20.32: Revision and Character Consciousness Téa Obreht

20.32: Revision and Character Consciousness Téa Obreht

Author: Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler August 10, 2025 Duration: 26:19
Writing Excuses
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Téa Obreht is a short story writer and novelist. Her debut novel, The Tiger’s Wife, won the 2011 Orange Prize for Fiction, and was a 2011 National Book Award finalist and an international bestseller. In our conversation, we focused on revision and character consciousness. Téa talked to us about the difficulty of the idea-generation stage of writing, how to cultivate layered characters, and how she writes event-first. You can learn more about Téa Obreht here. Thing of the Week from Téa: Deadwood (TV Show) Homework from Téa: Write an opening paragraph (roughly 3-6 lines). It could be something new, or an opener that you had already written. The paragraph should introduce some key pieces of information to your readers. Consider the information that's contained in your paragraph and then rewrite the whole thing two more times, ultimately conveying the same information, but in three different ways. How you do this is completely up to you! Maybe it’s in a different voice, maybe it’s from a different perspective, maybe it uses only dialogue. At the end of the exercise, consider the priorities of each different mode, and how each changed the way you gave information to your readers. P.S. Our 2025 writing retreat (on a cruise! In Mexico!) is over 50% sold out! Learn more and sign up here. Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, and Erin Roberts. Our guest was Téa Obreht. 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

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Duration: 23:11
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