21.07: Deep Dive- “With Her Serpent Locks”

21.07: Deep Dive- “With Her Serpent Locks”

Author: Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler February 15, 2026 Duration: 23:48
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 become internalized and a story finally clicks into ease. Homework: Take a strong emotion you’ve felt recently and describe it as a metaphor. Then use that metaphor as a writing prompt. 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 Marshall Carr, 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! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook Our Sponsors: * Check out HomeServe and use my code homeserve.com/excuses for a great deal: https://www.homeserve.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 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: 500

Writing Excuses
Podcast Episodes
15.29: Barbie Pre-Writing, with Janci Patterson and Megan Walker [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:52
Your Hosts: Brandon, Dan, and Howard, with special guests Janci Patterson and Megan Walker Janci Patterson and Megan Walker joined us to talk about their pre-writing process, which involves role-playing in a room full of…
15.28: Small Evils [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:37
Your Hosts: Brandon, Victoria, Dan, and Howard Small evils? Yes, please! This episode isn't about writing the big villainy of world domination, but about focusing on the more relatable villainy of small evils—the little…
15.27: Alternate History, with Eric Flint [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:25
Your Hosts: Brandon, Dan, and Howard, with special guest Eric Flint Eric Flint joined us at SpikeCon (host of the 2019 NASFIC) to talk about creating alternate histories. His Ring of Fire book series is enormous in scope…
15.26: Taking the Chance, with David Weber [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:41
Your Hosts: Brandon, Howard, and Dan with special guest David Weber David Weber joined us at NASFIC to talk about the importance of risking failure on any path (especially a writer's path) to success--whether you're risk…
15.25: Using the MICE Quotient for Conflict [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:38
Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary Robinette, Dan, and Howard The MICE quotient is a tool for categorizing story elements—Milieu, Idea, Character, and Event—and we've talked about it quite a bit in the past. When a listener asked…
15.24: Keeping it Fresh, with Jim Butcher [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:05
Your Hosts: Brandon, Howard, and Dan, with special guest Jim Butcher Jim Butcher joined us at NASFIC for a discussion about how we can keep long-running serials engaging after numerous books. Credits: this episode was re…
15.23: Serialization [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:48
Your Hosts: Mary Robinette, Lari, and Dan, with special guest Jenn Court Let's talk about serials. Jenn Court, whose work includes lots of writing for TV (IMDB link), joins us for the discussion. What are the elements th…
15.22 Writing For Children, with Shannon and Dean Hale [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:28
Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary Robinette, and Dan, with Shannon and Dean Hale Shannon and Dean Hale join us again, this time to discuss how to effectively and convincingly write for¹ children. Children have their own unique s…
15.21: Writing About Children, with Shannon and Dean Hale [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:48
Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary Robinette, and Dan, with Shannon and Dean Hale Shannon and Dean Hale join us to discuss how to effectively and convincingly write about¹ children. We cover dialog tools, point-of-view elements,…
15.20: Mental Wellness and Writing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:39
Your Hosts: Brandon, Victoria, Dan, and Howard In this episode we'll be talking about the things we do to stay creative, productive, healthy, and happy. For the purposes of this discussion, "mental wellness" is not about…