Deadline time. How do you keep your artistic side from accusing you of selling out? Credits: This episode was recorded by Daniel … Continue reading 11.20: Horror as a Subgenre →. Brandon, Howard and Dan discuss where their ideas come from and Howard tells us a little too much about his love of Pepsi. This week we talk about why side characters are important, and how to do them well. Howard’s answer: “Just enough to get by.” In this podcast we talk about why we research, how we research, and when we feel like we’ve researched enough. Liner Notes: We mentioned some resources for … Continue reading 11.19: Fashion for Writers, with Rebecca McKinney →. This episode runs … Continue reading 11.46: Colonialism, with Steven Barnes, Tempest Bradford, DongWon Song, and Shveta Thakrar →. Grow sideways! The type of satisfaction we feel at the reveal may also reveal the elemental genre in which the element of mystery has been embedded. Mary: I’m Mary. Then change that character to be “the other” from you, and re-write the character sketch. Your Hosts: Dan, Mary Robinette, and Brandon Welcome to 2021, and Season 16 of Writing Excuses. [Brandon] This is Writing Excuses, Writing Secondary Characters, with Charlaine Harris, Live from GenCon! Season 15: Topics You Asked About! But we’ll say it anyway. Or at least, … Continue reading Writing Excuses Episode 15: Costs and Ramifications of Magic →, Howard kicks this off with his own sure-fire cure for Writers’ Block, “BIC HOK:” Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard. What’s the difference between Sauron and Gollum? Season 3. It’s a short journey, as quests go, but we’ll all learn a valuable lesson about writing–and about ourselves. Victoria Schwab, who also writes as V.E. Whether or not your magic system has internally-consistent rules your readers can follow (per Sanderson’s First Law and last week’s ‘cast) you need to consider the ramifications of using magic in the worlds you create. Ghost Talkers, by Mary Robinette Kowal, narrated by the author. Happy Halloween! Key Points: This season is going to be organized around topics taken from questions from the audience. So… your career is … Identify something about your location that would provide, in an alternate universe, a source of magic unavailable in other locations. Grab a romantic comedy of some kind. Here are the questions: How do you create wonder in non-genre stories, where there are no super-powers, spaceships, or spellcasters? (“That’s the LAST time I send you out shopping for Gollums, son…”) Liner Notes: The Evil Overlord List, a handy reference for tropes to avoid (or, as the case may be, exploit…). In this episode we’ll talk about how … Continue reading 11.38: The Elemental Relationship as a Sub-Genre →. This is an index of my transcripts of the Writing Excuses podcasts. Brandon’s Deleted Scenes Howard’s Original Time-Travel Outline. ), Karen Memory, by Elizabeth Bear, narrated by Jennifer Grace, Michael Damien Thomas, co-publisher and co-editor-in-chief of Uncanny Magazine, joined us for a discussion of the elemental genre that contains most of the stories we refer to as “heists.” It’s all about a well-rounded cast in which the group relationship is what’s pulling us forward. Put a mystery into whatever it is you’re working on. This podcast contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings, Return of … Continue reading Writing Excuses Episode 22: Doing The Unpopular →, You’ve heard about viewpoint, but do you really know what it means? Thud, by Terry Pratchett, narrated by Stephen Briggs, In this episode we field some questions about elemental mystery. We discuss some good crossover examples, and how some of the … Continue reading 11.33: Crossover Fiction, with Victoria Schwab →. You haven’t missed an episode.) So… your career is your business. It’s not just for heists. Revolutionary Writing, a course from Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due, DongWon Song, literary agent with HMLA, joins us for a Q&A on the elemental genre of “Issue.” Here are the questions, which were submitted by the attendees at WXR ’16: Can only certain people tackle certain issues in certain stories? Season 12: Structure. ... 4-11 - Brainstorming From Headlines Schwab, joins us this year, and in this episode she helps us cover that deep concept of “theme,” and how we as authors can state our themes without coming straight out and stating them—writing our themes “between the lines.” I Am Princess X, by Cherie Priest, narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal, Let’s get this out of the way up front: in the syntax of elemental genres, the phrase “the element of thriller” is clunky. Check your bookshelf, and the first book that catches your eye is your genre. ... 2021 11:01 pm. … Continue reading 11.28: Impostor Syndrome, with Alyssa Wong →. Let’s move beyond simply being cooks, and strive to become chefs. Elemental Genre becomes particularly useful when you start blending the elements for sub-plots, character arcs, or even mash-ups. The Elemental Issue is similar to the Elemental Idea, but the type of idea being explored is a point of social conflict, like racism, teen pregnancy, or corporate greed. Now, how do you balance your life so that you can make the jump to writing full-time? What the minimum size for an ensemble? We begin with the difference … Continue reading 11.44: Project in Depth, GHOST TALKERS, by Mary Robinette Kowal →, (and because we’ve mentioned that one recently…), Your Psychic Powers, and How to Develop Them (1920), by Hereward Carrington. Then take the scary line and create two separate short stories using it. Your homework, then: Write a monologue from the POV of a member of that magazine’s target audience. This year we’re dividing the year into “master classes” or “intensive courses.” We’re kicking it off with Brandon’s episodes, which are all about the business of writing, and the first of those is this one! Why is Dirk Pitt so cool? The word “genre” has a lot of weight to it. An object, a character, and a genre. Google Sites. The character? Rebecca McKinney joined us on stage at LTUE to address all this. We promo’d Word Puppets, by Mary Robinette Kowal, narrated by Kate Baker, but the audiobook does not appear to be available as of this writing. Residue, by Steve Diamond, narrated by David Stifel, How do we go about describing the clothing our characters are wearing? We started with this one because “sense of wonder” is a term that gets used to describe what makes some science fiction stories work. Only you can let go of all e… In this episode we discuss ways in which we can write character relationships—parent/child, buddy-cop, romance, and more—to be compelling. What happens when a character refuses to learn, refuses to overcome their flaw(s)? Take the first line from any book, and turn it into a scary line. This year we’ll start with some classes and events in Houston on September 25, and then we’ll hop on a cruise ship and head to Cozumel, Georgetown, and Falmouth. Pair this with another subgenre. Imagine an individual in that group, and ask yourself what that person is going to do, and why. Then begin removing the ones that characters would not notice. Credits: This episode was … Continue reading 11.25: Elemental Mystery is Everywhere →. Homework! Here’s a hint: as with pretty much everything … Continue reading Writing Excuses Episode 26: Horror →. Three days late for the beginning of NaNoWriMo 2016, here’s a bonus episode about maps. [Dongwon] 15 minutes long. Why didn’t we just do two separate podcasts, one … Continue reading Writing Excuses Episode 25: Viewpoint and Tense Part 2 →, What is horror? In elemental relationship stories the primary page-turning driver is the relationship between two or three characters ¹. 11.48: Elemental Issue Q&A, with DongWon Song, 11.Bonus-04: Fantasy Food, with Elizabeth Bear and Scott Lynch, 11.49: Elemental Ensemble, with Michael Damien Thomas, 11.50: Hand-Selling Your Book to Potential Readers, with Michael R. Underwood, 11.51: Ensemble as a Sub-Genre, with Lynne M. Thomas, 11.52: Elemental Ensemble Q&A, With Claudia Gray, 11.2: How To Get The Most Out Of A Conference, with Kathy Chung, plenty of other books from Mary on Audible, 11.05: Writing and World Building for Role Playing Games, 11.07: The Convention Survival Kit, with Gail Carriger, The Shootout Solution: Genrenauts Episode 1, Women Destroy Science Fiction! What do they fear? Hopefully your questions are similar to the ones we collected below, because these are the ones we answered: What do readers like more: protagonists going through lots of different incidents and locations, or through a few that are similar to each other? Take a book or film that you enjoy, and write down every mystery you see. Shadowguard, by Gama Ray Martinez, narrated by Adam Verner. Now, how do you balance your life so that you can make the jump to writing full-time? Have a world-weary character, one who is not in awe, and find ways to help the reader experience wonder despite being in the POV of a character who is not. [Brandon] We are so happy to have Charlaine on the podcast. Season 4. The sixth annual Writing Excuses Workshop and Retreat makes a triumphant return to the Caribbean Sea! I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson, narrated by Robertson Dean, Shannon Hale joins us at LTUE for a live-audience session in which we explore gender biases, and extrapolate from there to our many other unconscious biases. Focusing on elemental drama can be tricky. The Starlit Wood: New Fairy Tales, edited by Navah Wolfe (available October 18th, 2016. [Mary] Season 13, Episode 11. Howard: I’m Howard. zipped the folder up and slapped it … It’s time to start digging in to the elements themselves, beginning with the Element of Wonder. Pick a city and write what you think it will look like in the year 2045. Michelle Lyons McFarland, Monica Valentinelli, and Shanna Germain join Howard and Dan at GenCon, and talk about the craft of world building for role playing games. [Mary Robinette] Because you're in a hurry. Liner Notes: we mentioned Episode … Continue reading 11.23: The Element of Mystery →. We talk economics, logistics, sensory engagement, and we goof off quite a bit in the process. How do you know when your setting of high school kids solve supernatural mysteries becomes cliché? If you’re new to Writing Excuses, or if you’re just curious about some of the terminology we use, let us break it down for you. The … Identify that, and begin exploring it as a sub-plot. … We also discuss hiding a lack of knowledge, and finding ways to get by without doing truly exhaustive research. 11.15: The Environment, with L.E. Join us as we take a journey through What The Dark Knight Did Right: strong characters, excellent dialogue, a layered plot that blended perfectly (and unexpectedly) … Continue reading Writing Excuses Episode 34: What The Dark Knight Did Right →. The first line of any story is the most important. This week we continue our discussion on Science Fiction with a discussion of various Sub-genres, why they’re different, and what you can do to make sure you know your audience. Write down the arguments in favor of the side you disagree with, but don’t use strawman arguments. The instructions are here, and you’ll follow them by filling out something that looks like this casting sheet. So this is what you wanted to know! Is there a difference between the two? We’ve already talked about the process of submitting to an editor; today we talk about the millions of vital things that happen after an editor says “I want to buy your book.” Not only that, but we get to hear it all straight from the mouth of … Continue reading Writing Excuses Episode 29: Talking Publishing with Lou Anders →, Last week we talked to an editor, this week we talk to OUR editor: Brandon’s and Dan’s editor at Tor, Moshe Feder. Season 5. The questions are from the attendees at the Writing Excuses Workshop and Retreat: Rather than having a protagonist change themselves, can elemental drama have the protagonist change others? Or, if you’re Howard, do both. [Brandon] I've been in one of her anthologies. … Continue reading 11.26: Elemental Mystery Q&A →. Elizabeth Bear and Scott Lynch joined Howard and Dan at GenCon Indy to talk about fantasy food, and how we engage our readers’ appetites with our fiction. Over-apply one type of humor with each rewrite, and take note of how the scene changes. We dig into what this really means, and how everyone in the story must be driven by things … Continue reading 11.24: Stakes! Take three stories (books, films, whatever) you love, and explore the emotional impact those stories have on you. List the clues that would be present. As Napoleon Bonaparte is rumored to have said prior … Continue reading 11.Bonus-03: Some Books Have Maps in the Front, with Maurice Broaddus, Mur Lafferty, and James Sutter →. : Lightspeed Magazine Special Issue, Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches Guide to Romance Novels, 11.Bonus-02: Horrifying the Children, with Darren Shan, The Shootout Solution (Genrenauts Episode 1), Project in Depth (“The Mother of All Crunchy”), 8.42: The Internal Heckler vs. Modessit, Jr. →. Come up with a fantasy fuel that has extreme, but unintended consequences. How would … Continue reading 11.48: Elemental Issue Q&A, with DongWon Song →. Look at professions with a front-person, and with behind-the-scenes staff. Sub-genres covered: Space Opera, Military, Hard SF, and Cyberpunk. There are a plethora of reasons writers give for letting excuses take over their work. People get drawn in to a book because of the first line. It comes from Season 1, Episode 12 and Season 1, Episode 13. Navah Wolfe, an editor at Saga Press, joined us to talk about the manuscripts she would really like to see. Look to your left and that’s your object. Brandon: I’m Brandon. →. Ad: Tor Book … Continue reading Writing Excuses Episode 9: Sci-Fi Sub-Genre →, Pacing… it’s all about keeping the tension up, keeping things snappy, and keeping the reader interested. The Shootout Solution: Genrenauts Episode 1, by Michael R. Underwood, narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal, You may still have questions about how to apply elemental adventure in your work. We discuss exposition, and how not to bore people as you move them through the learning curve. We begin in Houston, TX, on September 13; we’ll visit Cozumel, Georgetown, and Falmouth, and end up back in Houston again on September 22. Is there a perfect length? Practice your cliffhangers! Sorcerer to the Crown, by Zen Cho, narrated by Jenny Sterlin. 11.21: Q&A on Elemental Horror, with Steve Diamond, 11.22: Examining Unconscious Biases, with Shannon Hale, 11.28: Impostor Syndrome, with Alyssa Wong, 11.31: Futurism, with Trina Marie Phillips, 11.33: Crossover Fiction, with Victoria Schwab, 11.35: Elemental Humor Q&A with Victoria Schwab, 11.37: Casting Your Book, with Gama Martinez, 11.38: The Elemental Relationship as a Sub-Genre, 11.39: Elemental Relationship Q&A, with Greg van Eekhout, 11.41: The Editor’s Wish List, with Navah Wolfe, 11.Bonus-01: Characterization and Differentiation, with Robin Hobb, 11.43: Elemental Drama Q&A, with Tananarive Due, 11.44: Project in Depth, GHOST TALKERS, by Mary Robinette Kowal, 11.Bonus-03: Some Books Have Maps in the Front, with Maurice Broaddus, Mur Lafferty, and James Sutter, 11.45: Elemental Issue, with Desiree Burch, 11.46: Colonialism, with Steven Barnes, Tempest Bradford, DongWon Song, and Shveta Thakrar, 11.47: Issue as a Subgenre, with Steven Barnes. 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