Writing Excuses

Recorded live at Dragons & Fairy Tales in Eagle Mountain, Utah, this episode features the work of several brave souls who submitted their first paragraphs to us for critique. We are not American Idol -- we're not out to rip these to shreds. We offer constructive criticism, highlight the good we find, and point out where improvements could be employed. Audiobook Pick-of-the-Week: The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett, which Howard loves because of the risks the author took. Writing Prompt: You're writing in your journal for the first time in ten years, and the last ten years included the invasion of Earth. That Thunder You Can Barely Hear: It was really, really loud. And funny. This episode of Writing Excuses has been brought to you by Audible. Visit http://AudiblePodcast.com/excuse for a free trial membership*. *Note: From the Audible website, here are the terms of the free membership. Read the fine print, please! Audible® Free Trial Details Get your first 14 days of the AudibleListener® G

A practical, example-filled look at tuning up rough dialog.

How to build a future setting for your novel by extrapolating from the present, working backwards from the story you want to tell, and getting those to meet in the middle.

Brandon, Dan, and Howard demonstrate line-editing on an ancient manuscript.

Brandon, Dan, and Howard start at the ending and work their way backwards for your enjoyment.

What do you do when, halfway through the book you're writing, you realize it needs to be completely rebuilt? More importantly, how do you figure this out in the first place? This podcast came about as a result of a question from a listener, but the question was specific to "what if you find out it's too derivative?" As it turns out, that's just one of the many problems you can discover midway through a novel. We spend the first half of the cast discussing how each of us identify the showstopping problems that require us to overhaul our works. We then talk about the process of fixing things that might, at first glance, appear to be completely unfixable. Sometimes we shift pieces of paper around, sometimes we push blocks of text around in our word processors, and sometimes we have to do something really significant, like adding an entirely new character or point-of-view. One of the best features of this particular 'cast is the bit in the second half where Howard and Dan grill Brandon

"How do we avoid writing stilted dialog?" asked Brandon adverbially.

James Dashner and Julie Wright talk covers, titles, and first lines with Brandon and Dan.

James Dashner and Julie Wright join Brandon and Dan at CONduit in Salt Lake City, and may end up wishing they hadn't. Brandon throws sets of story concepts at the crew, and asks them to quickly frame serious stories with a solid settings and cool characters. The  first set of story elements: Church accountant contact lenses that ruin your vision brain implants The second set of story elements: Hell for English Majors Key that will lock any door The third set of story elements: Janitors are trying to take over the world They're going to be stopped by a superhero with no arms It can't be silly Audiobook Pick-of-the-Week: The Forest of Hands and Teeth, by Carrie Ryan Writing Prompt: This whole episode was made of writing prompts. Pick one! Fun Random Fact: Howard worked as a church accountant for a while and he owns contact lenses that do, in fact, impair his vision. Freaky Bonus Thanks: We couldn't have recorded this episode without help from our friends at Dungeon Crawlers Rad

Janci Patterson and Robison Wells have both sold books very recently. Brandon and Dan put them on the spot and ask how they did it.

Live from CONduit in Salt Lake City, L.E. Modessit Jr. and the Writing Excuses crew answer questions from the audience.

L.E. Modesitt and Robison Wells join Brandon and Dan for a discussion of "practical" fantasy. Recorded live at CONduit in Salt Lake City.

Some new strategies for getting yourself published. Obviously we guarantee exactly none of them.

How to approach discovery writing, with your hosts Brandon, Dan, and Howard

Forget "Anxiety of Influence." Let's talk about how to borrow, beg, and outright steal from pop culture, history, and mythology.

Sandra Tayler, Dawn Wells, and Kenny Pike  take over the 'cast with some coaching from Dan (and heckling from Howard)  to talk about what it's like to live with an artist. We cover the ups and the downs, and share embarrassing anecdotes because we know you want to hear them, and we're not afraid of the fact that the Internet Never Forgets. Beyond the fact that Sandra and Dawn are stay-at-home moms, and Kenny is a stay-at-home Dad, the three of them each have important roles to play in their spouses' careers, and those roles go far beyond mere cheerleading and moral support. We talk about that, and then Sandra, Dawn, and Kenny offer advice to those who may find themselves as significant others to creative types. Audiobook Pick-of-the-Week: Wings, by Aprilynne Pike, in which a 15-year-old girl discovers that she's a fairie, and it's nothing like the storybooks suggested. Writing Prompt: From the desk of the Fake AP Stylebook -- write something involving a blue, Italian, rocket-propell

What's the fourth wall? What happens when you break it? Should you be breaking it at all?

A discussion of art and design elements and how they work with the stories we write.

A brainstorming session fueled by New Scientist's "13 More Things We Don't Understand" article.

How to write multiple viewpoints effectively, using the tool for the right reasons and avoiding pitfalls.