Writing Excuses

What makes a scene feel like a scene? This week, we unpack one of storytelling's most basic building blocks. Our hosts explore where scenes begin and end, how they differ from beats, and why framing and narrative purpose matter more than rigid definitions. We also explore practical prompts for troubleshooting scenes that aren't working and discuss how structure and instinct can work together. 
Homework:
Take one or two scenes from something you've written. Using whatever scene framework works for you, identify the who, what, where, when, why, how, and the vibe of each scene. Then change one element and rewrite the scene to see how that change affects it.

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Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, DongWon Song, and Erin Roberts. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
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How do you move readers from one scene to the next without losing momentum? Our hosts dig into different types of transitions—from scene breaks and interruptions to brief “through scenes” that bridge time and space. Along the way, we compare prose techniques to music, film editing, and game design, exploring how transitions can carry emotion, maintain tension, and signal intention. We also discuss why transitions are often easier to solve during revision than during drafting. Sometimes all you need is a placeholder and permission to keep writing.
Homework:
Take two scenes from a work in progress and connect them three different ways: with a through scene, a scene break, and an interruption. Compare the results and note how each version changes pacing, tension, and reader experience.
Writing Excuses at Gen Con! 
At GenCon this year, we’re hosting “Network the Gathering” along with the Ray Bradbury Center and Maurice Broaddus on Thursday, July 30th at 8pm at Ballroom 4 in the Marriot. You can get a ticket here!
WAITLIST for our Final WXR Cruise! 
Our final WXR cruise is sold out, but you can join our waitlist here!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, DongWon Song, and Erin Roberts. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Join Our Writing Community! 
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Our Sponsors:
* Check out MasterClass and use my code masterclass.com/EXCUSES for a great deal: https://MasterClass.com
* Check out Talkiatry and use my code Talkiatry.com/WX for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.com

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How can exposition be used as a pacing tool, and not just a way to convey information? We attempt to answer this question on today’s episode! Our hosts discuss how exposition naturally slows a story down, creating space for readers to process events, build tension, and deepen their understanding of the world. We give specific examples for successful exposition (i.e. that won’t bore your reader). We also give you practical tools to add to your exposition toolkit– such as emotional context and POV—which can help your expository writing feel engaging instead of interruptive. 

Homework:
Find a complicated recipe and write an expository description of preparing it. Use the exposition deliberately to frustrate or annoy the reader, paying attention to how pacing and information delivery create that emotional effect.

WAITLIST for our Final WXR Cruise! 
Our final WXR cruise is sold out, but you can join our waitlist here!

Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, and Erin Roberts. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Join Our Writing Community! 
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Our Sponsors:
* Check out MasterClass and use my code masterclass.com/EXCUSES for a great deal: https://MasterClass.com
* Check out Talkiatry and use my code Talkiatry.com/WX for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.com

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations

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Our hosts explore the many tools writers can use to control pacing. We discuss how cadence, transitions, tone, sentence structure, and white space can all speed up or slow down a reader’s experience. And remember, fast is not inherently better than slow! This conversation highlights the importance of contrast—pairing fast and slow moments, tension and calm, or different emotional states—to make pacing more effective. Along the way, we examine examples from fiction, personal experiences, and neuroscience to better understand how readers process time and information. 

Homework:
Take a single event and write it two ways: first so the reading time roughly matches the amount of time the event takes, and then again so the reading time is much longer than the event itself. Compare how the different pacing changes the reader’s experience.

Final WXR Cruise! 
Our final WXR cruise is sold out, but you can join our waitlist here!

Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, and Erin Roberts. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Join Our Writing Community! 
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Our Sponsors:
* Check out MasterClass and use my code masterclass.com/EXCUSES for a great deal: https://MasterClass.com
* Check out Talkiatry and use my code Talkiatry.com/WX for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.com

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations

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In this episode, our hosts explore how writers control their readers’ attention with the metaphor of a bouncing ball. We break down techniques for guiding focus on the page, including POV choice, selective description, rhythm, and where details appear within sentences and paragraphs. The discussion highlights how structure often matters more than individual word choice, with emphasis on primacy/recency effects, white space, and pattern recognition like the rule of threes. Each host shares their thoughts on how to sharpen reader focus or intentionally diffuse it to help you with your current work in progress! 

Homework: 
Write a mundane scene three times: once straightforwardly, once where you deliberately hide a major event by shifting focus away from it, and once ending with “and that was the day everything changed.” Then compare how attention and emphasis shift between the three versions.

Final WXR Cruise! 
Our final WXR cruise is sold out, but you can join our waitlist here!

Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, Erin Roberts, and DongWon Song. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Join Our Writing Community! 
Writing Retreats
Newsletter
Patreon
Instagram
Threads
Bluesky
TikTok
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Our Sponsors:
* Check out MasterClass and use my code masterclass.com/EXCUSES for a great deal: https://MasterClass.com
* Check out Talkiatry and use my code Talkiatry.com/WX for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.com

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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