21.08: Setting Expectations

21.08: Setting Expectations

Author: Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler February 22, 2026 Duration: 22:14
In this episode, we explore what it really means to set reader expectations at the beginning of a story. We talk about how openings communicate the shape of what’s to come — from genre and tone to the kind of emotional ride we’re inviting our readers onto. We dig into practical tools for building reader trust early: making (and fulfilling) small promises, letting readers feel clever, answering questions before raising bigger ones, and controlling tone so the story delivers on what it signals. Because when readers check the label on page one, we want to be sure we can deliver. Homework: Review the first chapter of your work in progress and make a list of all the story promises you’ve made. Keep that list somewhere visible so you can track how—and when— you fulfill them. ANNOUNCEMENTS: FEBRUARY 15th: Cruise Prices Increase The final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets now before prices increase on February 15th! 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! 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
13.7: What Writers Get Wrong, with Lou Perry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:57
Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary, Dan, and Howard Lou Perry joined us in front of a live audience at GenCon Indy to talk about law and courtrooms, and what writers get wrong when setting their stories amid legal procedures. Our…
13.6: External Conflicts for Characters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:34
Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary, Amal, and Maurice An external conflict is a story driver that originates outside the protagonist. In this episode a large part of what we'll focus on is person-vs-environment as opposed to pers…
13.5: Villain, Antagonist, Obstacle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:22
Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary, Dan, and Howard What's the difference between villains and antagonists? How is an obstacle character different from those other two? How are they alike? And most importantly, how can we use thi…
13.4: Protagonists Who Aren’t Sympathetic [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:06
Your Hosts: Brandon, Valynne, Dan, and Howard This week we're joined by Valynne Maetani, who'll be one of our hosts all year. We're discussing protagonists who, per writer intent, do not engender audience sympathy. Credi…
13.3: What Writers Get Wrong, with Aliette  de Bodard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:16
Your Hosts: Dan, Mary, Aliette, and Howard This year's third-week episodes will all follow a common theme: "what writers get wrong." Each of these episodes will feature an expert guest who will help us understand what wr…
13.2: Writing Active Characters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:23
Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary, Amal, and Maurice This week we welcome Amal El-Mohtar and Maurice Broaddus to the Writing Excuses cast for a discussion of active characters. We cover characters who move stories forward, who m…
13.1: Hero, Protagonist, Main Character [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:28
Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary, Dan, and Howard 2018 is our Year of Character, and we kick it off with a quick exploration of the differences between heroes, protagonists, and main characters. Beginning with addressing the qu…
12.53: Writing Excuses True Confessions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:29
It's the end of 2017, so let's talk about the things that we've tried to make work, and failed at. Not things that we tried before arriving at career-level measures of success—things that we've folded, spindled, and/or m…
12.52: Cross-Genres as Gateways [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:47
Your Hosts: Brandon, Piper, Howard, and Dan What are the books which have drawn us from the bookshelf genres where you're the most comfortable into bookshelves you haven't read from? What can we learn about our own writi…
12.51: Constructed Languages, with Dirk Elzinga [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:52
Your Hosts: Howard, Mary, Dan, with guest host Beth Meacham Dirk Elzinga, an associate professor of linguistics, joined us live at LTUE to talk about constructed languages, and how we, as writers, might go about construc…