Writing Excuses

Spoilers ahead! We dig into Of Noble Family, by Mary Robinette Kowal, focusing on language, culture, and the extensive research Mary did.Our Sponsors:* Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/excuses* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serve* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx* Check out Talkiatry: https://talkiatry.com/wx* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wxSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We answer questions about consistency, alternate histories, and the Great Spoke Plague of '77Our Sponsors:* Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/excuses* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serve* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx* Check out Talkiatry: https://talkiatry.com/wx* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wxSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

You've done piles of world building. How do you convey this world to reader without infodumping? We talk about the different skill levels involved, and then the techniques that you'll be using as you get better and better at what is probably the most critical skill unique to genre fiction writers.Our Sponsors:* Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/excuses* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serve* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx* Check out Talkiatry: https://talkiatry.com/wx* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wxSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What's the difference between intrigue, suspense, and mystery? We talk about this, and then drill down on intrigue.Our Sponsors:* Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/excuses* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serve* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx* Check out Talkiatry: https://talkiatry.com/wx* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wxSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This one's for all you folks who like to do some world building on-the-fly.Our Sponsors:* Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/excuses* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serve* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx* Check out Talkiatry: https://talkiatry.com/wx* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wxSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We've talked beginnings all month. Now we take your questions about them.Our Sponsors:* Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/excuses* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serve* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx* Check out Talkiatry: https://talkiatry.com/wx* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wxSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Let's get that first page written in a way that will bring the reader to all the rest of the pages.Our Sponsors:* Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/excuses* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serve* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx* Check out Talkiatry: https://talkiatry.com/wx* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wxSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Wes Chu, author and adventurer, recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and has some things to say about all the wilderness trekking that our characters do in the books we write, and how we often forget to say anything about sleeping on inclines, altitude sickness, or packing toilet paper. The salient point: we need to remember that our characters are experiencing these wilderness treks, and they have interesting opinions about them.Our Sponsors:* Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/excuses* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serve* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx* Check out Talkiatry: https://talkiatry.com/wx* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wxSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

How do you know which bits of your story have to come first?Our Sponsors:* Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/excuses* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serve* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx* Check out Talkiatry: https://talkiatry.com/wx* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wxSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Any discussion of story structure must necessarily take a look at that big, long bit between the beginning and the end, that piece where almost everything actually happens. In this episode we talk about the middles of stories, and how formulaic structures will help you get them to do all of the things that you need for them to do, and this can be done without the story feeling formulaic. We got things a bit out of order here -- this was supposed to be the SECOND episode of March, rather than the fifth. When Brandon says "two weeks ago" he means "four weeks ago." Sorry for the confusion.Our Sponsors:* Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/excuses* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serve* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx* Check out Talkiatry: https://talkiatry.com/wx* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wxSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy