Writing Excuses
Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler
Fifteen minutes long, because you're in a hurry, and we're not that smart.
- 24 minutes 50 seconds21.13: Does The Middle Have To Be Soggy?
Today, we’re taking on the idea of the “soggy middle” and why stories start to lose momentum—often because characters lack clear action, obstacles feel thin, or scenes repeat without meaningful change. We break down how stalled plots, predictable outcomes, and disconnected side quests can make the middle drag, and offer tools to fix it: focusing on what characters are actually doing, using “same but different” to keep repetition engaging, letting major events happen sooner so you can explore their consequences, and ensuring every subplot or detour creates real change in the character or world.
Homework:
Grab a book or short story. Read the first page, a page from the exact middle, and the final page. Track which story threads introduced at the beginning are still active in the middle, and how they evolve by the end.
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Final WXR Cruise!
Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, and Mary Robinette Kowal. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy29 March 2026, 8:00 am - 24 minutes 43 seconds21.12: Breaking Down Barriers- Environment
When writing feels harder than it should, the problem might not be the story— it might be the room. In this episode, our hosts explore how environment shapes process, from desks and chairs to light, sound, and visual clutter. We talk about running through your senses to troubleshoot what’s actually pulling your focus, and how small adjustments (a different chair, a cleaner desk, a bowl for your phone) can make a real difference.
We also dig into noise (everything from industrial playlists to total silence), boundaries with the people you live with, and the fine line between solving a problem and avoiding the work. Sometimes the fastest way forward is figuring out what you’re running from. AND what you're running toward.
Homework:
Use your senses to make an inventory of your writing environment — sound, sight, smell, touch, even taste. Then identify which elements serve you and which ones create friction, and experiment with changing one barrier this week.
Final WXR Cruise!
Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, and Mary Robinette Kowal. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
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Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations
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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy22 March 2026, 8:00 am - 23 minutes 20 seconds21.11: The Cold Open- Action
Sometimes the fastest way to hook a reader is to start with something exploding. In this episode, our hosts dig into the promise — and the pitfalls — of opening with action, and why survival alone is rarely enough to make us care. We explore how voice, worldbuilding, and character stakes must all be doing work beneath the punches and gunfire, especially in prose where readers can’t “see” the cool factor. From The Matrix to hockey rinks to fantasy prologues gone wrong, we look at how action can function as a delivery system for tension, authority, and emotional investment. The goal isn’t just spectacle — it’s giving readers a reason to turn the page.
Homework:
Choose an action cold open from a movie. Write down everything it’s doing beyond the visible action — how it builds the world, establishes stakes, defines character, and makes you feel. Then rewrite that scene in prose, making those elements explicit on the page.
Final WXR Cruise!
Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Join Our Writing Community!
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations
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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy15 March 2026, 8:00 am - 24 minutes 22 seconds21.10: The Cold Open- Voice
A cold open can hook a reader with nothing more than voice. In this episode, our hosts explore what makes a voice-driven opening work — cadence, rhythm, authority, and a clear reason to care. We break down how aesthetic voice differs from mechanical POV, how to avoid purple prose, and why strong openings often act as both filter and lens for the right reader. From epic poetry to pop songs, from audiobook accents to grocery-store monologues, we share practical ways to hear your prose more clearly. Voice, used with intention, can pull readers in before a single thing explodes.
Homework:
Choose three distinct voices you know well — for example, a celebrity with a strong cadence, someone in your life who tells great stories, and another recognizable personality. Write a simple scene (like going to the grocery store to buy eggs) in each voice. Notice what changes in rhythm, word choice, focus, and emotional framing.
Final WXR Cruise!
Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, and Mary Robinette Kowal. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Join Our Writing Community!
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations
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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy8 March 2026, 8:00 am - 20 minutes 52 seconds21.09: Grounding The Reader
Grounding a reader starts in the very first lines of a story. Where are we? Who are we with? What kind of story are we in? Our hosts explore how emotion, context, and sensory detail work together to create immersion, and why action alone isn’t enough without an emotional lens. From relatable sensory cues to carefully chosen specifics, they break down how small details can anchor even the biggest explosions. When readers step into a story, we want them oriented, invested, and ready to follow.
Homework:
Take the opening of your work in progress and write out only the physical actions — what is happening and what the character is doing. Then annotate it with the emotions you want attached to each moment, and rewrite the scene integrating both action and emotion.
Final WXR Cruise!
Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, and Mary Robinette Kowal. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Join Our Writing Community!
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations
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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy1 March 2026, 9:00 am - 22 minutes 14 seconds21.08: Setting Expectations
In this episode, we explore what it really means to set reader expectations at the beginning of a story. We talk about how openings communicate the shape of what’s to come — from genre and tone to the kind of emotional ride we’re inviting our readers onto. We dig into practical tools for building reader trust early: making (and fulfilling) small promises, letting readers feel clever, answering questions before raising bigger ones, and controlling tone so the story delivers on what it signals. Because when readers check the label on page one, we want to be sure we can deliver.
Homework:
Review the first chapter of your work in progress and make a list of all the story promises you’ve made. Keep that list somewhere visible so you can track how—and when— you fulfill them.
Final WXR Cruise!
Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, and Mary Robinette Kowal. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Join Our Writing Community!
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations
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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy22 February 2026, 9:00 am - 23 minutes 48 seconds21.07: Deep Dive- “With Her Serpent Locks”
To celebrate Mary Robinette’s birthday today (!!), she is taking us inside the craft (and emotional engine) of her short story “With Her Serpent Locks,” using it as a case study in beginnings, control, and creative “leveling up.” Our hosts dig into grounding the reader through myth, pattern, and delayed information, and how a familiar framework can make readers feel both clever and cared for. The conversation unpacks how intentional choices—like withholding names, structuring scenes around question words, and planting details early—create trust and momentum. Along the way, we talk honestly about what it feels like when craft skills become internalized and a story finally clicks into ease.
Homework:
Take a strong emotion you’ve felt recently and describe it as a metaphor. Then use that metaphor as a writing prompt.
Final WXR Cruise!
Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Marshall Carr, Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, and Mary Robinette Kowal. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Join Our Writing Community!
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations
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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy15 February 2026, 9:00 am - 22 minutes 17 seconds21.06: Begin and the Beginning
In this episode, our hosts dive into what makes a strong beginning and why it matters so much to readers. They talk about openings as an act of hospitality, exploring how tone, control, and carefully chosen details help readers feel grounded and cared for from the first page. Using the metaphor of hosting a party, they unpack common mistakes like starting too early, overwhelming readers with detail, or failing to make a clear promise. The discussion also reassures writers that beginnings often change in revision—and that’s not just normal, it’s necessary.
Homework:
Create an artificial slush pile of beginnings. Read them cold and note which ones make you lean in and why.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
FEBRUARY 15th: Cruise Prices Increase
The final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets now before prices increase on February 15th!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, and Mary Robinette Kowal. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Join Our Writing Community!
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations
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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy8 February 2026, 9:00 am - 25 minutes 20 seconds21.05: The Same But Different
Today, our hosts dig into how stories can feel fresh without losing what readers love. They explore the idea of “same but different” across genres, sequels, and series—looking at how small shifts in structure, context, tone, or theme can create meaningful novelty. Drawing on examples from novels, film, television, and games, we unpack how patterns, expectations, and core questions shape reader experience. Our conversation also widens to encompass the larger question of how writers can evolve while still feeling recognizably like themselves.
Homework:
Choose two works from the same franchise or series. Break down what stayed the same and what changed, then reflect on which choices felt satisfying, surprising, or off-putting—and why.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
2/15 Cruise Prices Increase
The final WXR cruise* sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets now before prices increase on February 15th!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, and Mary Robinette Kowal. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Join Our Writing Community!
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy1 February 2026, 9:00 am - 25 minutes 46 seconds21.04: Deconstructing the Hero's Journey
Our hosts take on the Hero’s Journey—where it came from, why it endures, and why it can make writers uneasy. They break it down as a tool (and not a rule), exploring how pattern recognition works in storytelling without turning structure into a formula. Along the way, they discuss reluctant heroes, mentors, departures, and returns, using familiar examples from fantasy, film, and beyond. The conversation also digs into how stories can satisfy expectations—or deliberately invert them—without becoming predictable or tropey.
Homework:
Take a simple outline of the Hero’s Journey (we’ll include one in the liner notes). On an index card or Post-it, list as many stories, films, or shows as you can that follow this pattern, just to see how and where it shows up.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
2/15 Cruise Prices Increase
The final WXR cruise* sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets now before prices increase on February 15th!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Join Our Writing Community!
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy25 January 2026, 9:00 am - 20 minutes 44 seconds21.03: Deconstructing Plots
Plot isn’t a set of commandments—it’s a collection of patterns we’ve learned to recognize. This episode kicks off the season’s deep dive into deconstructing plots, asking what different story structures are really doing beneath the surface and why they work (or don’t). Our hosts unpack plot as a toolbox rather than a formula, exploring action plots vs. emotion plots, Western vs. non-Western structures, and how audience expectations shape everything from middles to endings. This conversation reframes plot as a way to pull readers through a story—not to box writers in.
Homework:
Pick a story you enjoy and gently reverse-engineer it. Go scene by scene and label each one simply as “good thing happened” or “bad thing happened.” Look for patterns you didn’t realize were there.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
2/15 Cruise Prices Increase
The final WXR cruise* sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets now before prices increase on February 15th!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, and Mary Robinette Kowal. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Join Our Writing Community!
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy18 January 2026, 9:00 am - More Episodes? Get the App