look at it. P.S. If you’re interested in the Whodunit Murder Mystery cruise (which you heard a teaser for at the start of this episode)—you can visit whodunitcruises.com to learn more! The next cruis is February 6th, 2026 and leaves from Los Angeles! Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Dan Wells, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

If you still want to read All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders, you can purchase it here! We are looking today at the lens of when . But we’re not going to look at time periods—instead, we’re going to examine flashbacks and foreshadowing. “All the Birds in the Sky” takes place in four distinct times. For instance, one of the characters foreshadows a grim future for the children we’ve just met. This big jump forward colors the way that we see the kids, through both stakes and tension. And this begs the question, how do “future whens” affect your reading experience? Homework : Pick a scene in your current project and think about two moments: one moment in the past of this scene, and one that is in the future (both of these moments should still resonant with this scene in some way). Then, write two different versions of the scene: one in which the past weighs heavily on it, and one in which the foreshadowing of the future weighs heavily on it. Then, see what the difference is. P.S. Want to come write with us in September 2025 (we know that’s soon)?! Our retreat registration is open, and we are starting to fill up! We are going to unlock our creative processes in Minnesota and explore Story Refinement as we cruise down the Mexican Riviera! Learn more here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Dan Wells, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

If you still want to read All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders, you can purchase it here! Today we’re talking about places and place-moments. We’re looking at how Anders uses context, details, and relationships to create a deep, familiar, and authentic reading experience for us, even if we’ve never been to the locations in the story. In this episode we’re also analyzing how Anders creates lived-in locations by including non-essential sensory details that imply the rest of the world. Homework : List all the locations in your WIP (work in progress). Next to each one, describe its story functions: grounding, wondrous, plot-logical, and/or worldbuilding. P.S. Want to come write with us in September 2025 (we know that’s soon)?! Our retreat registration is open, and we are starting to fill up! We are going to unlock our creative processes in Minnesota and explore Story Refinement as we cruise down the Mexican Riviera! Learn more here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Dan Wells, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Last season we took different works to represent different concepts. But this season, we’re looking at a single work— All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders . So, for the next five episodes, we’re going to look at how Anders’ novel is deploying all of the lenses we’ve talked about this season—who, where, why, and when. And for our fifth episode, we’ll have Anders on the podcast to talk about her novel! We recommend that you read this book before listening to these episodes, as they will include spoilers! So, without further ado, today we’ll dive into the lens of who. We’ll be analyzing tools such as history, community, motivation, stakes, fears, and reactions. Homework: Who does your character envy and why? What action can they take to act on that desire? You can purchase a copy of All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders here! P.S. Want to come write with us in September 2025 (we know that’s soon)?! Our retreat registration is open, and we are starting to fill up! We are going to unlock our creative processes in Minnesota and explore Story Refinement as we cruise down the Mexican Riviera! Learn more here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 importance of being open to shifts in intention, relationship, and understanding— regarding both people (and kids), but also your own writing. Homework: If you have a person in your life that you’re mentoring or are friends with, imagine that they are doing something you don’t like. Take a moment to consider: is this actually better than what I had planned or assumed? Try to give them—and your writing— some grace. P.S. Our 2025 writing retreat (on a cruise! In Mexico!) is over 50% sold out! Learn more and sign up here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Dongwon Song, Erin Roberts, Howard Tayler, and Dan Wells. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 Show) Homework from Téa: Write an opening paragraph (roughly 3-6 lines). It could be something new, or an opener that you had already written. The paragraph should introduce some key pieces of information to your readers. Consider the information that's contained in your paragraph and then rewrite the whole thing two more times, ultimately conveying the same information, but in three different ways. How you do this is completely up to you! Maybe it’s in a different voice, maybe it’s from a different perspective, maybe it uses only dialogue. At the end of the exercise, consider the priorities of each different mode, and how each changed the way you gave information to your readers. P.S. Our 2025 writing retreat (on a cruise! In Mexico!) is over 50% sold out! Learn more and sign up here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, and Erin Roberts. Our guest was Téa Obreht. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 how this informs all the other choices you’ll make. After we talk about how to decide where to draw the box around your story, we dive into the exterior framing of your story (AKA stories may exist in their own world, but they still have to be read in ours). Homework: Take a story you’re working on and think about what happens if you shift the frame just a little. The easiest way to do this is to ask yourself, is there a scene I could take out that would change the way that the lens or the story is focused? What new scene would you add in to re-balance your story? Then, go and write that scene. And have fun with it! P.S. Our 2025 writing retreat (on a cruise! In Mexico!) is over 50% sold out! Learn more and sign up here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, and Erin Roberts. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 writing retreat (on a cruise! In Mexico!) is over 50% sold out! Learn more and sign up here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 writing this. P.S. Our 2025 writing retreat (on a cruise! In Mexico!) is over 50% sold out! Learn more and sign up here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 of five narratives of any type—a ghost story, a barber shop tale, a game, a movie—that form part of your storytelling tradition. Write them down, look at them, and then think: how is your current work influenced by the list? And is there one that you would like to bring even more to bear on the current story you’re working on? P.S. Our 2025 writing retreat (on a cruise! In Mexico!) is over 50% sold out! Learn more and sign up here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 their own meaning in your work.This conversation also highlights how discovering a story’s true theme mid-draft can lead to major rewrites that strengthen the narrative. Homework: Take a popular book-to-film or book-to-TV adaptation and ask yourself if the film changed the meaning or themes of the book. Then, ask yourself in what ways it did it. P.S. Our 2025 writing retreat (on a cruise! In Mexico!) is over 50% sold out! Learn more and sign up here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. Our guest was Mark Oshiro. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 decision, audience buy in, and ultimately try to answer the question: what does gaming teach us about making and finding meaning? Homework: Take a project you’re working on and imagine that someone is making a game of it. What would that game be? What would be the actions that the characters would be doing? What would be the part of the world that the game would be focused on? Feel free to look at examples of this (like the games that were made based on Lord of the Rings. ) P.S. Our 2025 writing retreat (on a cruise! In Mexico!) is over 50% sold out! Learn more and sign up here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Dan Wells, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 fighting, puppetry, and driving on black ice. Thing of the Week: Death and Other Details (on Hulu) Homework: Watch an action scene in a movie—something that you really like. Then, to underline how different books are as a medium, transcribe it— blow for blow, step for step, and see how long you can get into that before you tear your own hair out because it becomes incredibly boring. Then, after you've proven that the blocking and the blow-by-blow doesn't work, rewrite that scene in a way that does, in a way that translates to and uses the medium of prose. P.S. Our 2025 writing retreat (on a cruise! In Mexico!) is over 50% sold out! Learn more and sign up here . Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx * Check out Uncommon Goods: https://uncommongoods.com/WX Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy