21.20: Sequencing from Mega to Micro

21.20: Sequencing from Mega to Micro

Author: Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler May 17, 2026 Duration: 33:51
Today, we explore why writers place information in the order they do. From broad-to-narrow framing and cause-and-effect to repetition, rhythm, and surprise, we discuss how sequencing shapes the pacing, emotion, and clarity of your story. We discuss everything from “windowpane prose” and garden path sentences to recency-primacy effects and the ways readers naturally recognize patterns. Along the way, our hosts highlight how sequencing can guide a reader’s attention, create tension, and reinforce themes. Homework: Take something you’ve written—or a story someone recently told you—and write it down in its current order. Then rewrite it two different ways: first by completely reversing the sequence of information, and then by arranging it in the most unexpected or “wrong” order you can imagine. Compare how each version changes the reader’s experience. Final WXR Cruise! Our final WXR cruise is almost sold out, grab your spot before June 4th, 2026 here! Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, 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 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
13.17: What Writers Get Wrong, with Jamahl Crouch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:18
Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary, Dan, and Howard, with Jamahl Crouch Jamahl Crouch (Illusmm1 on Instagram) joined us at the GenCon Indy Writers Symposium to talk about what writers get wrong about street art. Jamahl is many th…
13.16: Avoiding Flat Characters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:43
Your Hosts: Brandon, Valynne, Dan, and Howard For our purposes, the term "flat character" refers to a character who lacks the depth required to maintain reader interest. In this episode we discuss how to avoid putting fl…
13.15: What Writers Get Wrong, with Mike Stop Continues [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:05
Recorded live at WXR 2017. Your Hosts: Dan, Mary, Aliette, and Howard, with special guest Mike Stop Continues Mike has multiple areas of expertise, but for this episode he's talking to us specifically about the things th…
13.14: Character Nuance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:46
Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary, Amal, and Maurice Let's talk about characters who have conflict built right into them; characters whose attributes and attitudes might seem to contradict one another; characters who like, y'kno…
13.13: Character Voice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:40
Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary, Dan, and Howard Character voice, the flow, order, and feel of words that is unique to a particular character, is extremely useful in defining characters for the reader. In this episode we discu…
13.12: Q&A on Heroes, Villains, and Main Characters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:14
Your Cast: Brandon, Valynne, Dan, Howard You had questions about heroes, villains, and main characters. We have answers! Here are the questions: * How do you make planned power increases not seem like an ass-pull¹? * Wha…
13.11: Writing Secondary Characters, with Charlaine Harris [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:14
Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary, Dan, and Howard, with special guest Charlaine Harris Charlaine Harris joined us in front of a live audience at the GenCon Writers Symposium to talk with us about secondary characters—why they'r…
13.10: Handling a Large Cast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:14
Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary, Amal, and Maurice What are our favorite techniques for managing large casts of characters, and how do our processes differ from when we're writing small casts? What does "large" and "small" mea…
13.9: Quick Characterization [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:16
Your Hosts: Brandon, Mary, Dan, and Howard How do you go about defining a character for your readers when you don't have many words to devote to the project? What are the tricks for quickly establishing someone's individ…
13.8: Making Characters Distinctive [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:21
Your Hosts: Brandon, Valynne, Dan, and Howard What do we do to make our characters distinctive? Often we categorize the distinctions as flaws or quirks, and in this discussion we use those as our starting points. Credits…