20.21: The Lens of Context

20.21: The Lens of Context

Author: Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler May 25, 2025 Duration: 21:15
This week, we’re digging into context—what it is, why it matters, and how it can totally transform your storytelling. Whether you're working in fantasy, sci-fi, or anything in between, the details you choose to include (or leave out) can make your world feel rich, real, and emotionally resonant. We talk about using context to deepen conflict, sharpen stakes, and land those emotional beats. And yes, we also get into puppets, geology, and the perils of overbuilding your world. (Spoiler: nobody needs to know how many toes your goblins have. . . unless it really matters.) Homework: Take a context, some piece of world building that you've done, and come up with three different narratives that you could write that use that context. Then separately, make a narrative that you have written and come up with three new contexts in which that narrative would succeed. Show Notes: Learn more about how Campfire can help you outline your novel, organize your world building, and publish your story! P.S. Want to come write with us in 2025?! Our retreat registration is open, and we are starting to fill up! We are going to unlock our creative processes in Minnesota and explore Story Refinement as we cruise down the Mexican Riviera! Learn more here. Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, 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 YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/excuses * 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 Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

It’s a common piece of advice: if you want to be a writer, you should write. But what happens when you’re staring at the blank page, or when the business side of publishing feels like a maze? That’s where Writing Excuses comes in. Each week, hosts Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler gather not just to talk about writing, but to dissect it. They move quickly, respecting your time while packing episodes with actionable discussions on technique, from character voice to plot structure. But this podcast understands that a writing life isn’t just about craft-it’s also a career. So conversations naturally pivot to the practicalities of the business, navigating careers, and sustaining creativity in a demanding field. You’ll hear five distinct professional perspectives blending into a single, focused conversation designed to get you past excuses and back to your work. It’s like a regular, invigorating workshop session delivered directly to you, meant to equip you with tools for both your manuscript and your professional path.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Writing Excuses
Podcast Episodes
21.06: Begin and the Beginning [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:17
In this episode, our hosts dive into what makes a strong beginning and why it matters so much to readers. They talk about openings as an act of hospitality, exploring how tone, control, and carefully chosen details help…
21.05: The Same But Different [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:20
Today, our hosts dig into how stories can feel fresh without losing what readers love. They explore the idea of “same but different” across genres, sequels, and series—looking at how small shifts in structure, context, t…
21.04: Deconstructing the Hero's Journey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:46
In this episode, our hosts take on the Hero’s Journey—where it came from, why it endures, and why it can make writers uneasy. They break it down as a tool (and not a rule), exploring how pattern recognition works in stor…
21.03: Deconstructing Plots [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:44
Plot isn’t a set of commandments—it’s a collection of patterns we’ve learned to recognize. This episode kicks off the season’s deep dive into deconstructing plots, asking what different story structures are really doing…
21.02: My Process is Not Your Process [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:52
This week, we turn our attention to one of the most stubborn traps writers fall into: assuming someone else’s process should work for you. Building on last episode’s conversation about intentions, the hosts shift the foc…
21.01: Welcome to the New Year! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:42
Season 21 kicks off with a new theme, a fresh tagline, and a renewed focus on what Writing Excuses has always been about: tools, not rules. The hosts unpack why prescriptive writing advice so often falls short, and how u…
20.52: 2025 End-of-Year Wrap Up [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:24
As our 20th season comes to a close, we reflect on the end of 2025 and a major transition for the show, as Dan Wells steps away from Writing Excuses as a full-time core host. Dan shares the thoughtful, hard-won reasoning…
20.51: Howard Tayler’s Personal Writing Process [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:17
A workflow that made daily writing (and comics) possible—Howard Tayler takes us through two decades of the delightfully eccentric process behind Schlock Mercenary: text boxes in landscape Word, laser-printed pages he ink…
20.50: Dan Wells’ Personal Writing Process [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:59
2 quick reminders: Scholarship applications for our 2026 cruise are open now until December 31st, 2025. You can learn more and apply here. AND early bird pricing for this cruise (going to Alaska in September 2026) ends o…
20.49: Using Tone and Mood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:54
This week, Mary Robinette pulls back the curtain on some of fiction’s sneakiest power tools: tone and mood. Drawing from a recent craft class she taught for her Patreon, Mary Robinette breaks down how these elements shap…