Writing Excuses

Blocking! What is it, why is it important, and how can you do it well? We begin with a definition (blocking is the part of the narrative that tells the reader where the characters are, where the scen...

6 Maj 201318min

You love 'em, we love 'em, and there's never a shortage of questions so here's another another fast-paced Q&A. Here are the questions that we field in this episode: * How do you prepare to write? *...

28 Apr 201317min

We're going to try brainstorming with Brandon again, because that last story didn't grab him. There's a lesson there, but let's move on... Our story seed is "psychic birds." Brandon asks us to start ...

22 Apr 201318min

We begin with an audio glitch and a jumbling of our usual intro. Why? Because it breaks rhythm, and sometimes you may actually want to do that. Narrative rhythm is the pattern of story elements and a...

15 Apr 201319min

As if he needs the help, Brandon challenges Mary, Howard, and Dan to help him brainstorm an A.I. short story. Brandon hands them some setup, and off they go. The ground may have been well-tread in the...

7 Apr 201320min

What does it mean to "fake it till you make it?" For this episode we talk about the things that we do, or that we have done, that help us (or helped us) feel professional. Howard explains the origin o...

1 Apr 201320min

Brandon, Dan, and Mary interview Howard about how he assembled "Deus ex Nauseum," the bonus story that appears at the end of Schlock Mercenary: Emperor Pius Dei. Howard begins with the story's genesi...

24 Mars 201317min

Robison Wells joins us again, this time to help us with a discussion of writing characters with abnormal psychology. What are our resources for describing these characters in compelling, believable wa...

18 Mars 201322min