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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 24: Writing Habits and Q&A with Tracy Hickman
24 maart 2009 · 18 min
Tracy Hickman joins us again at "Life, The Universe, and Everything," and in this episode we let Brandon ask him random questions while Dan and Howard chime in with comments that hopefully don't detract from the discussion. During the interview Tracy mentions his latest project, XDM: Extreme Dungeon Mastery, but he doesn't mention the very latest news about it. That news is that Tracy and Curtis Hickman (the authors) have contracted with Howard Tayler to illustrate and publish it. So that bit about Tracy doing it in his basement? It's no longer accurate. This week's Writing Excuses is brought to you by I Am Not A Serial Killer by our very own Dan Wells. The book is only available in the UK, but you can get now from http://www.bookdepository.co.uk which has free shipping to anywhere in the world. Writing Prompt: Give us Winnie the Pooh's big death scene. On a destroyer in the South Pacific. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 23: Avoiding the Cliché with Tracy Hickman
16 maart 2009 · 16 min
We took Writing Excuses on the road last month for "Life, The Universe, and Everything," the symposium on Science Fiction and Fantasy at Brigham Young University. The Guests of Honor were Tracy and Laura Hickman, and poor Tracy agreed to join us for a podcast or two, recorded in front of a live audience. After the initial introductions we dig into clichés, starting with characters - specifically, how to avoid these kinds of problems in our characters. What's the difference between a cliché and an archetype? Tracy saves us time and again with great answers that beg a dozen or more podcasts. It's a good thing Tracy and Laura have their own podcast. This episode has "clipping" problems. We need to buy some good audio gear for Jordan so he can fix problems like this. Or maybe some audio gear that will let him prevent problems like this. But don't discuss that in the comments. Discuss clichés, please. Writing Prompt: Howard gets attacked by monkeys. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 22: Marketing 201, Branding for Authors
9 maart 2009 · 18 min
"Branding," not "Brandon," just so we're clear. Brand-ING. We open with the definition of "branding," talking about what it is, and (just as importantly) what it is not. With that out of the way we forge ahead and talk about author brands, brand messaging, and why any of this really matters. We throw down a few examples, and use them to help the listener arrive at a decent author-branding strategy. Writing Prompt: Pick your favorite author and in 50 words or less write down what you think their brand is, then compare it on the forums with what others write. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 21: Fight Scenes
2 maart 2009 · 16 min
Rob Wells joins the Writing Excuses crew for a second 'cast, this time dealing with fight scenes. We talk about good blocking versus a bad blow-by-blow, and cover a few of the factors that may dictate the right style of description for that wicked-cool fight you've pictured in your head. This episode is fast-paced and, well... punchy. No, really, it is. Seriously, that seemed like the right word there, pun notwithstanding. Writing Prompt: Write a fight between two people who have never been in a fight before. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 20: Marketing 101 for Creators
23 februari 2009 · 18 min
Howard takes the moderatorial lead on this episode in which he, Brandon, and Dan are joined by Rob Wells for a discussion of marketing. What is marketing? What's the difference between marketing and PR? What's the difference between a marketing manager and a publicist? How can knowing this help a creator position his or her work? We'll answer these questions and more... Writing Prompt: Come up with 25 words that distill everything you want to say about your next work. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 19: Do Creative Writing Classes Help
16 februari 2009 · 17 min
Brandon and Dan met during a creative writing class at Brigham Young University, and Brandon went on to get a Master's Degree in the field. Howard has no formal training in the field. This begs the question... do creative writing classes help? Are they worth the time? Short answer: Yes, but maybe not in the way you were expecting. We discuss not only the formal education aspects of creative writing, but also the value of informal education -- attending conventions and sitting in on panel discussions about the craft. If you are looking to become a professional writer and are pondering your education options, this podcast is a must-hear. A must-listen-carefully, even. Writing Prompt: Fore! In this case, a golf metaphor. But not a pun. Please. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 18: World Building Governments
9 februari 2009 · 16 min
Let's get back to world-building, and dig into a tough one: government. In this case we're talking about government as part of the backdrop, rather than political intrigue as part of the plot. Are you going to create a monarchy, a democracy, or perhaps some crazy, experimental sort of rigidly constitutional representative republic? City-states? Confederations? Empires? What's it going to be, and (more importantly) why? Oh, and how do you do it right? Writing Prompt: Create a government by starting with "Colon Cleansers," and then taking two steps back to create something unique. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 17: Website Marketing for Authors
2 februari 2009 · 16 min
Our producer Jordan Sanderson joins us for this week's installment, in which we likely make all kinds of enemies among the authorial community by exposing the many things they're doing wrong with their websites. The fact that you, fair listener, are here reading content on our website shows that you have fine taste in these things, and trust us to lead you right. And we will! We'll do you proper on blogging, domain names, hosting, connecting with fans and editors, and taking care regarding your rants. Writing Prompt: Write a story about the worst website ever. Liner Notes: It should be pointed out that John Ringo's website has come a long way since Howard last looked at it. Good work, John! We also mentioned websites from George R.R. Martin, David Farland, John Scalzi, and of course Brandon Sanderson. Brandon also mentioned holaservers.com. Congratulations, Earl! Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 16: Non-Human Races
26 januari 2009 · 17 min
The Writing Excuses crew returns to world-building, this time to discuss the creation of non-human races. Why do genre-fiction writers use aliens and monsters, short folk, tusked folk, or any other variation on "people" who aren't human? Can new writers successfully recycle the classic Tolkien races and use dwarves, elves, orcs, goblins, and trolls? If not, how can new races best be created? How can races be made "three-dimensional?" What are the common pitfalls? How much religion, culture, and physiology do you have time to create? Why are the rabidly violent fans of the Klingon race going to come after Howard with a cheap, plastic bat'leth? (Answer: Because they have no honor.) Writing Prompt: Create a believable Alien and write something from his/her perspective. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 15: Knowing When To Begin
19 januari 2009 · 16 min
When do you know when you're ready to begin? What does that question even mean? Apparently Brandon gets asked it a lot, though, so he posed it for the group. How do you know when that story in your head is ready for you to start writing it? Or maybe, how do you know you're ready to start writing that story that's up in your head? Or perhaps, when do you know when in that story in your head you should begin writing it, assuming you're ready? Confused yet? If you're ready to begin listening, we're ready to begin making more sense. Writing Prompt: Write an ending, and start your book with it. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 14: Writing Habits
12 januari 2009 · 16 min
We get asked a lot about our writing habits. So your Writing Excuses hosts spend the whole 'cast discussing their schedules, their work environments, and the things they do to make themselves more productive while keeping themselves creative. Peace and quiet? Clothing? Distractions? Pants? We answer these questions and more. Will any of this work for you? You tell us! The comments are a great place to discuss. Howard mentioned PeopleWare, by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister. You can buy it here. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 13: Violence
5 januari 2009 · 17 min
All three of your Writing Excuses hosts include a measure of violence in their written work. So Brandon, Dan, and Howard decide to clear the air a little bit. Why do we write about violence? What does it bring to a work of fiction, and what challenges does it pose? Is there a morally appropriate way to write about violence? How does it impact the theme of your work? Is there a difference between writing about violence and writing comedic mayhem? Writing Prompt: Have some fun in the worst possible way. Write a scene that has an extremely violent sequence that glorifies the violence and then write a scene dealing with the consequences. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 12: Theme
29 december 2008 · 16 min
For the first time in eleven episodes, we have a "normal" one. No special guests, no special locations, and no new format tricks. This episode grows out of Howard's ignorance - remember back in Episode 10 when Howard called "can of worms" on "theme?" Well, we open the can for this entire episode. What is theme? Is it something the author must consciously include? Is it something the reader must successfully identify? How can writing to a particular theme help your work? How can it hurt? How can writers avoid thematic pitfalls? We discuss examples from other writers, and from our own work (especially Brandon's.) This week's Writing Excuses is brought to you by Dave Farland's Novel-Writing Workshop. Writing Prompt: Write a short story that has no theme. No deeper meaning. Nothin'. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 11: Talking Publishing and Writing with Dave Wolverton
22 december 2008 · 15 min
Dave Wolverton joins us for a third and final episode, and the Writing Excuses team pumps him for information before letting him escape. We find out why he uses two names (David Farland and Dave Wolverton), how to name characters, and why writers don't jump between genres much. Dave discusses the state of the genre-fiction publishing business, and prognosticates a bit on its future. As a special treat, Dave explains how he broke into the industry, so be the first to listen to that bit and get a leg up on everybody else with this proven (and slightly bloody) strategy. Writing Prompt: Juan and Gregorio Watanabe are in medieval England--and they belong there. Explain why. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 10: The Boring Parts
15 december 2008 · 17 min
Dave Farland, aka Dave Wolverton again joins the Writing Excuses team, and helps us discuss boredom. Specifically, we cover how to deal with it, how to go about writing those "boring parts" that come between the exciting bits that fuel your writing passion. We talk about skipping ahead, switching viewpoints, following the pain, and trying to do this in a first-person narrative. And for an episode that claims to be about the "boring parts" this one is fairly action-packed. Finally. Writing Prompt: Kill the main badguy in every chapter. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 9: Romance, with Dave Wolverton
8 december 2008 · 17 min
This week (and for the following two weeks) the Writing Excuses crew is joined by author Dave Wolverton, who also writes under the name David Farland. This week's topic? ROMANCE. What can four adult males possibly have to say about the subject? The answer: We tell you absolutely everything we know in just sixteen minutes and fifty-one seconds. And there was time left over in there to stick in an advertisement. This week's Writing Excuses is brought to you by Rokit Fuel. That ad Howard recorded was powered in part by two bags of the stuff. They sent us samples, and we plowed through them like a tornado through a trailer park. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 8: The Three Act Structure with Bob Defendi
1 december 2008 · 18 min
With Brandon still mysteriously missing, Professor Bob Defendi returns to take Dan and Howard on a magical journey through the three-act format: every step, every element, every nuance of this very common and very helpful writing structure. The only way you could conceivably learn more is in a magic school bus, and frankly we don't think that's very likely. This week’s episode is brought to you by Bob's podcast audiobook Death by Cliché, by Robert J. Defendi. No matter how hilarious you think this is going to be, it's actually more hilarious than that. Writing Prompt: Plot out a three act structure for a current project or a new one. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 7: Using Writing Formulas with Bob Defendi
24 november 2008 · 17 min
Howard, Dan, and guest Bob Defendi open this episode with some high literary humor. Bob fills in for Brandon as we discuss formulas writers use in crafting stories. But how do we prevent those stories from feeling formulaic? Can the formulas themselves help? We discuss (at a high level) the three-act format, the hero's journey, the romance, the two-act format, try-fail cycles, and others. This week's episode is brought to you by the podcast audiobook Death by Cliché, by Robert J. Defendi. We didn't plug it very hard in the episode itself, but oh, MAN you need to listen to it. Howard hasn't laughed that hard in a long time. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 6: Endings
17 november 2008 · 16 min
Episode 6, recorded live at Dragon's Keep opens with monkey noises and greeting-card pith, and ends with... well, we'll just let you listen. Is it a storybook ending? What IS a storybook ending? What is a whiz-bang ending? Is the ending the ending, or is the ending followed by a denouement? How important is a good ending? Writing Prompt: Take whatever you're working on right now, look at the ending you have planned now and then come up with two other endings and write all three. This week Writing Excuses is brought to you by Geek at Play Studio. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 5: Writing Groups
11 november 2008 · 17 min
So you've got a fantastic idea for a book or a short story, but where do you go from there? Who can give the incentive to write, the support to keep going when it gets hard, and the tough love to let you know when it sucks? The answer: a writing group. Writing groups can be difficult to put together and manage, but when everything clicks the rewards can be invaluable. This week we discuss all the ins and outs of how to find fellow writers, organize your group, interpret their advice, and overcome the common pitfalls that might get in the way. This week's Writing Excuses is brought to you by Fablehaven by Brandon Mull Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 4:View point, Plot Twists and Being a Part-Time Writer with Eric James Stone
3 november 2008 · 17 min
Eric James Stone joins us for our final Mountain-Con episode. This Q&A covers writing part-time (and Dan disqualifies himself from answering this question in future episodes), setting deadlines for yourself, writing plot twists, and providing character description within that character's viewpoint. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 3: Characters with Brandon Mull
27 oktober 2008 · 17 min
No matter how grand your setting, how intense your conflicts, or how tight your plot, at some point you're going to need characters. Join us as we discuss what makes a character interesting, memorable, and unique. Once again, the team is joined by Brandon Mull of "Fablehaven" fame. Brandon Mull’s website This week Writing Excuses is brought to you by the Writing Excuses Season One Collection on CD. Lees meer
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Writing Season 2 Episode 2: How to Write for Children with Brandon Mull
20 oktober 2008 · 20 min
Kids these days with their long hair and their love of reading. It's like, get off my lawn, am I right? But in other news, kids (meaning anything from chapter books to mature YA) read a TON, and somebody has to write those books, and it might as well be you. Learn how to write for children with the Writing Excuses team and special guest star Brandon Mull, author of the wildly successful Fablehaven series. Brandon Mull's website This week Writing Excuses is brought to you by the Writing Excuses Season One Collection on CD. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Bonus Episode 1: Live at the Mistborn 3 Release
17 oktober 2008 · 21 min
We talk among ourselves about some episodes of this podcast being "crunchy" and others being "fluffy." "Crunchy" episodes are the ones where we have hard advice about writing. "Fluffy" episodes are the ones where we talk a little more philosophically about the profession. This episode takes "fluffy" to a new, flufftastic level. Here are twenty minutes excerpted from almost sixty minutes we recorded in line at the Hero of Ages book release and signing event at the BYU Bookstore. It's almost like being there, complete with the people in line who have read more of Brandon's books than you have, and will spoil key points in them via t-shirts. We interview these people, and we also interview a few people who have dirty secrets about Brandon, but are unwilling to share them. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 1: Q&A on Setting and Characters at Mountain Con with John Brown
13 oktober 2008 · 16 min
You didn't think we'd just keep going with the same old stuff forever, did you? Well, actually we are, but now we're calling it Season 2. This season begins with a series of episodes recorded at Mountain Con in Layton, UT, each of them rife with wisdom and wonder. This week Writing Excuses is brought to you by the Writing Excuses Season One Collection on CD. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 35: Voice, Tone and Style
6 oktober 2008 · 17 min
Everyone says you can't teach style--each writer just has to figure it out on his or her own. Well, we here at Writing Excuses have never met an ultimatum we didn't immediately challenge, so today we take it head on. Can you teach style? Can you learn tone? What makes each writer's voice unique? Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 34: What The Dark Knight Did Right
29 september 2008 · 16 min
Like all right-thinking people, we loved The Dark Knight--but because we are also writers obsessed with the craft of storytelling, we liked it for very specific, very nerdy reasons. 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) with the central themes, and more. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 33: Side Characters
22 september 2008 · 16 min
Just as no burger is complete without its fries, no protagonist is complete without his sidekick, or his mother, or his entomologist, or whatever side character you decide to give him. This week we talk about why side characters are important, and how to do them well. Liner Notes Elantris Mad Prince Deleted Scenes Dan's Bunny Book (AKA Blacker Darkness) (Word 2003 format) Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episodes 32: Talking Exposition with Patrick Rothfuss
15 september 2008 · 19 min
In this, the last of our WorldCon 66 episodes, Brandon, Dan, and Howard interview Name of the Wind author Patrick Rothfuss. We discuss exposition, and how not to bore people as you move them through the learning curve. We start by covering some "don'ts" - including the essay, the police-artist sketch, and the thesis statement. And then we work into the "do's" - show-don't-tell, focus on character, and don't write stuff the readers don't care about. This week's Writing Excuses is brought to you by Schlock Mercenary: The Teraport Wars by Howard Tayler Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 31: Talking RPG and Game Writing with Steve Jackson
8 september 2008 · 16 min
One of the biggest areas of professional creative writing these days is game writing, and who better to talk to about it than Steve Jackson--yes, THE Steve Jackson. We start off trying to talk about game adaptations, and the challenges they present for writers, but then we devolve into a more straightforward discussion of writing for games. This week's Writing Excuses is brought to you by The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 30: Talking Revision with Moshe Feder
2 september 2008 · 16 min
Last week we talked to an editor, this week we talk to OUR editor: Brandon's and Dan's editor at Tor, Moshe Feder. It's a great opportunity to learn more about how an author and editor work together to help make a book the best it can possibly be. We also talk a lot about revision in general, which is one of the least-liked but most important tasks in the writing process. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 29: Talking Publishing with Lou Anders
25 augustus 2008 · 16 min
So what exactly does an editor, do, anyway? 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 Lou Anders, the Hugo-nominated editor from Pyr Books, who this year alone helped create a Hugo-nominated book and two Campbell-nominated authors. In other words: when this man talks about editing, you listen. Lou Anders Pyr Books Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 28: Writing for Webcomics with Phil and Kaja Foglio
18 augustus 2008 · 16 min
This is the first of five episodes recorded on location at WorldCon 66 in the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Brandon, Dan, and Howard are joined by Phil and Kaja Foglio, and we discuss writing for webcomics... no, wait... writing for "sequential picture-assisted storytelling." Phil and Kaja are the creators of Girl Genius, the web's foremost hunk' o' steampunk -- and we here at Writing Excuses are big fans. During our short time together they help us understand the nuances of creating Girl Genius pages, writing to the outline of the story, and crafting their dialog. The Foglios (and Howard) have a little bit of advice for folks looking to start their own webcomic, too. (Mmmmm.... Grizzly Bear Soup!) Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 27: World-Building Religion
11 augustus 2008 · 16 min
The Writing Excuses team sits down to talk about religion as a world-building device: your characters probably believe in something, so what is it? How does it affect their lives? How does it change their thoughts and motivations (and swear words)? And when you're developing a fake religion, how do you avoid religious bias and keep from offending people? Is it best to develop something completely new, or make a few changes to a real Earth religion? Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 26: Horror
5 augustus 2008 · 16 min
What is horror? Why is it scary? HOW is it scary? Forced by their grandfather's will to spend an entire night in his spooky mansion, our podcasters gather to discuss the nuts and bolts of what horror is (and isn't) and how it works behind the scenes. Here's a hint: as with pretty much everything else in writing, the secret comes down to compelling conflicts with engaging characters. Be warned: Howard is going to say something scary, so don't listen to this podcast alone and/or in the dark. This week's Writing Excuses is brought to you by something close to Dan's heart. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 25: Viewpoint and Tense Part 2
28 juli 2008 · 15 min
We are pleased to present the second half of "Viewpoint and Tense," which, as we all know, is Tense. Part 1 was Viewpoint. It's not two podcasts that both talk about tense and viewpoint, it's two totally different podcasts that share a title for some reason. Why didn't we just do two separate podcasts, one on tense and one on viewpoint, instead of trying to connect them like this? Because, as we tell you every week, we're not that smart. This week's Writing Excuses Book of the Week: Warbreaker, by some hack. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 24: Research
21 juli 2008 · 17 min
How much research do you do? 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. We also discuss hiding a lack of knowledge, and finding ways to get by without doing truly exhaustive research. Listen closely and you'll learn why you'll never be able to know enough, why the epic fantasy horse is a lot like a motorcycle, and whether or not one of us really needs therapy. This week's Writing Excuses Book of the Week: Warbreaker, by Brandon Sanderson Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 23: Viewpoint
15 juli 2008 · 17 min
You've heard about viewpoint, but do you really know what it means? Discover along with Howard the magic world of person, tense, and omniscience, and how you can use them to tell your story. It's a short journey, as quests go, but we'll all learn a valuable lesson about writing--and about ourselves.* *Heartfelt lessons about ourselves not guaranteed. Contents non-refundable. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 22: Doing The Unpopular
7 juli 2008 · 17 min
As a writer it's sometimes difficult to decide between doing things the readers want, and things that are right for the story. But as Dan says, writers can get away with doing things to readers that readers would never do to themselves. Beware! This podcast contains spoilers for The Lord of the Rings, Return of the Jedi, and Serenity (the statute of limitations should have passed on all of these) as well as for the current week of Schlock Mercenary. This Week's Episode is brought to you by one of our favorite causes, "Buy Dan Bacon." Mmmm, bacon. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 21: Humor
30 juni 2008 · 16 min
Enough of this highbrow literary crap--make with the funny! Or, if you're Howard, do both. In this this episode we talk about why to write humor, how to write humor, how to recognize humor in others, how to steal from learn from what they do, and, in the end, what makes things funny in the first place. This week, Writing Excuses is sponsored by The Well of Ascension: Book Two of Mistborn Mass Market Paperback by Brandon Sanderson, which is good but really not all that funny. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 20: More Q&A from Conduit
23 juni 2008 · 18 min
Writer Eric James Stone joins the Writing Excuses crew for our third Conduit installment. We tackle questions from the audience again (except for when Brandon throws a question AT the audience, which still had Mike Stackpole in it.) Are plot twists necessary? How does the web change the market for writers? How do you make protagonists as interesting as the villains are? How much should you charge for your work? We ran a little long on this one. "Fifteen minutes long, because you're in a hurry, and we can't count to fifteen without getting to eighteen first." Liner Notes: Eric's Website Bob Defendi's Website Anthology Builder http://www.ralan.com/ This week's episode is sponsored by Hold on to Your Horses, by Sandra Tayler Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 19: Plot Twists
16 juni 2008 · 16 min
Michael Stackpole, author and podcaster, joined us at CONduit, and the four of us tackled plot twists in front of a live audience. Whether you write from a solid outline or discover your plot as you go, we've got tricks and tools for you. We talk about "surprising yet inevitable," the fine art of making our characters miserable, and the importance of foreshadowing (but not telegraphing) the twist. Liner Notes: Michael Stackpoles' official website, and the site where he hosts his podcasts. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 18: Q&A at Conduit
9 juni 2008 · 17 min
While at CONduit, we recorded three episodes of Writing Excuses in front of an audience, and this is the first of those. In this episode we have Dan Willis join us as we take questions from the crowd. The four of us discuss voicing characters, naming things, writing Act II, and how you set about finishing your book. Oh, and for all of you who have complained that fifteen minutes is not long enough... we ran clear out to 17:30 on this one. Enjoy! Liner notes: You can find Dan Willis' website here: http://www.dansrealm.com/Dans_Realm/Home/Home.html Orson Scott Card's Essays on naming: http://www.hatrack.com/writingclass/lessons/2003-03-05-1.shtml and http://www.hatrack.com/writingclass/lessons/2003-03-05-2.shtml And this week, Writing Excuses is sponsored by The Well of Ascension: Book Two of Mistborn Mass Market Paperback by Brandon Sanderson. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 17: This Sucks and I’m a Horrible Writer
2 juni 2008 · 16 min
The Writing Excuses crew tackles writer's block again, this time approaching the "This Sucks And I'm A Horrible Writer" mindset. Dan relates his Neil Gaiman anecdote, Brandon explains why he'd written so many books before getting published, and Howard throws down the gauntlet on neverending Chapter One revisions. If you're stuck because you think your current book sucks, this is the podcast for you. This week from our sponsor Tor, check out Escapement by Jay Lake. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 16: Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard
26 mei 2008 · 15 min
Howard kicks this off with his own sure-fire cure for Writers' Block, "BIC HOK:" Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard. The Writing Excuses team takes off from there, discussing the different kinds of Writers' Block, and how to overcome each of them. We cover free-writing, re-reading and reviewing, and focusing on your motivations for writing... and for NOT writing, which is often the heart of the problem. This week from our sponsor Tor, check out Little Brother by Cory Doctorow. Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 15: Costs and Ramifications of Magic
19 mei 2008 · 16 min
This week the Writing Excuses team discusses magic again, this time focusing on the cost of magic. 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. Or at least, that's what we think. Have a listen and find out why. Also, this week Howard attempts to create "Tayler's First Law" using a donkey. It can't have gone too well, since by the end of the podcast he's willing to give the donkey away. This week from our sponsor, Tor: Jack: Secret Histories , by F. Paul Wilson Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 14: Magic Systems and their Rules
12 mei 2008 · 16 min
Does magic need rules? Sometimes yes and sometimes no; our intrepid podcasters talk about how to know which situation is which, and explore the pros and cons of each method. We'll also yak for a while about the differences between Superman and Gandalf, which makes us, if nothing else, huge nerds. Liner Notes: Sanderson's first law This week from our sponsor, Tor: The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two B ,by Ben Bova (Editor) Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 13: Submitting to Editors Part 2
5 mei 2008 · 15 min
In part two of our chat with editor Stacy Whitman, we discuss more about how to interact with editors: how to approach them at cons, how to inquire about work you've already submitted, and how to butter them up by asking about their current projects. To cap it off, we ask Stacy about her current projects. This week from our sponsor, Tor: The Wolfman , by Nicholas Pekearo Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 12: Submitting to Editors Part 1
28 april 2008 · 16 min
This week, special guest Stacy Whitman joins us from Mirrorstone books (an imprint of Wizards of the Coast). Stacy works there as an editor, and helps us understand the submission process, including acting like a professional, doing your research, following submission guidelines, and all sorts of things NOT to do with your submissions. Stacy also shares her story about Holes, and how you have to know the rules to break them. Liner Notes: We've got a lot of links for you this week. First of all, Stacy keeps a blog on LiveJournal (slwhitman.livejournal.com), and she works for Mirrorstone, whose submission guidelines can be found here. Mentioned in the podcast: Kristen Nelson's Blog (You Know You Have Tired YA When...), the Hallowmere series, and Hallowmere's author Tiffany Trent. And this week from our sponsor Tor, Little Brother, by Cory Doctorow Lees meer
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Writing Excuses Episode 11: The Business of Writing
21 april 2008 · 16 min
So... you're ready for the big-time. You're a writer, and the writing is almost paying the bills. Hurray! Now, how do you balance your life so that you can make the jump to writing full-time? How do you manage your time? How do you keep your artistic side from accusing you of selling out? The Writing Excuses Crew answers these questions and more, as we explore the business side of writing. Also if you listen closely you'll hear Smart Howard somewhere in this podcast. We think he's like Howard's evil twin. And this week from Tor, The SFWA European Hall of Fame Lees meer
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