21.11: The Cold Open- Action
From Writing Excuses by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler
March 15, 2026 · 23 min · Season 21 · Episode 11
About this episode
The episode discusses the effectiveness of starting a story with action and the underlying elements that enhance reader engagement.
Sometimes the fastest way to hook a reader is to start with something exploding. In this episode, our hosts dig into the promise — and the pitfalls — of opening with action, and why survival alone is rarely enough to make us care. We explore how voice, worldbuilding, and character stakes must all be doing work beneath the punches and gunfire, especially in prose where readers can’t “see” the cool factor. From The Matrix to hockey rinks to fantasy prologues gone wrong, we look at how action can function as a delivery system for tension, authority, and emotional investment. The goal isn’t just spectacle — it’s giving readers a reason to turn the page. Homework: Choose an action cold open from a movie. Write down everything it’s doing beyond the visible action — how it builds the world, establishes stakes, defines character, and makes you feel. Then rewrite that scene in prose, making those elements explicit on the page. 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 Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and…
People in this episode
Hosts: Erin Roberts, DongWon Song, Howard Tayler
Topics covered
- action writing
- cold opens
- reader engagement
- worldbuilding
- character stakes
- tension in writing
Keywords
- cold open
- action
- writing techniques
- reader investment
- storytelling
- narrative structure
Sponsors
MasterClass, Quince, Talkiatry
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Matrix
More episodes of Writing Excuses
- 21.23: Barrier Breaking: Interruptions · June 7, 2026 · 30 min
- 21.22: The Order of the Telling · May 31, 2026 · 27 min
- 21.21: Rhythm and Words · May 24, 2026 · 24 min
- 21.20: Sequencing from Mega to Micro · May 17, 2026 · 34 min
- 21.19: Getting Everything Connected · May 10, 2026 · 24 min
- 21.18: Deconstructing the Three Act Structure · May 3, 2026 · 31 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Writing Excuses podcast page.