Writing Excuses

Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler

Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler discuss writing techniques in a fast-paced format. A weekly podcast about the craft and business of writing.

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Writing Excuses

Episodes (976)

Sunday 21.07: Deep Dive- “With Her Serpent Locks”
Sun Feb 8th 21.06: Begin and the Beginning
Sun Feb 1st 21.05: The Same But Different

Writing Excuses

Feb 15, 2026
24 minutes
22 MB

To celebrate Mary Robinette’s birthday today (!!), she is taking us inside the craft (and emotional engine) of her short story “With Her Serpent Locks,” using it as a case study in beginnings, control, and creative “leveling up.” Our hosts dig into grounding the reader through myth, pattern, and delayed information, and how a familiar framework can make readers feel both clever and cared for. The conversation unpacks how intentional choices—like withholding names, structuring scenes around question words, and planting details early—create trust and momentum. Along the way, we talk honestly about what it feels like when craft skills b...

Writing Excuses

21.07: Deep Dive- “With Her Serpent Locks”

Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler

00:00 -23:48