How do you “show, don’t tell” a character’s thoughts? We answer this question, and more!
Fifteen minutes long, because you're in a hurry, and we're not that smart.
Instead of saying “show, don’t tell,” we say “here’s how to show.”
Spoilers ahead! We dig into Of Noble Family, by Mary Robinette Kowal, focusing on language, culture, and the extensive research Mary did.
You’ve done piles of world building. How do you convey this world to reader without infodumping? We talk about the different skill levels involved, and then the techniques that you’ll be using as you get better and better at what is probably the most critical skill unique to genre fiction…
What’s the difference between intrigue, suspense, and mystery? We talk about this, and then drill down on intrigue.
We’ve talked beginnings all month. Now we take your questions about them.
Does your draft have a boring main character? You’re not alone! Also, the problem can be solved.
Writing Excuses Season 10, the podcasted master-class, continues with this exploration of that critical second step: what do do once you’ve got an idea that has story-legs. (Note: When we say “two weeks ago” over and over, that’s just bad math. You haven’t missed an episode.) We talk about our…
Brandon, Howard, Mary, and Dan offer useful answers to that age-old question: “Where do you get your ideas?”
As 2014 draws to a close we say goodbye to Season 9, and talk a bit about what we’ve each learned this year. Howard explained the surprising changes that came with a change in his work space Mary told us how she reached a new understanding of pacing Brandon talked about…