Writing Excuses

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15.16: Balancing Plot and Character Apr 19, 2020

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Your Hosts: Brandon, Victoria, Dan, and Howard We're often asked how to balance character arcs with the intricacies of the plots we create. In this episode we talk about the various ways in which we do this. Credits: This episode was recorded by Dan Thompson, and mastered by Alex Jackson

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15.15: Dialog Apr 12, 2020

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Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary Robinette, Dan, and Howard Listener questions drove this episode, and there are only two of them but they were pretty good drivers. Here they are: Is it a problem that all my dialog ends up as logic-based debates between characters? What can I do to create more variety in my dialog structure? Credits: This episode was recorded by Joseph Meacham, and mastered by Alex Jackson

15.14: Agent Query Trenches Apr 05, 2020

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Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary Robinette, Dan, and Howard The title of this episode comes to us from listener questions along the lines of "what do you do when you're 'in the trenches' querying agents?" Our answers, predictably, have almost nothing to do with actual trenches. Credits: This episode was recorded by Joseph Meacham, and mastered by Alex Jackson

15.13: Using Elections in Stories Mar 29, 2020

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Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary Robinette, Dan, and Howard, with special guest Daniel Friend Daniel Friend, who edits SF/F, has worked in election offices, has run for office, and has participated in campaigns. In this episode we talk about the ways elections can be worked into our stories. Credits: This episode was recorded by Joseph Meacham, and mastered by Alex Jackson.

15.12: Writing the Other—Being an Ally Mar 22, 2020

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Your Hosts: Piper, Tempest, DongWon, with special guest Erin Roberts What can we do to be allies to members of marginalized groups? Many of us want to find ways to help others have safe, comfortable places within our communities, but worry about coming across the wrong way. In this episode, our hosts talk about how we can do this well as writers, as members of writing communities, and in society at large. Credits: This episode was recorded by Bert Grimm, and mastered by Alex Jackson

15.11: Digital is Different, with Cory Doctorow Mar 15, 2020

Show notes

Your Hosts: Mary Robinette, Piper, Howard, and special guest Cory Doctorow "How do you break in?" is one of those questions we always get asked in some form or another, and it's also one for which those of us who "broke in" more than a couple of years ago are increasingly unqualified to answer. The path "in" is always changing, and it seems to be changing faster as time goes on. With the obligatory disclaimer out of the way, in this episode we'll talk about how "digital" (read: "social media + everything else internet") applies to building a career as a creative. Credits: This episode was recorded by Bert Grimm, and mastered by Alex Jackson

15.10: Evaluating Ideas Mar 08, 2020

Show notes

Your Hosts: Brandon, Victoria, Dan, and Howard We've talked in the past about how ideas are cheap, and that it's execution upon those ideas which is what really matters. In this episode we'll talk about how we evaluate things over there on the side of the equation where things are cheap and plentiful. Because while we have no shortage of ideas, they vary quite a bit in their value to us. Credits: This episode was recorded by Dan Thompson, and mastered by Alex Jackson

15.09: Choose Your Own Adventurous Publishing Path Mar 01, 2020

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Your Hosts: Dan, DongWon, Piper, and Howard "Should I go self-pub? Should I go traditional? Can I do both? How do I decide where my book fits?" In this episode we'll cover these, and many more questions as best we're able. Credits: This episode was recorded by Bert Grimm, and mastered by Alex Jackson Liner Notes: Zoe York on The SisterCast Skye Warren Marketing Class on RWA forums¹ Writer Beware ¹ RWA membership is required for these forums. This episode was recorded in September of 2019

15.08: Q&A on a Ship Feb 23, 2020

Show notes

Your Hosts: Dan, Mary Robinette, DongWon, and Howard At WXR 19 we recorded live, and took audience questions aboard the ship. Here they are! (You'll have to listen to the episode for the answers.) What have you learned in the past year that has improved your craft? When you're having trouble, how do you know if it's "I don't feel like writing" or "there's a problem with the manuscript?" How far ahead do you plan your careers? How do you tell when a fight/battle/showdown is going on for too long? How do you continue to learn and improve on your craft? How do you manage and prioritize your time when you're working on multiple projects? How do you feel about multiple first-person POVs in a single book? What are the most important elements to include on the last page of your book? What are some things we can do to strengthen our voice when writing in third person? How do you decide who to have as alpha and beta readers? In secondary world stories, how do you decide whether to call a horse a horse? How much leeway will an editor or agent give a story when it's not ready, but it shows promise? Liner Notes: "Sometimes Writer's Block is Really Depression" Credits: This episode was recorded by Bert Grimm, and mastered by Alex Jackson

15.07: Creating Chapters Feb 16, 2020

Show notes

Your Hosts: Brandon, Victoria, Dan, and Howard How do you create chapters? What are the rules for carving your manuscript into numbered chunks? Is chaptering part of your outline, is it something you discover while you write, or is it something else entirely? In this episode we talk about how we do it, and how we think about it while it's being done. Credits: This episode was recorded by Dan Thompson and mastered by Alex Jackson

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