Podurama logo

 Podurama

 

Home

 

Trending

 

Personal

 

Your Podcasts

 

New Episodes

 

My Files

 

Favourite Episodes

 

Tags (Folders)

 

Recently Played

 

Bookmarks

 

Followed Playlists

YOUR PLAYLISTS

Writing Excuses podcast

…

Writing Excuses

…

·

  Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler  

Fifteen minutes long, because you're in a hurry, and we're not that smart.

Fifteen minutes long, because you're in a hurry, and we're not that smart.

 

All

Progress

Duration

Release Date

#915

Writing Excuses 5.33: Alpha Readers

Brandon, Dan, and Howard discuss what an alpha reader is, is not, and where one might find these marvelous creatures. Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content'>https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content</a>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a> ... Read more

17 Apr 2011

20 MINS

20:37

17 Apr 2011

#914

16.24: Worldbuilding for Games

Your Hosts: Mary Robinette Kowal, Cassandra Khaw, Dan Wells, James L. Sutter, and Howard Tayler Worldbuilding is one of our favorite topics, and it&#39;s a domain in which game design and novel writing share a lot of territory. In this episode we talk about how much we love it, and how much we enjoy letting other people love it enough to do the heavy lifting for us. Credits: This episode was recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content'>https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content</a>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a> ... Read more

13 Jun 2021

21 MINS

21:12

13 Jun 2021

#913

19.25: From the Classroom to the Page

Learning is great, but how do you translate it into doing without getting overwhelmed? What is the difference between learning in the classroom and executing when you&#39;re on your own? Marshall, our incredible recording engineer, just finished an MFA program. Congrats, Marshall!! On today’s episode, we gril Marshall in order to understand his takeaways from the program. Specifically, we are interested in how he takes everything he learned in the classroom and turns it into actionable things he’s doing on the page. We talk community, motivation, and how to consistently make time for your writing.  Thing of the Week: The Fall of the House of Usher, TV show created by Mike Flanagan Homework: Take a turn being the teacher– how would you teach a group of people about a concept you’re struggling with in your own work, and what homework would you give them to better understand it?  Close Reading Series: Texts & Timeline Next up is Character! Starting July 7, we’ll be diving into three short stories by C.L. Clark. These are all available for free through Uncanny Magazine.  Character: “You Perfect, Broken Thing,” “The Cook,” and “Your Eyes, My Beacon: Being an Account of Several Misadventures and How I Found My Way Home” by CL Clark (starting July 7)  And a sneak peak on the rest of the year…  Tension: Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark (starting September 1)  Structure: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin (starting October 13) Sign up for our newsletter:  [https://writingexcuses.com] (https://writingexcuses.com/) Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community!  [Patreon] (https://www.patreon.com/WritingExcuses) [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/writing_excuses/) [YouTube] (https://www.youtube.com/@WritingExcusesPodcast) [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/WritingExcuses) [Twitter] (https://twitter.com/WritingExcuses) Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content'>https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content</a>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a> ... Read more

23 Jun 2024

25 MINS

25:50

23 Jun 2024

#912

19.50.5: An Interview with DIY MFA Founder Gabriela Pereira (BONUS EPISODE)

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Gabriela Pereira, founder and instigator of [DIY MFA] (https://diymfa.com/) , which is the do-it-yourself alternative to a Master of Arts in Writing. Pereira has some incredible advice for how to put together a writing curriculum for yourself. Using the pillars of writing, reading, and community, she explains how she first came up with the idea for DIY MFA. We also talk about how to build a well-rounded craft, how to know what you don’t know, and what exactly it means to “write with focus.” Thing of the Week: [DIY MFA Starter Kit] (https://diymfa.com/join/) Homework: Observe your own habits! Think about your writing time like a pie: 1 slice for writing, 1 slice for reading, and 1 slice for community. Draw a circle at the end of every day and map out how much time you spent doing each of these three things. Do this for several weeks, and watch the patterns that emerge!  [Sign up for our newsletter] (https://writingexcuses.com/#newsletter) Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. Our guest was Gabriela Pereira. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community!  [Patreon] (https://www.patreon.com/WritingExcuses) [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/writing_excuses/) [Threads] (https://www.threads.net/@writing_excuses) [Bluesky] (https://bsky.app/profile/writingexcuses.bsky.social) [TikTok] (https://www.tiktok.com/@writingexcuses) [YouTube] (https://www.youtube.com/@WritingExcusesPodcast) [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/WritingExcuses) Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content'>https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content</a>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a> ... Read more

18 Dec 2024

31 MINS

31:20

18 Dec 2024

#911

19.50: All Systems Go

As the end of Season 19 approaches, we want to help you integrate what you’ve learned over the year. For December, we’ll be releasing episodes designed to help you make measurable progress on a writing project. So dust off your current work-in-progress, or pull out your brainstorming documents—we’re here to help you finish the year strong. How do you have multiple plot threads moving at the same time? Today, we’re talking about complex plot structures—focusing on space opera and epic fantasy. Some of the questions we’re tackling are: how do you escalate existing problems, how do you juggle multiple climaxes at once, and what are the cascading effects of each? We ask each host about their unique approaches to writing larger projects. We talk about the utility of multiple POVs and what fast food can teach you about escalating problems (somebody’s gonna get burnt buns).  Thing of the Week: [Laboratory Conditions] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N25e4Ss34Q)   Homework: Take a piece of technology you’ve already introduced to your work. Find out a new, cool way you can use it in the next scene that you’re writing.  [Sign up for our newsletter] (https://writingexcuses.com/#newsletter) Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community!  [Patreon] (https://www.patreon.com/WritingExcuses) [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/writing_excuses/) [Threads] (https://www.threads.net/@writing_excuses) [Bluesky] (https://bsky.app/profile/writingexcuses.bsky.social) [TikTok] (https://www.tiktok.com/@writingexcuses) [YouTube] (https://www.youtube.com/@WritingExcusesPodcast) [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/WritingExcuses) Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content'>https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content</a>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a> ... Read more

15 Dec 2024

20 MINS

20:56

15 Dec 2024

#910

19.49: Getting to Know You

As we wrap up our Close Reading Series, we’re shifting our focus towards helping you integrate what you’ve learned. For December, we’ll be releasing episodes designed to help you make measurable progress on a writing project. So dust off your current work-in-progress, or pull out your brainstorming documents—we’re here to help you finish the year strong. What can we learn from romances? Today we’re talking about using elements of romance in your story (even if you have no romance in your current WIP!) Character relationships and dynamics are often at the heart of our stories, so what can we learn from the romance genre?  We’re thinking about the power of one character putting another one at ease, a character dismissing another (“I’ll never be interested in you!”), or two characters finding a commonality between themselves. Mary Robinette also introduces us to her family’s theory of compatibility, which measures these M-words: mind, money, morals, manners, monogamy, and mirth.  Thing of the Week: [Ancient History Fangirl (podcast)] (https://www.ancienthistoryfangirl.com/) Homework: In the scene you’re working on, what is one thing your character finds attractive about the other character in the scene? Also, what does your own character think is their own least attractive trait, and how can you make them more anxious about that right now? [Sign up for our newsletter] (https://writingexcuses.com/#newsletter) Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community!  [Patreon] (https://www.patreon.com/WritingExcuses) [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/writing_excuses/) [Threads] (https://www.threads.net/@writing_excuses) [Bluesky] (https://bsky.app/profile/writingexcuses.bsky.social) [TikTok] (https://www.tiktok.com/@writingexcuses) [YouTube] (https://www.youtube.com/@WritingExcusesPodcast) [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/WritingExcuses) Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content'>https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content</a>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a> ... Read more

08 Dec 2024

22 MINS

22:14

08 Dec 2024

#909

19.48: Beginning With A Thrill

As we wrap up our Close Reading Series, we’re shifting our focus towards helping you integrate what you’ve learned. For December, we’ll be releasing episodes designed to help you make measurable progress on a writing project. So dust off your current work-in-progress, or pull out your brainstorming documents—we’re here to help you finish the year strong. Today, we’re focusing on beginnings. The titular phrase “beginning with a thrill,” doesn’t have to mean a burst of action or violence, but more so refers to how you hook your reader within the first few pages of whatever you’re writing. A great example of this is Toy Story, which we dive into at the end of this episode. Dan encourages us to shift our focus from starting with tension to starting with a thrill. How do you introduce conflict into your work while taking into consideration your genre? How do you establish—and then break— the “normal” in your world? DongWon talks about micro-tropes, and encourages us to steal and borrow from various genres. Also on this episode: meat cubes versus meet cutes. They’re different, even though they sound (phonetically) the same. Thing of the week: [The Favourite (movie)] (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5083738/)   Homework: What breaks “normal” for your character right now? Now, write that. Sign up for our newsletter:  [https://writingexcuses.com] (https://writingexcuses.com/) Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community!  [Patreon] (https://www.patreon.com/WritingExcuses) [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/writing_excuses/) [YouTube] (https://www.youtube.com/@WritingExcusesPodcast) [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/WritingExcuses) [Twitter] (https://twitter.com/WritingExcuses) Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content'>https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content</a>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a> ... Read more

01 Dec 2024

20 MINS

20:56

01 Dec 2024

#908

19.47.5: Interview with Andrew Buckley of the StoryCentric podcast (BONUS EPISODE)

What does it mean to be building a career as an author in this day and age? We talk with author and speaker Andrew Buckley about everything from author brands to conferences while we ask Andrew to give us advice on how to get comfortable talking about yourself. In addition to hosting the StoryCentric podcast and speaking at conferences, Andrew is a speculative fiction author, with a focus on paranormal fantasy for young adult readers. He also has a background in marketing and business.  Thing of the Week: Fallout (TV show on Amazon Prime) & [“The Watchers” by A.M. Shine] (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-watchers-am-shine/1138717473) Homework: Try something that scares you.  Special Offer: Do you want 20% off a signed special edition copy of The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin? You can order The Orbit Gold Edition set at orbitgoldeditions.com, and use the code “excuses” for 20% off!  Sign up for our newsletter:  [https://writingexcuses.com] (https://writingexcuses.com/) Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal,Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. Our guest was Andrew Buckley. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community!  [Patreon] (https://www.patreon.com/WritingExcuses) [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/writing_excuses/) [YouTube] (https://www.youtube.com/@WritingExcusesPodcast) [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/WritingExcuses) [Twitter] (https://twitter.com/WritingExcuses) Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content'>https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content</a>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a> ... Read more

27 Nov 2024

32 MINS

32:17

27 Nov 2024

#907

19.47: Final Thoughts on Our Close Reading Series

We reminisce on when we were on a writing retreat on a cruise in 2023, planning this close reading series. We have loved how this series grounded our conversations, allowing us to dive into works that were complex in specific ways. We have loved wading into the waters of voice, world-building, character, tension, and structure while talking about these phenomenal works of science fiction and fantasy.  Thank you, listeners, for reading along with us. It has been powerful to read the same books, and to feel connected to you all through the Patreon, Discord, Instagram, and emails.    Thing of the Week: [Forget Protagonists: Writing NPCs with Agency ] (https://medium.com/@betterthemask/forget-protagonists-writing-npcs-with-agency-for-80-days-and-beyond-703201a2309) Homework: Get a group of friends together, and pick a book you love. Discuss and unpack what makes the book work. Then, tell us what it is by tagging us on Instagram, @writing_excuses.  Special Offer: Do you want 20% off a signed special edition copy of The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin? You can order The Orbit Gold Edition set at orbitgoldeditions.com, and use the code “excuses” for 20% off!  Sign up for our newsletter:  [https://writingexcuses.com] (https://writingexcuses.com/) Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community!  [Patreon] (https://www.patreon.com/WritingExcuses) [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/writing_excuses/) [YouTube] (https://www.youtube.com/@WritingExcusesPodcast) [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/WritingExcuses) [Twitter] (https://twitter.com/WritingExcuses) Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content'>https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content</a>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a> ... Read more

24 Nov 2024

25 MINS

25:37

24 Nov 2024

#906

19.46: An Interview on Structure with N.K. Jemisin

We had the pleasure of sitting down with N.K. Jemisin to talk about the structures and processes that helped create The Fifth Season. We talk about outlines, multiple plotlines, and planets as characters. Jemisin lets us into her writing process—ranging from  the influence of poetry in her work to her process of writing “test chapters.” She also gives us advice on writing multiple POVs, the power of parallelism, and the intersection of mental health and storytelling.  Thing of the Week: [Alan Wake II] (https://www.alanwake.com/) (N.K. Jemisin’s recommendation)  Homework: Imagine you are in a game where you are presented with 3 different attitude-oriented choices. Take your protagonist from your current work in progress and put them through these attitudinal-flavored choices. What happens if you continue your character does the diplomatic thing? What happens if you have them snap? Explore! Learn more about our retreats: https://writingexcuses.com/retreats/ Sign up for our newsletter:  [https://writingexcuses.com] (https://writingexcuses.com/) Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. Our guest was P. Djèlí Clark. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community!  [Patreon] (https://www.patreon.com/WritingExcuses) [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/writing_excuses/) [YouTube] (https://www.youtube.com/@WritingExcusesPodcast) [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/WritingExcuses) [Twitter] (https://twitter.com/WritingExcuses) Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content'>https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content</a>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a> ... Read more

17 Nov 2024

51 MINS

51:00

17 Nov 2024

#905

19.45: A Close Reading on Structure: Tying It All Together

We’ve loved doing our close reading series throughout 2024, and The Fifth Season has been no different. Today, we’re reflecting on what we learned in our episodes focusing on N.K. Jemisin’s incredible work. We reflect on POV as structure, parallelism, and finding the beating heart of your manuscript.   Thing of the Week: [I Saw the TV Glow ] (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15574270/) Homework: Reverse engineer an outline for your work in progress. Then, try to add one parallel. Do you want a signed special edition copy of The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin? Preorder The Orbit Gold Edition set before November 19th to get 20% off! Visit orbitgoldeditions.com to order.  Sign up for our newsletter:  [https://writingexcuses.com] (https://writingexcuses.com/) Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community!  [Patreon] (https://www.patreon.com/WritingExcuses) [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/writing_excuses/) [YouTube] (https://www.youtube.com/@WritingExcusesPodcast) [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/WritingExcuses) [Twitter] (https://twitter.com/WritingExcuses) Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content'>https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content</a>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a> ... Read more

10 Nov 2024

22 MINS

22:21

10 Nov 2024

#904

19.44: A Close Reading on Structure: Tradition and Innovation

Today we’re zooming out to see where N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season fits into the canon of fantasy literature. How does Jemisin interact with magic, words, and the expectations of the genre? And what expectations do the readers bring themselves?  How does Jemisin repurpose parts of the hero’s journey while creating something fundamentally different? Does this work start a new lineage for epic fantasy? We think so! We talk about what other works this book is in conversation with, and what it even means to be in conversation with something.  Thing of the Week: [Family Reservations by Liza Palmer ] (https://bookshop.org/a/99681/9781662517198) Homework: Make a list of the books that you consider the antecedents to the book that you’re working on now. What other works are your book in conversation with? Are you following in and building upon their foundation, or are you disrupting and disputing their legacy? Do you want a signed special edition copy of The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin? Preorder The Orbit Gold Edition set before November 19th to get 20% off! Visit orbitgoldeditions.com to order.  Sign up for our newsletter:  [https://writingexcuses.com] (https://writingexcuses.com/) Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community!  [Patreon] (https://www.patreon.com/WritingExcuses) [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/writing_excuses/) [YouTube] (https://www.youtube.com/@WritingExcusesPodcast) [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/WritingExcuses) [Twitter] (https://twitter.com/WritingExcuses) Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content'>https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content</a>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a> ... Read more

03 Nov 2024

26 MINS

26:12

03 Nov 2024

#903

19.43: A Close Reading on Structure: Parallelism and Inversion

The structure of The Fifth Season features both mirroring and inversion. How do these structural shifts interact with the three POVs? On today’s episode, we talk about the parallelism of the perspectives and the linguistic references to seasons. This leads us to the question, how many things need to work in sync in order for readers to feel the cyclical nature of the plot (and life)? How does N.K. Jemisin use structural arcs, beats, and elements to create upheaval? And finally, how can you create overlapping emotional states and narrative rhyming in your own writing? (And what is narrative rhyming you may ask? Don’t worry, we define it for you!)  Thing of the Week: [Who Lost, I Found by Eden Royce] (https://bookshop.org/a/99681/9781940372686) Homework: Take a look at one of your main character&#39;s arcs, and then try to rework another character&#39;s arc to match similar beats and structure to the first one. Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content'>https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content</a>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a> ... Read more

27 Oct 2024

23 MINS

23:27

27 Oct 2024

#902

19.42: A Close Reading on Structure: Whose Perspective is it Anyways?

Structure and POV (point of view) are often intertwined. In N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season, we see this in the myriad perspective shifts. In this episode, we talk about the importance of these shifts on the structure of the book. How does the narrator talk directly to us, and what purpose does this second-person perspective serve? DongWon shares one of their theories with us on the relationship between author, reader, and POV.  P.S. Do you want a signed special edition copy of The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin? Preorder The Orbit Gold Edition set before November 19th to get 20% off! Visit orbitgoldeditions.com to order.  Thing of the Week: [Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell] (https://www.youtube.com/@kurzgesagt) Homework: Think about the main character of your story, and carve their life up into three different pieces. Have one of those pieces/ perspectives write to another piece, using second perspective.  Sign up for our newsletter:  [https://writingexcuses.com] (https://writingexcuses.com/) Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community!  [Patreon] (https://www.patreon.com/WritingExcuses) [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/writing_excuses/) [YouTube] (https://www.youtube.com/@WritingExcusesPodcast) [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/WritingExcuses) Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content'>https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content</a>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a> ... Read more

20 Oct 2024

21 MINS

21:56

20 Oct 2024

#901

19.41: A Close Reading on Structure: An Overview and Why Fifth Season

Just a reminder that we will be talking about a lot of spoilers, so if you haven’t read The Fifth Season, go and do so now! As we dive into N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season, we wanted to tell you why we chose this work to examine the importance of structure. The structure of the book is the device through which we are understanding this world, in a way that feels radical in relation to what we normally see in fiction. We chose this novel because the structure is visible and active in a way that many other works aren’t. Jemisin’s structurally audacious novel is punctuated by perspective shifts, parallelism, and innovative approaches to the forward movement inherent in stories. How does the structure affect the way we take in narrative, and what can you learn from this?  P.S. Do you want a signed special edition copy of The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin? Preorder The Orbit Gold Edition set before November 19th to get 20% off! Visit orbitgoldeditions.com to order.  Thing of the Week: [Rest In Pieces] (https://restinpiecesrva.com/)   Homework: Look at the Table of Contents of The Fifth Season and, without opening the book again, write down the one important thing you remember from that chapter. As we talk through things, refer back to this list and see what you need to add. Sign up for our newsletter:  [https://writingexcuses.com] (https://writingexcuses.com/) Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community!  [Patreon] (https://www.patreon.com/WritingExcuses) [Instagram] (https://www.instagram.com/writing_excuses/) [YouTube] (https://www.youtube.com/@WritingExcusesPodcast) [Facebook] (https://www.facebook.com/WritingExcuses) Support this podcast at — <a rel='payment' href='https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content'>https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/exclusive-content</a>Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a> ... Read more

13 Oct 2024

21 MINS

21:32

13 Oct 2024