Fifteen minutes long, because you're in a hurry, and we're not that smart.

20.47: Now Go Write- All the Eggs in All the Baskets

Dan shares his experience of rebuilding and reinventing his writing career from his section of our forthcoming book Now Go Write. Our hosts walk through practical ways that writers can diversify their work— from writing for RPGs and video games to writing in a new genre like middle grade or nonfiction —…

20.42: Erin Roberts’ Personal Writing Process

Erin describes her own writing process as “a bunch of random practices thrown into a bag and shaken up.” And maybe this approach reminds you of your own writing practice! Nevertheless, for today’s episode, Erin managed to organize her processes into four categories: getting work, getting in, getting done, getting…

20.39: Wrapping up our Conversation about Lenses

Today our hosts tell you why you don’t need to listen to all of our episodes—or even most of them. Each of our five hosts weighs in on how you can combine the topics, subtopics, and lenses that each episode features in order to create a structured path forward for your own…

20.25: Writing Confrontation (LIVE Aboard the WX Cruise)

Our hosts explore how to write compelling confrontations—whether physical fights or emotional arguments—in a live episode recorded on the Writing Excuses Cruise. Building off Dan Wells’ class Why Your Fight Scene Is Boring, our hosts break down reactions into four elements: focus, physicality, thought, and action. The discussion dives into how newness, character…

20.24: An Interview with Charles Duhigg

How can listening inform the way you write? We decided to ask Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and bestselling author—best known for The Power of Habit and most recently released Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection, a compelling guide that explores the art and science of meaningful conversation. …

20.23: The Lens of the Senses

How does a room sound? Does your childhood have a taste? What is the smell of summer?  In this episode, we dive into the sensory layers that anchor worldbuilding, character, and perspective. We explore how invoking smell, sound, touch, and taste can transport readers more powerfully than sight alone. What…

20.22: The Lens of Time

Time isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a powerful tool in storytelling. In this episode, we explore how time shapes narratives, beyond just plot structure. From magnifying moments in a fight scene to revealing a character’s morals through temporal shifts, we unpack how timing, pacing, and the passage of time can deepen…