
Writing Excuses
by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler
Is this your podcast?Insights from recent episode analysis
Audience Interest
Podcast Focus
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Platform Reach
Insights are generated by CastFox AI using publicly available data, episode content, and proprietary models.
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Total monthly reach
Estimated from 31 chart positions in 31 markets.
By chart position
- 🇦🇺AU · Fiction#40100K to 300K
- 🇨🇦CA · Fiction#8930K to 100K
- 🇺🇸US · Fiction#9030K to 100K
- 🇬🇧GB · Fiction#9230K to 100K
- 🇩🇪DE · Fiction#1885K to 30K
- Per-Episode Audience
Est. listeners per new episode within ~30 days
219K to 713K🎙 ~2x weekly·984 episodes·Last published 3d ago - Monthly Reach
Unique listeners across all episodes (30 days)
438K to 1.4M🇦🇺21%🇮🇳21%🇨🇦7%+28 more - Active Followers
Loyal subscribers who consistently listen
175K to 570K
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Reach across major podcast platforms, updated hourly
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Total Reviews
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* Data sourced directly from platform APIs and aggregated hourly across all major podcast directories.
On the show
From 16 epsHosts
Recent guests
Recent episodes
21.25: Follow the Bouncing Ball
Jun 21, 2026
25m 49s
21.24: Deconstructing the Seven Point Plot Structure
Jun 14, 2026
35m 07s
21.23: Barrier Breaking: Interruptions
Jun 7, 2026
29m 38s
21.22: The Order of the Telling
May 31, 2026
27m 20s
21.21: Rhythm and Words
May 24, 2026
23m 34s
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| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/21/26 | ![]() 21.25: Follow the Bouncing Ball | In this episode, our hosts explore how writers control their readers’ attention with the metaphor of a bouncing ball. We break down techniques for guiding focus on the page, including POV choice, selective description, rhythm, and where details appear within sentences and paragraphs. The discussion highlights how structure often matters more than individual word choice, with emphasis on primacy/recency effects, white space, and pattern recognition like the rule of threes. Each host shares their thoughts on how to sharpen reader focus or intentionally diffuse it to help you with your current work in progress! Homework: Write a mundane scene three times: once straightforwardly, once where you deliberately hide a major event by shifting focus away from it, and once ending with “and that was the day everything changed.” Then compare how attention and emphasis shift between the three versions.Final WXR Cruise! Our final WXR cruise is sold out, but you can join our waitlist 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 RetreatsNewsletterPatreonInstagramThreadsBlueskyTikTokYouTubeFacebookOur Sponsors:* Check out HomeServe and use my code homeserve.com/excuses for a great deal: https://www.homeserve.com* Check out MasterClass and use my code masterclass.com/EXCUSES for a great deal: https://MasterClass.com* Check out Talkiatry and use my code Talkiatry.com/WX for a great deal: https://www.talkiatry.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy | 25m 49s | ||||||
| 6/14/26 | ![]() 21.24: Deconstructing the Seven Point Plot Structure | Dan Wells joins our conversation as we break down the seven-point plot structure! Using examples from Star Wars, Toy Story, and other films, we discuss how each point creates conflict, drives character growth, and moves a story forward. We explore the difference between plot points that move characters toward their goals and pinch points that place obstacles in their way. We also examine how the midpoint shifts a protagonist from reacting to events to taking action. And remember– seven-point structure is a flexible tool that can be adapted to many different kinds of stories! Homework: Take a subplot from a story you're working on and map it onto the seven-point plot structure. Start with the resolution, identify the opposite starting state for the hook, then sketch out the plot points, pinch points, and midpoint to see how the subplot develops from beginning to end. Final WXR Cruise! Our final WXR cruise is sold out, but you can join our waitlist here! Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Dan Wells, 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 MasterClass and use my code masterclass.com/EXCUSES for a great deal: https://MasterClass.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 | 35m 07s | ||||||
| 6/7/26 | ![]() 21.23: Barrier Breaking: Interruptions✨ | interruptionswriting focus+4 | — | Writing Excuses | — | interruptionswriting+5 | — | 29m 38s | |
| 5/31/26 | ![]() 21.22: The Order of the Telling✨ | non-linear storytellinginformation presentation+5 | Margaret Dunlap | — | — | non-linear timelinesstorytelling techniques+5 | — | 27m 20s | |
| 5/24/26 | ![]() 21.21: Rhythm and Words✨ | rhythmmusicality of language+4 | — | PatreonInstagram+5 | — | rhythmstorytelling+5 | HomeServehomeserve.com/excuses | 23m 34s | |
| 5/17/26 | ![]() 21.20: Sequencing from Mega to Micro✨ | sequencingstorytelling+3 | — | — | — | sequencingstory structure+3 | HomeServehomeserve.com/excuses | 33m 51s | |
| 5/10/26 | ![]() 21.19: Getting Everything Connected✨ | storytellingcausal chains+3 | — | MasterClass | — | story connectionthematic consistency+5 | HomeServehomeserve.com/excuses | 24m 21s | |
| 5/3/26 | ![]() 21.18: Deconstructing the Three Act Structure✨ | three-act structurestorytelling+3 | Margaret Dunlap | NOCD | — | three-act structurestorytelling+3 | HomeServe | 31m 22s | |
| 4/26/26 | ![]() 21.17: The Up and Down Escalators✨ | story structureescalation+4 | — | — | — | tensionstakes+4 | — | 28m 16s | |
| 4/19/26 | ![]() 21.16: Tension and Release as Call and Response✨ | tension and releasestory pacing+4 | — | — | — | tensionrelease+5 | — | 21m 19s | |
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| 4/12/26 | ![]() 21.15: Using Contrast for Maximum Effect✨ | contrast in storytellingemotional impact+3 | — | Locus Magazine | — | contraststorytelling+5 | MasterClass | 23m 28s | |
| 4/5/26 | ![]() 21.14: Because at First, They Don’t Succeed✨ | try-fail cyclestorytelling+4 | — | Locus MagazineWriting Excuses | — | failurestory dynamics+5 | — | 25m 21s | |
| 3/29/26 | ![]() 21.13: Does The Middle Have To Be Soggy?✨ | soggy middlestory momentum+4 | — | Locus MagazineQui | — | soggy middlestorytelling+4 | MasterClassCODE | 24m 50s | |
| 3/22/26 | ![]() 21.12: Breaking Down Barriers- Environment✨ | writing environmentfocus+3 | — | — | — | writingenvironment+5 | MasterClass | 24m 43s | |
| 3/15/26 | ![]() 21.11: The Cold Open- Action✨ | action writingcold opens+4 | — | The Matrix | — | cold openaction+4 | MasterClassCODE | 23m 20s | |
| 3/8/26 | ![]() 21.10: The Cold Open- Voice✨ | cold openvoice+3 | — | — | — | cold openvoice+5 | MasterClassCODE | 24m 22s | |
| 3/1/26 | ![]() 21.09: Grounding The Reader✨ | grounding the readerstory immersion+3 | — | — | — | groundingreader immersion+3 | MasterClassCODE | 20m 52s | |
| 2/22/26 | ![]() 21.08: Setting Expectations✨ | reader expectationsstory openings+5 | — | NOCD | — | reader expectationsstory openings+5 | MasterClassCODE | 22m 14s | |
| 2/15/26 | ![]() 21.07: Deep Dive- “With Her Serpent Locks” | 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 MasterClass and use my code masterclass.com/EXCUSES for a great deal: https://MasterClass.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 | 23m 48s | ||||||
| 2/8/26 | ![]() 21.06: Begin and the Beginning | In this episode, our hosts dive into what makes a strong beginning and why it matters so much to readers. They talk about openings as an act of hospitality, exploring how tone, control, and carefully chosen details help readers feel grounded and cared for from the first page. Using the metaphor of hosting a party, they unpack common mistakes like starting too early, overwhelming readers with detail, or failing to make a clear promise. The discussion also reassures writers that beginnings often change in revision—and that’s not just normal, it’s necessary. Homework: Create an artificial slush pile of beginnings. Read them cold and note which ones make you lean in and why. 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 MasterClass and use my code masterclass.com/EXCUSES for a great deal: https://MasterClass.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 | 22m 17s | ||||||
| 2/1/26 | ![]() 21.05: The Same But Different | Today, our hosts dig into how stories can feel fresh without losing what readers love. They explore the idea of “same but different” across genres, sequels, and series—looking at how small shifts in structure, context, tone, or theme can create meaningful novelty. Drawing on examples from novels, film, television, and games, we unpack how patterns, expectations, and core questions shape reader experience. Our conversation also widens to encompass the larger question of how writers can evolve while still feeling recognizably like themselves. Homework: Choose two works from the same franchise or series. Break down what stayed the same and what changed, then reflect on which choices felt satisfying, surprising, or off-putting—and why. ANNOUNCEMENTS: 2/15 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 MasterClass and use my code masterclass.com/EXCUSES for a great deal: https://MasterClass.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 | 25m 20s | ||||||
| 1/25/26 | ![]() 21.04: Deconstructing the Hero's Journey | In this episode, our hosts take on the Hero’s Journey—where it came from, why it endures, and why it can make writers uneasy. They break it down as a tool (and not a rule), exploring how pattern recognition works in storytelling without turning structure into a formula. Along the way, they discuss reluctant heroes, mentors, departures, and returns, using familiar examples from fantasy, film, and beyond. The conversation also digs into how stories can satisfy expectations—or deliberately invert them—without becoming predictable or tropey. Homework: Take a simple outline of the Hero’s Journey (we’ll include one in the liner notes). On an index card or Post-it, list as many stories, films, or shows as you can that follow this pattern, just to see how and where it shows up. ANNOUNCEMENTS: 2/15 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 Howard Tayler. 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 MasterClass and use my code masterclass.com/EXCUSES for a great deal: https://MasterClass.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 | 25m 46s | ||||||
| 1/18/26 | ![]() 21.03: Deconstructing Plots | Plot isn’t a set of commandments—it’s a collection of patterns we’ve learned to recognize. This episode kicks off the season’s deep dive into deconstructing plots, asking what different story structures are really doing beneath the surface and why they work (or don’t). Our hosts unpack plot as a toolbox rather than a formula, exploring action plots vs. emotion plots, Western vs. non-Western structures, and how audience expectations shape everything from middles to endings. This conversation reframes plot as a way to pull readers through a story—not to box writers in. Homework: Pick a story you enjoy and gently reverse-engineer it. Go scene by scene and label each one simply as “good thing happened” or “bad thing happened.” Look for patterns you didn’t realize were there. ANNOUNCEMENTS: 2/15 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 MasterClass and use my code masterclass.com/EXCUSES for a great deal: https://MasterClass.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 | 20m 44s | ||||||
| 1/11/26 | ![]() 21.02: My Process is Not Your Process | This week, we turn our attention to one of the most stubborn traps writers fall into: assuming someone else’s process should work for you. Building on last episode’s conversation about intentions, the hosts shift the focus from what you should do to how you can figure out what actually works, starting with observation, pattern-spotting, and a little self-compassion. The discussion moves through practical ways to lower friction and build supportive rituals—linking tasks together, listening to physical and emotional cues, and treating yourself like your own best assistant. Along the way, the hosts emphasize that your reactions are data, your process is allowed to change, and permission to be human is often the missing tool. The goal isn’t discipline for discipline’s sake, but a writing life that adapts to you. Homework: Make a list of all the steps in your writing process, starting with the smallest, most concrete actions and working outward to the bigger ones. Then go through that list and notice which parts are serving you, which aren’t, and which you might want to change—without worrying yet about how to change them. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Last Annual Cruise The final WXR cruise* sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—don’t miss your chance to be part of it. Learn more and sign up here. Call for Writing Breakthroughs Have you had a breakthrough in your writing because of Writing Excuses? If so, we want to hear about it. Fill out this Writing Breakthroughs Google Form for a chance to be featured in a WX Newsletter! 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 MasterClass and use my code masterclass.com/EXCUSES for a great deal: https://MasterClass.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 | 20m 52s | ||||||
| 1/4/26 | ![]() 21.01: Welcome to the New Year! | Season 21 kicks off with a new theme, a fresh tagline, and a renewed focus on what Writing Excuses has always been about: tools, not rules. The hosts unpack why prescriptive writing advice so often falls short, and how understanding why tools gives you the freedom to adapt—or discard—them. And so for Season 21, we’re going to focus on deconstructing structure in order to better understand the tools that make up various story structures, and what we can learn from each. We’ll be analyzing everything from exposition to Try/Fail cycles to Save the Cat, as we dig into how structure can function more like jazz and less like a rigid formula. We hope this year of episodes (every Sunday morning, folks!) helps you choose what actually serves you as a writer. Homework Write down one thing you are letting go of from last year, starting with the sentence “I am letting go of…”. Then write one intention for the new year, starting with “This year I am embracing…”. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Last Annual Cruise The final WXR cruise* sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—don’t miss your chance to be part of it. Learn more and sign up here. Call for Writing Breakthroughs Have you had a breakthrough in your writing because of Writing Excuses? If so, we want to hear about it. Fill out this Writing Breakthroughs Google Form for a chance to be featured in a WX Newsletter! Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Howard Tayler, 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 MasterClass and use my code masterclass.com/EXCUSES for a great deal: https://MasterClass.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 | 34m 42s | ||||||
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Chart Positions
31 placements across 31 markets.
Chart Positions
31 placements across 31 markets.























