Writing Excuses

Today, we’re talking about how to use contrast to make key moments in your story hit harder, especially in the middle. We explore how pairing light and dark beats, shifting expectations, or placing opposing elements side by side can deepen the emotional impact and keep your readers engaged. Our conversation also looks at different kinds of contrast—from big structural turns to subtle tonal juxtapositions—and explores how managing distance, tension, and “loaded” moments can create that satisfying snap when a scene lands.
Homework:
Look at a pivotal moment in your story and add a beat before or after it that inverts some element of the original. This could mean changing the tone or mood, introducing a contrasting character, or shifting the setting in a way that highlights something new about the scene.
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Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Erin Roberts, and DongWon Song. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
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Today, we’re talking about the “try-fail cycle” and why failure is essential to making the middle of your story actually interesting. It allows readers to follow characters as they try something, fail, adjust, and try again until they finally succeed. Our conversation gets into how failure builds tension and empathy and how you can use “yes, but / no, and” to control your story’s momentum. We also address the difference between barriers and attempts, and how to keep things from feeling repetitive or stalled, whether you’re writing epic fantasy or a quiet coffee shop story.
Homework:
Look at the MICE quotient elements (milieu, inquiry, character, event) in your story and make a list of barriers for each. Then choose a smaller subset of those barriers that work well together, and use them to design try-fail cycles that keep your story dynamic without becoming repetitive or overcrowded.
Locus Magazine Annual Fundraiser (ends April 14th, 2026)
Join us in supporting Locus Magazine– explore the campaign and fantastic rewards for donors online at locusmag.com/igg26.
Final WXR Cruise! 
Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, 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! 
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* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx
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* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wx

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Today, we’re taking on the idea of the “soggy middle” and why stories start to lose momentum—often because characters lack clear action, obstacles feel thin, or scenes repeat without meaningful change. We break down how stalled plots, predictable outcomes, and disconnected side quests can make the middle drag, and offer tools to fix it: focusing on what characters are actually doing, using “same but different” to keep repetition engaging, letting major events happen sooner so you can explore their consequences, and ensuring every subplot or detour creates real change in the character or world.
Homework:
Grab a book or short story. Read the first page, a page from the exact middle, and the final page. Track which story threads introduced at the beginning are still active in the middle, and how they evolve by the end. 
Locus Magazine Annual Fundraiser (ends April 14th, 2026)
Join us in supporting Locus Magazine– explore the campaign and fantastic rewards for donors online at locusmag.com/igg26.
Final WXR Cruise! 
Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, and Mary Robinette Kowal. 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: https://masterclass.com/excuses
* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serve
* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx
* Check out Talkiatry: https://talkiatry.com/wx
* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wx

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When writing feels harder than it should, the problem might not be the story— it might be the room. In this episode, our hosts explore how environment shapes process, from desks and chairs to light, sound, and visual clutter. We talk about running through your senses to troubleshoot what’s actually pulling your focus, and how small adjustments (a different chair, a cleaner desk, a bowl for your phone) can make a real difference.
We also dig into noise (everything from industrial playlists to total silence), boundaries with the people you live with, and the fine line between solving a problem and avoiding the work. Sometimes the fastest way forward is figuring out what you’re running from. AND what you're running toward.
Homework:
Use your senses to make an inventory of your writing environment — sound, sight, smell, touch, even taste. Then identify which elements serve you and which ones create friction, and experiment with changing one barrier this week.
Final WXR Cruise! 
Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, and Mary Robinette Kowal. 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: https://masterclass.com/excuses
* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serve
* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx
* Check out Talkiatry: https://talkiatry.com/wx
* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wx

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Sometimes the fastest way to hook a reader is to start with something exploding. In this episode, our hosts dig into the promise — and the pitfalls — of opening with action, and why survival alone is rarely enough to make us care. We explore how voice, worldbuilding, and character stakes must all be doing work beneath the punches and gunfire, especially in prose where readers can’t “see” the cool factor. From The Matrix to hockey rinks to fantasy prologues gone wrong, we look at how action can function as a delivery system for tension, authority, and emotional investment. The goal isn’t just spectacle — it’s giving readers a reason to turn the page.
Homework:
Choose an action cold open from a movie. Write down everything it’s doing beyond the visible action — how it builds the world, establishes stakes, defines character, and makes you feel. Then rewrite that scene in prose, making those elements explicit on the page.
Final WXR Cruise! 
Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, and Howard Tayler. 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: https://masterclass.com/excuses
* Check out Peace Corps: https://peacecorps.gov/serve
* Check out Quince: https://quince.com/wx
* Check out Talkiatry: https://talkiatry.com/wx
* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wx

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

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