Podcast
Writing Excuses
Hosted by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler · EN
Fifteen minutes long, because you're in a hurry, and we're not that smart.
39episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
21.22: The Order of the Telling
5d ago00:27:20Tap to summarize*Time-Sensitive*Our final WXR cruise is almost sold out, grab your spot before June 4th, 2026 here!This week, we are talking about the order in which we present information to the reader as contrasted with the order in which events actually progressed in the universe of this story and why those things might be completely different. We are joined by Margaret Dunlap as we explore nonlinear timelines with examples from novels, television, film, anime, and interactive fiction. We discuss how non-chronological storytelling can build tension, reveal character, and control the flow of information. The conversation highlights how writers can use flashbacks, parallel timelines, and carefully placed revelations to reshape a reader’s understanding of events. Our hosts also talk about the emotional power of structure, noting that nonlinear storytelling can shift a story from “what happens next?” to “how did we get here?” or “what does this mean now?” Margaret and our hosts share practical strategies for keeping timelines organized, including notes, spreadsheets, and tracking information arcs. Homework: Find a story—a TV episode, movie, or book—that experiments with nonlinear storytelling. After experiencing it once, revisit it and map where information shifts: what characters know, what the audience knows, and how those changes affect your understanding of what comes next.Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, Erin Roberts, and DongWon Song. Our guest was Margaret Dunlap. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.Join Our Writing Community! Writing RetreatsNewsletterPatreonInstagramThreadsBlueskyTikTokYouTubeFacebookOur Sponsors:* Check out HomeServe and use my code homeserve.com/excuses for a great deal: https://www.homeserve.com* Check out Talkiatry and use my code Talkiatry.com/WX for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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21.21: Rhythm and Words
2w ago00:23:34Tap to summarize*Time-Sensitive*Our final WXR cruise is almost sold out, grab your spot before June 4th, 2026 here!Today, we’re continuing the conversation on sequencing by focusing on rhythm—how the musicality of language shapes pacing, emphasis, and emotional impact. Our hosts explore how sentence length, stress patterns, sound, negative space, repetition, and even page layout influence the way readers move through a story. They discuss poetic meter (iambs, trochees, spondees), examples from Shakespeare, hip-hop, comics, and modernist literature. They posit that rhythm is not just for poetry: it’s a powerful storytelling tool that can create emotion, draw attention, and increase readability. Homework:Choose a piece of music you love and pay close attention to its rhythm: where does it speed up or slow down? What gets emphasized, and how does the pattern shape emotion? Then take a piece of your own writing and experiment with using that same rhythmic structure in a descriptive passage to see how it changes the feel and movement of the prose.Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, Erin Roberts, and DongWon Song. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.Join Our Writing Community! Writing RetreatsNewsletterPatreonInstagramThreadsBlueskyTikTokYouTubeFacebookOur Sponsors:* Check out HomeServe and use my code homeserve.com/excuses for a great deal: https://www.homeserve.com* Check out Talkiatry and use my code Talkiatry.com/WX for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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21.20: Sequencing from Mega to Micro
3w ago00:33:51Tap to summarizeToday, we explore why writers place information in the order they do. From broad-to-narrow framing and cause-and-effect to repetition, rhythm, and surprise, we discuss how sequencing shapes the pacing, emotion, and clarity of your story. We discuss everything from “windowpane prose” and garden path sentences to recency-primacy effects and the ways readers naturally recognize patterns. Along the way, our hosts highlight how sequencing can guide a reader’s attention, create tension, and reinforce themes. Homework:Take something you’ve written—or a story someone recently told you—and write it down in its current order. Then rewrite it two different ways: first by completely reversing the sequence of information, and then by arranging it in the most unexpected or “wrong” order you can imagine. Compare how each version changes the reader’s experience.Final WXR Cruise! Our final WXR cruise is almost sold out, grab your spot before June 4th, 2026 here!Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, Erin Roberts, and DongWon Song. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.Join Our Writing Community! Writing RetreatsNewsletterPatreonInstagramThreadsBlueskyTikTokYouTubeFacebookOur Sponsors:* Check out HomeServe and use my code homeserve.com/excuses for a great deal: https://www.homeserve.com* Check out Talkiatry and use my code Talkiatry.com/WX for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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21.19: Getting Everything Connected
4w ago00:24:21Tap to summarizeToday, our hosts discuss how to make every part of your story feel connected through causal chains, thematic resonance, and reader pattern recognition. We take the idea that each action in a story should lead naturally to the next and pair it with how readers instinctively search for meaning and connection (even in randomness). Along the way, our hosts discuss concepts like Edgar Allan Poe’s “unity of effect,” the Kuleshov effect, emergent narrative in games, and the role of thematic consistency in stories that may appear plotless on the surface. They also share techniques for creating narrative momentum, planting meaningful details, and leaving space for readers to actively participate in building the story’s meaning.Homework: Take a story you’re working on and write each scene on an index card. Shuffle the cards, pick two at random, and write a new scene that could connect them through either a causal chain or a shared thematic effect.Final WXR Cruise! Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Erin Roberts, and DongWon Song. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.Join Our Writing Community! Writing RetreatsNewsletterPatreonInstagramThreadsBlueskyTikTokYouTubeFacebookOur Sponsors:* Check out HomeServe and use my code homeserve.com/excuses for a great deal: https://www.homeserve.com* Check out Talkiatry and use my code Talkiatry.com/WX for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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21.18: Deconstructing the Three Act Structure
May 300:31:22Tap to summarizeToday, we are joined by Margaret Dunlap as we dive into the three-act structure. This traditional framework—setup, confrontation, and resolution—is a tool to use rather than a formula to follow. We break down each act, exploring the defining questions, try/fail cycles, and emotional shifts that shape a story. We also highlight the importance of identifying your central dramatic question while examining common pitfalls like the “soggy middle.” Today’s biggest takeaway is that this structure should serve your story, not constrain it.Homework: Take a familiar fairy tale (e.g., “The Three Little Pigs” or “Goldilocks”) and map it onto a three-act structure. Identify where Act One, Act Two, and Act Three fall, and note whether you would need to add or adjust elements to make it fit more clearly.Final WXR Cruise! Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, Erin Roberts, and DongWon Song. Our guest was Margaret Dunlap. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.Join Our Writing Community! Writing RetreatsNewsletterPatreonInstagramThreadsBlueskyTikTokYouTubeFacebookOur Sponsors:* Check out HomeServe and use my code homeserve.com/excuses for a great deal: https://www.homeserve.com* Check out Talkiatry and use my code Talkiatry.com/WX for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Transcribe →21.17: The Up and Down Escalators
Apr 2600:28:16Tap to summarizeToday we zoom out from moment-to-moment tension and look at how escalation and de-escalation shape a story at the structural level—how raising stakes, lowering pressure, and shifting focus can control pacing, reader emotion, and narrative momentum. Our hosts explore what happens when stakes escalate too quickly (and lose meaning), and how de-escalation can be used intentionally through humor, distraction, or shifting perspective. From miscommunication tropes to scene transitions to avoiding “pointless up-and-down” detours, we offer practical ways to keep your readers engaged while guiding them smoothly between emotional highs and lows.Homework:Map the major beats of your work-in-progress and label each one as either an escalation or a de-escalation across your plot lines. Then review that map to identify any “pointless up-and-down” moments—places where tension drops without purpose or without a corresponding rise elsewhere—and revise so that every shift either advances stakes, deepens character, or introduces a new layer of tension.Final WXR Cruise! Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, Erin Roberts, and DongWon Song. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.Join Our Writing Community! Writing RetreatsNewsletterPatreonInstagramThreadsBlueskyTikTokYouTubeFacebookOur Sponsors:* Check out HomeServe and use my code homeserve.com/excuses for a great deal: https://www.homeserve.com* Check out Talkiatry and use my code Talkiatry.com/WX for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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21.16: Tension and Release as Call and Response
Apr 1900:21:19Tap to summarizeToday, we’re talking about tension and release as a kind of call and response, and how that dynamic can guide your reader through a story. It explores how different types of tension—conflict, unanswered questions, anticipation, and microtension—can be balanced with moments of release to shape pacing and keep readers engaged. The conversation also looks at how resolving one kind of tension while sustaining another creates forward momentum, and how varying those patterns prevents a story from feeling flat or repetitive. Along the way, it examines how genres like horror and humor use this rhythm especially well, and how techniques like contrast, modulation, and layering multiple plotlines can sharpen emotional impact and control the reader’s experience.Homework:Look at a scene you’ve already written and identify what creates tension within it. If nothing stands out, add a source of tension—such as a question, juxtaposition, or anticipation. If tension is already present, try changing or swapping it for a different type and observe how that affects the scene.Final WXR Cruise! Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, Erin Roberts, and DongWon Song. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.Join Our Writing Community! Writing RetreatsNewsletterPatreonInstagramThreadsBlueskyTikTokYouTubeFacebookOur Sponsors:* Check out HomeServe and use my code homeserve.com/excuses for a great deal: https://www.homeserve.com* Check out Talkiatry and use my code Talkiatry.com/WX for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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21.15: Using Contrast for Maximum Effect
Apr 1200:23:28Tap to summarizeToday, we’re talking about how to use contrast to make key moments in your story hit harder, especially in the middle. We explore how pairing light and dark beats, shifting expectations, or placing opposing elements side by side can deepen the emotional impact and keep your readers engaged. Our conversation also looks at different kinds of contrast—from big structural turns to subtle tonal juxtapositions—and explores how managing distance, tension, and “loaded” moments can create that satisfying snap when a scene lands.Homework:Look at a pivotal moment in your story and add a beat before or after it that inverts some element of the original. This could mean changing the tone or mood, introducing a contrasting character, or shifting the setting in a way that highlights something new about the scene.Locus Magazine Annual Fundraiser (ends April 14th, 2026)Join us in supporting Locus Magazine– explore the campaign and fantastic rewards for donors online at locusmag.com/igg26.Final WXR Cruise! Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Erin Roberts, and DongWon Song. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.Join Our Writing Community! Writing RetreatsNewsletterPatreonInstagramThreadsBlueskyTikTokYouTubeFacebookOur Sponsors:* Check out HomeServe and use my code homeserve.com/excuses for a great deal: https://www.homeserve.com* Check out Talkiatry and use my code Talkiatry.com/WX for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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21.14: Because at First, They Don’t Succeed
Apr 500:25:21Tap to summarizeToday, we’re talking about the “try-fail cycle” and why failure is essential to making the middle of your story actually interesting. It allows readers to follow characters as they try something, fail, adjust, and try again until they finally succeed. Our conversation gets into how failure builds tension and empathy and how you can use “yes, but / no, and” to control your story’s momentum. We also address the difference between barriers and attempts, and how to keep things from feeling repetitive or stalled, whether you’re writing epic fantasy or a quiet coffee shop story.Homework:Look at the MICE quotient elements (milieu, inquiry, character, event) in your story and make a list of barriers for each. Then choose a smaller subset of those barriers that work well together, and use them to design try-fail cycles that keep your story dynamic without becoming repetitive or overcrowded.Locus Magazine Annual Fundraiser (ends April 14th, 2026)Join us in supporting Locus Magazine– explore the campaign and fantastic rewards for donors online at locusmag.com/igg26.Final WXR Cruise! Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Erin Roberts, and DongWon Song. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.Join Our Writing Community! Writing RetreatsNewsletterPatreonInstagramThreadsBlueskyTikTokYouTubeFacebookOur Sponsors:* Check out HomeServe and use my code homeserve.com/excuses for a great deal: https://www.homeserve.com* Check out Talkiatry and use my code Talkiatry.com/WX for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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21.13: Does The Middle Have To Be Soggy?
Mar 2900:24:50Tap to summarizeToday, we’re taking on the idea of the “soggy middle” and why stories start to lose momentum—often because characters lack clear action, obstacles feel thin, or scenes repeat without meaningful change. We break down how stalled plots, predictable outcomes, and disconnected side quests can make the middle drag, and offer tools to fix it: focusing on what characters are actually doing, using “same but different” to keep repetition engaging, letting major events happen sooner so you can explore their consequences, and ensuring every subplot or detour creates real change in the character or world.Homework:Grab a book or short story. Read the first page, a page from the exact middle, and the final page. Track which story threads introduced at the beginning are still active in the middle, and how they evolve by the end. Locus Magazine Annual Fundraiser (ends April 14th, 2026)Join us in supporting Locus Magazine– explore the campaign and fantastic rewards for donors online at locusmag.com/igg26.Final WXR Cruise! Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, and Mary Robinette Kowal. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.Join Our Writing Community! Writing RetreatsNewsletterPatreonInstagramThreadsBlueskyTikTokYouTubeFacebookOur Sponsors:* Check out HomeServe and use my code homeserve.com/excuses for a great deal: https://www.homeserve.com* Check out Talkiatry and use my code Talkiatry.com/WX for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
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