21.18: Deconstructing the Three Act Structure
Today, we are joined by Margaret Dunlap as we dive into the three-act structure. This traditional framework—setup, confrontation, and resolu...
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Writing Excuses
Fifteen minutes long, because you're in a hurry, and we're not that smart.
Writing Excuses Podcast Guide
Listen to Writing Excuses, a Arts podcast by Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. Stream 987 episodes in English, follow new audio stories, and play episodes online on Radio and Podcast.
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Episodes
20 of 987 episodes21.17: The Up and Down Escalators
Today we zoom out from moment-to-moment tension and look at how escalation and de-escalation shape a story at the structural level—how raisi...
21.16: Tension and Release as Call and Response
Today, 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. I...
21.15: Using Contrast for Maximum Effect
Today, we’re talking about how to use contrast to make key moments in your story hit harder, especially in the middle. We explore how pairin...
21.14: Because at First, They Don’t Succeed
Today, we’re talking about the “try-fail cycle” and why failure is essential to making the middle of your story actually interesting. It all...
21.13: Does The Middle Have To Be Soggy?
Today, we’re taking on the idea of the “soggy middle” and why stories start to lose momentum—often because characters lack clear action, obs...
21.12: Breaking Down Barriers- Environment
When writing feels harder than it should, the problem might not be the story— it might be the room. In this episode, our hosts explore how e...
21.11: The Cold Open- Action
Sometimes the fastest way to hook a reader is to start with something exploding. In this episode, our hosts dig into the promise — and the p...
21.10: The Cold Open- Voice
A cold open can hook a reader with nothing more than voice. In this episode, our hosts explore what makes a voice-driven opening work — cade...
21.09: Grounding The Reader
Grounding a reader starts in the very first lines of a story. Where are we? Who are we with? What kind of story are we in? Our hosts explore...
21.08: Setting Expectations
In this episode, we explore what it really means to set reader expectations at the beginning of a story. We talk about how openings communic...
21.07: Deep Dive- “With Her Serpent Locks”
To celebrate Mary Robinette’s birthday today (!!), she is taking us inside the craft (and emotional engine) of her short story “With Her Ser...
21.06: Begin and the Beginning
In this episode, our hosts dive into what makes a strong beginning and why it matters so much to readers. They talk about openings as an act...
21.05: The Same But Different
Today, our hosts dig into how stories can feel fresh without losing what readers love. They explore the idea of “same but different” across...
21.04: Deconstructing the Hero's Journey
Our hosts take on the Hero’s Journey—where it came from, why it endures, and why it can make writers uneasy. They break it down as a tool (a...
21.03: Deconstructing Plots
Plot isn’t a set of commandments—it’s a collection of patterns we’ve learned to recognize. This episode kicks off the season’s deep dive int...
21.02: My Process is Not Your Process
This week, we turn our attention to one of the most stubborn traps writers fall into: assuming someone else’s process should work for you. B...
21.01: Welcome to the New Year!
Season 21 kicks off with a new theme, a fresh tagline, and a renewed focus on what Writing Excuses has always been about: tools, not rules....
20.52: 2025 End-of-Year Wrap Up
As our 20th season comes to a close, we reflect on the end of 2025 and a major transition for the show, as Dan Wells steps away from Writing...
20.51: Howard Tayler’s Personal Writing Process
A workflow that made daily writing (and comics) possible—Howard Tayler takes us through two decades of the delightfully eccentric process be...
Questions About Writing Excuses
Where can I listen to Writing Excuses episodes?
You can listen to Writing Excuses episodes online on Radio and Podcast. Open an episode and the site player will stream the available audio.
What is Writing Excuses about?
Writing Excuses is listed as a Arts show. The show language is listed as English.
How many Writing Excuses episodes are listed?
This page lists 987 episodes for Writing Excuses. More episodes are available from the View more button when the list continues.
Quick Answers About Writing Excuses
Where can I listen to Writing Excuses?
You can listen to Writing Excuses episodes on this page by opening an episode and using the site player.
What type of podcast is Writing Excuses?
Writing Excuses is listed as a Arts show by Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler.
How many episodes are available?
This page lists 987 episodes for Writing Excuses where feed data is available.