For Immediate Release

Writing Excuses Announces New Host Lineup for Season 18

Writing Excuses, the award-winning weekly podcast for writers, by writers, is excited to announce a new lineup of hosts as it begins its 18th season.

Beginning January 1, 2023, DongWon Song and Erin Roberts will join Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, and Howard Tayler  as co-hosts, with founding member Brandon Sanderson taking on “emeritus” status.

“I’m excited to welcome DongWon and Erin to the Writing Excuses team,” said founding host Dan Wells. “Their unique perspectives and experiences in the writing industry will bring fresh insights and energy to the show.”

“DongWon and Erin have been fantastic guests on the show in the past,” said host Mary Robinette Kowal. “I’m delighted that they are both joining us as permanent members of the Writing Excuses team and I can’t wait to see what they bring to the table as co-hosts.”

Song is an agent at Howard Morhaim Literary Agency representing science fiction and fantasy for adults, young adult, and middle grade readers as well as select non-fiction. They were formerly an editor at Orbit and have taught at institutions including Portland State University and New York University. Song is Korean-American, trans, and nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. They run a newsletter about their experiences in the industry called Publishing is Hard.

“I’m delighted to join Writing Excuses on a permanent basis. I have loved working with the team over the years and I am thrilled for this opportunity to help illuminate the ins and outs of the publishing business to new and experienced writers alike.”

Roberts is a writer of speculative fiction across formats, with short fiction appearing in magazines including Clarkesworld, Asimov’s, and The Dark. Her interactive fiction and game writing has appeared in Journeys Through The Radiant Citadel (D&D), Lost Omens: Travel Guide (Pathfinder), Zombies, Run!, and Strange Horizons, among others. She is a graduate of the Stonecoast MFA program and currently teaches creative writing at the University of Texas at Austin. For the past several years, she has also run the Writing Excuses Workshop and Retreat.

“I’m honored to be joining the Writing Excuses team,” said new host Erin Roberts. “I’ve been a fan of the show for years, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the conversations about the craft of writing and sharing my own experiences with listeners.”

Wells is a New York Times bestselling author known for his horror series I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER and THE ZERO CHRONICLES, a best-selling middle grade science fiction series. He has also written tie-in fiction, horror, and science fiction novels, and edited the anthology ALTERED PERCEPTIONS.

Kowal is the author of The Glamourist Histories series, Ghost Talkers, and the Lady Astronaut Universe. She is a Hugo award winner and has received the Astounding Award for Best New Writer and the Nebula and Locus awards. Kowal is also a professional puppeteer and voice actor, performing for authors including Seanan McGuire, Cory Doctorow, and John Scalzi.

Tayler is the writer and illustrator behind the Hugo-nominated science fiction comic strip Schlock Mercenary and co-host of Writing Excuses. He has written tie-in fiction, horror, and science fiction, and is the creator of the Planet Mercenary RPG.

In the season premiere, the new hosts discussed their careers and what they are excited to bring to the show this year. The season will use a series of “Deep Dives” into specific works to focus ont aspects of the craft the authors deployed, beginning with a dive into Mary Robinette Kowal’s The Spare Man and lessons on tension.

Fans of the show can look forward to more dynamic and informative conversations about the craft of writing, with a focus on practical tips and techniques that writers of all levels can use. As always, the podcasts remain “fifteen minutes long, because you’re in a hurry and we’re not that smart,” and end with a tangible takeaway exercise that writers can immediately put into action in their own work and writing lives.

The new season of Writing Excuses debuted on January 1, 2023 and will be available on the Writing Excuses website and all major podcast platforms.