Writing Excuses
208 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 12 years ago - ★★★★★ - 115 ratingsFifteen minutes long, because you're in a hurry, and we're not that smart.
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Episodes
Writing Excuses 5.19: Fulfilling Promises to Your Readers
January 10, 2011 01:00 - 12.8 MBBrandon, Dan, and Howard give examples of making, keeping, and breaking promises to your readers.
Writing Excuses 5.18: Offending Your Readers
January 03, 2011 02:50 - 13.1 MBBrandon, Dan, and Howard discuss avoiding unnecessary offense as writers.
Writing Excuses 5.17: Dialog Exercises
December 28, 2010 03:27 - 14.8 MBBrandon, Dan, and Howard critique some tagless dialog submissions.
Writing Excuses 5.16: Critiquing Dan’s First Novel
December 20, 2010 02:05 - 13.1 MBLate last season we took a look at Brandon’s first novel and did some line-editing and critiquing. It was so much fun we decided that Dan needed to take a turn in the dunking booth. He totally gets wet. In the course of dunking Dan we cover beginnings, descriptions, character development, pacing, and viewpoint as … Continue reading Writing Excuses 5.16: Critiquing Dan’s First Novel →
Writing Excuses 5.12: Time Travel!
December 13, 2010 03:17 - 12.6 MBBrandon, Dan, and Howard each offer sage advice to their earlier selves.
Writing Excuses 5.15: Steampunk with Scott Westerfeld
December 06, 2010 02:06 - 11.2 MBScott Westerfeld joins Brandon and Howard for a discussion of Steampunk.
Writing Excuses 5.14: Visual Components of Novels with Scott Westerfeld
November 29, 2010 02:12 - 10.8 MBScott Westerfeld joins Brandon and Howard for a discussion of the visual components of novels.
Writing Excuses 5.13: Writing the Second Book
November 22, 2010 02:46 - 13.2 MBJohn Brown joins Brandon, Dan, and Howard for a discussion of second novels, sequels, and the trick to doing it again.
Writing Excuses 5.12: The Secret of Lincoln’s Gold
November 22, 2010 02:21 - 141 KBWe sta … …ising but inev… … pendently wealthy, tha… [NO CARRIER]
Writing Excuses 5.11: MicroPodcasting 2
November 15, 2010 02:50 - 1 ByteBrandon, Dan, and Howard field questions about doing bad things to characters, soliciting feedback, creature design, and outlining.
Writing Excuses 5.10: John Brown and the Creative Process
November 08, 2010 02:00 - 11.6 MBThe now cancer-free John Brown joins us again, this time for a discussion of the creative process. John has presented a seminar on this subject in the past, the focus of which is to teach people to unlock their creativity. At the core of this is the problem-solving we all engage in at some point. You … Continue reading Writing Excuses 5.10: John Brown and the Creative Process →
Writing Excuses 5.9: Character Arcs
November 01, 2010 00:10 - 13.3 MBJohn Brown joins us this week for a discussion of plot threads specific to characters. These can be the main plot thread, interesting sub-plots, or just things that shape characters. Sometimes they’re things we do deliberately, and sometimes we discovery-write our way into these arcs. We talk about how we do this, and how we … Continue reading Writing Excuses 5.9: Character Arcs →
Writing Excuses 5.8: The Excuses You’re Out Of
October 25, 2010 03:00 - 13.1 MBWhat are the excuses you make when you're not writing? Brandon, Dan, and Howard examine these, and offer advice for getting the writing done anyway.
Writing Excuses 5.7: Avoiding Melodrama
October 17, 2010 23:36 - 11.6 MBMelodrama. What is it? What do people mean when they say something is too melodramatic? Usually they do NOT mean “it’s too much like a classical melodrama,” but it helps if we start with that definition: a melodrama is a story in which each character only expresses one emotion, and/or only has one trait. When … Continue reading Writing Excuses 5.7: Avoiding Melodrama →
Writing Excuses 5.6.01: Flash Fiction
October 12, 2010 13:49 - 180 KBBrandon, Dan, and Howard discuss Flash Fiction in less time than it took you to read this excerpt.
Writing Excuses 5.6: MicroPodcasts
October 10, 2010 23:58 - 11.6 MBFast-paced Q&A with Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler
Writing Excuses 5.5: Writing the Unfamiliar
October 04, 2010 03:00 - 12.2 MBBrandon, Dan, and Howard discuss "Write what you DON'T know."
Writing Excuses 5.4: Creating Suspense
September 27, 2010 02:26 - 12.3 MBSuspense! What is it? What isn't it? What is the relationship between suspense and mystery, and for that matter horror, humor, and adventure? This 'cast is chock full of pithy quotes, useful advice, and anecdotal examples.
Writing Excuses 5.3: First Person Viewpoint
September 19, 2010 22:37 - 1 ByteBree Despain joins Brandon, Dan, and Howard for a discussion of writing in the 1st-person
WE 5.2: Character Quirks
September 12, 2010 22:38 - 11.5 MBSpecial guest Bree Despain of the Dark Divine trilogy joins us for a ‘cast on character quirks. A character quirk, avoiding the tautological definition, is something that makes your character memorable. We talk about good quirks, bad quirks, and how to tell the difference. We also laugh a lot because it was late and we were … Continue reading WE 5.2: Character Quirks →
WE 5.1: Third Person Limited
September 07, 2010 19:53 - 11.9 MBWe’ve talked about point of view before, but only in general terms: this time we delve into third-person limited in detail, explaining how to use it and when to use it and why. We apologize for the lateness of the post, and the lameness of this episode description: this is what happens when all three … Continue reading WE 5.1: Third Person Limited →
Writing Excuses 4.34: Q&A at Dragons & Fairy Tales
August 29, 2010 23:00 - 14.8 MBThe last of our three recorded-live episodes is also the last episode of Writing Excuses Season 4. We took questions from the audience, and answered them with ABSOLUTE APLOMB. Questions asked include: How did we, as beginning writers, manage to write while holding down day-jobs and/or going to school? What is the process for getting … Continue reading Writing Excuses 4.34: Q&A at Dragons & Fairy Tales →
Writing Excuses 4.33: Trunk Novels
August 23, 2010 03:17 - 11 MBRecorded live at Dragons & Fairy Tales, this episode is for anybody who has a novel or two (or more) sitting in the bottom of their trunk. What are the best ways to re-use old material you’ve set aside? We talk about rewriting entire novels, repurposing plots or characters, and moving stories from one place … Continue reading Writing Excuses 4.33: Trunk Novels →
Writing Excuses 4.32: First Paragraphs
August 16, 2010 02:44 - 14.2 MBRecorded live at Dragons & Fairy Tales in Eagle Mountain, Utah, this episode features the work of several brave souls who submitted their first paragraphs to us for critique. We are not American Idol — we’re not out to rip these to shreds. We offer constructive criticism, highlight the good we find, and point out … Continue reading Writing Excuses 4.32: First Paragraphs →
Writing Excuses 4.31: Line Editing Dialog
August 09, 2010 02:00 - 12.8 MBA practical, example-filled look at tuning up rough dialog.
Writing Excuses 4.30: Worldbuilding the Future
August 02, 2010 01:14 - 10.6 MBHow to build a future setting for your novel by extrapolating from the present, working backwards from the story you want to tell, and getting those to meet in the middle.
Writing Excuses 4.29: Line Editing
July 26, 2010 00:50 - 12.8 MBBrandon, Dan, and Howard demonstrate line-editing on an ancient manuscript.
Writing Excuses 4.28: Brainstorming The End and Working Backwards
July 19, 2010 02:21 - 18 minutes - 12.7 MBBrandon, Dan, and Howard start at the ending and work their way backwards for your enjoyment.
Writing Excuses 4.27: Major Overhauls to Broken Stories
July 12, 2010 03:28 - 13 MBWhat do you do when, halfway through the book you’re writing, you realize it needs to be completely rebuilt? More importantly, how do you figure this out in the first place? This podcast came about as a result of a question from a listener, but the question was specific to “what if you find out … Continue reading Writing Excuses 4.27: Major Overhauls to Broken Stories →
Writing Excuses 4.26: Avoiding Stilted Dialog
July 05, 2010 16:45 - 11.7 MB"How do we avoid writing stilted dialog?" asked Brandon adverbially.
Writing Excuses 4.25: Mating Plumage
June 27, 2010 23:00 - 12.9 MBJames Dashner and Julie Wright talk covers, titles, and first lines with Brandon and Dan.
Writing Excuses 4.24: Random Storytelling
June 20, 2010 23:00 - 12.9 MBJames Dashner and Julie Wright join Brandon and Dan at CONduit in Salt Lake City, and may end up wishing they hadn’t. Brandon throws sets of story concepts at the crew, and asks them to quickly frame serious stories with a solid settings and cool characters. The first set of story elements: Church accountant contact … Continue reading Writing Excuses 4.24: Random Storytelling →
Writing Excuses 4.23: How to Break In to the Young Adult Market
June 13, 2010 23:00 - 10.5 MBJanci Patterson and Robison Wells have both sold books very recently. Brandon and Dan put them on the spot and ask how they did it.
Writing Excuses 4.22: Q&A with L.E. Modesitt, Jr
June 07, 2010 00:45 - 12.9 MBLive from CONduit in Salt Lake City, L.E. Modessit Jr. and the Writing Excuses crew answer questions from the audience.
Writing Excuses 4.21: Writing Practical Fantasy
May 31, 2010 04:26 - 10.3 MBL.E. Modesitt and Robison Wells join Brandon and Dan for a discussion of "practical" fantasy. Recorded live at CONduit in Salt Lake City.
Writing Excuses 4.20: Strategies for Getting Published
May 24, 2010 03:00 - 13.1 MBSome new strategies for getting yourself published. Obviously we guarantee exactly none of them.
Writing Excuses 4.19: Discovery Writing
May 17, 2010 03:00 - 12.3 MBHow to approach discovery writing, with your hosts Brandon, Dan, and Howard
Writing Excuses 4.18: How to Steal for Fun and Profit
May 10, 2010 00:58 - 11.1 MBForget "Anxiety of Influence." Let's talk about how to borrow, beg, and outright steal from pop culture, history, and mythology.
Writing Excuses 4.17: Living with the Artist
May 03, 2010 03:00 - 11.2 MBSandra Tayler, Dawn Wells, and Kenny Pike take over the ‘cast with some coaching from Dan (and heckling from Howard) to talk about what it’s like to live with an artist. We cover the ups and the downs, and share embarrassing anecdotes because we know you want to hear them, and we’re not afraid of … Continue reading Writing Excuses 4.17: Living with the Artist →
Writing Excuses 4.16: Breaking the Fourth Wall
April 26, 2010 02:00 - 12.2 MBWhat's the fourth wall? What happens when you break it? Should you be breaking it at all?
Writing Excuses 4.15: Visual Components of Storytelling
April 19, 2010 03:00 - 11.8 MBA discussion of art and design elements and how they work with the stories we write.
Writing Excuses 4.14: Brainstorming Science Ideas
April 12, 2010 00:45 - 11.7 MBA brainstorming session fueled by New Scientist's "13 More Things We Don't Understand" article.
Writing Excuses 4.13: Juggling Multiple Viewpoints
April 05, 2010 03:00 - 12.4 MBHow to write multiple viewpoints effectively, using the tool for the right reasons and avoiding pitfalls.
Writing Excuses 4.12: Writing An Epic
March 29, 2010 02:00 - 12 MBEpic podcast! Except it's only fifteen minutes long... because you're in a hurry, and we'll tell you how to write an epic.
Writing Excuses 4.11: Brainstorming From Headlines
March 22, 2010 02:47 - 10.7 MBBrandon, Dan, and Howard brainstorm as Producer Jordo reads headlines.
Writing Excuses 4.10: Writing for Young Adults
March 14, 2010 22:14 - 12.5 MBJessica Day George joins the Writing Excuses crew again, this time for a discussion of writing for young adults, and maybe for teens, or even middle-grade readers. This isn’t a podcast about rigidly defining the boundary between the YA and middle-grade genres, though. That’s publishing. We’re talking about writing. If you enjoyed last week’s discussion with … Continue reading Writing Excuses 4.10: Writing for Young Adults →
Writing Excuses 4.9: How to Write Men, with Jessica Day George
March 08, 2010 03:00 - 11.7 MBJessica Day George joins us again, this time to tell us how to write men. Brace yourselves for the bandying-about of generalities, for painting with broad brushes, and for assorted other potential points of offense! Let’s say, for a moment, that you’re not a man. How do you go about writing men? Now let’s turn … Continue reading Writing Excuses 4.9: How to Write Men, with Jessica Day George →
Writing Excuses 4.8: Working with Editors
March 01, 2010 02:17 - 11.7 MBJessica Day George joins the Writing Excuses crew for a discussion of editors...
Writing Excuses 4.7: Q&A with James Dashner
February 22, 2010 01:32 - 11.3 MBRecorded live at LTUE 2010, here’s a high-energy Q&A session with the Writing Excuses crew and our special guest James Dashner, author of The Maze Runner. We cover outlining vs. discovery writing, the return to the hairy palate, education for writers, killing people, whether or not we want a bagel, pragmatic approaches, authors who don’t inspire … Continue reading Writing Excuses 4.7: Q&A with James Dashner →
Writing Excuses 4.6: Pacing with James Dashner
February 15, 2010 01:39 - 11.9 MBThis episode was recorded live at Life, The Universe, & Everything 28, The BYU Symposium on Science Fiction and Fantasy, and features, among other things, our largest audience ever. Oh, and James Dashner, our friend and the author of The Maze Runner. It also features what has to be our roughest start ever. We don’t get … Continue reading Writing Excuses 4.6: Pacing with James Dashner →