Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 7: Using Writing Formulas with Bob Defendi
Writing Excuses24 Nov 2008

Writing Excuses Season 2 Episode 7: Using Writing Formulas with Bob Defendi

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. Our Sponsors: * Check out HomeServe and use my code homeserve.com/excuses for a great deal: https://www.homeserve.com * Check out HomeServe and use my code homeserve.com/excuses for a great deal: https://www.homeserve.com * Check out MasterClass and use my code masterclass.com/EXCUSES for a great deal: https://MasterClass.com * Check out Talkiatry and use my code Talkiatry.com/WX for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.com Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Episoder(995)

21.26: Setting the Pace

21.26: Setting the Pace

Our hosts explore the many tools writers can use to control pacing. We discuss how cadence, transitions, tone, sentence structure, and white space can all speed up or slow down a reader’s experience. ...

28 Jun 24min

21.25: Follow the Bouncing Ball

21.25: Follow the Bouncing Ball

In this episode, our hosts explore how writers control their readers’ attention with the metaphor of a bouncing ball. We break down techniques for guiding focus on the page, including POV choice, sele...

21 Jun 25min

21.24: Deconstructing the Seven Point Plot Structure

21.24: Deconstructing the Seven Point Plot Structure

Dan Wells joins our conversation as we break down the seven-point plot structure! Using examples from Star Wars, Toy Story, and other films, we discuss how each point creates conflict, drives characte...

14 Jun 35min

21.23: Barrier Breaking: Interruptions

21.23: Barrier Breaking: Interruptions

In this episode, our hosts explore one of the most persistent barriers to writing: interruptions. From family members and pets to emails, meetings, fatigue, and neurodivergence, they discuss how disru...

7 Jun 29min

21.22: The Order of the Telling

21.22: The Order of the Telling

*Time-Sensitive* Our final WXR cruise is almost sold out, grab your spot before June 4th, 2026 here! This week, we are talking about the order in which we present information to the reader as contra...

31 Mai 27min

21.21: Rhythm and Words

21.21: Rhythm and Words

*Time-Sensitive* Our final WXR cruise is almost sold out, grab your spot before June 4th, 2026 here! Today, we’re continuing the conversation on sequencing by focusing on rhythm—how the musicality o...

24 Mai 23min

21.20: Sequencing from Mega to Micro

21.20: Sequencing from Mega to Micro

Today, we explore why writers place information in the order they do. From broad-to-narrow framing and cause-and-effect to repetition, rhythm, and surprise, we discuss how sequencing shapes the pacing...

17 Mai 33min

21.19: Getting Everything Connected

21.19: Getting Everything Connected

Today, our hosts discuss how to make every part of your story feel connected through causal chains, thematic resonance, and reader pattern recognition. We take the idea that each action in a story sho...

10 Mai 24min

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