Writing Excuses

If you want to learn how to write and publish your writing, then the Writing Excuses podcast is a vital resource for you. Subscribe to the podcast for their latest episodes, or follow this link to find their archive of writing advice. It's free.

Writing Excuses has four members. Mary Robinette Kowal - Howard Taylor - Dan Wells - Brandon Sanderson. Their podcast is between fifteen and twenty minutes long and covers any topic related to writing, business, creation, process, or other.

They also really like bacon and marshmallows, so really, go check them out.

At this point in my journey as a writer I have been working on my story for four months. This podcast is my principle way of receiving instructions. I download episodes from their archive for listening on my way to classes, and I catch their weekly updates as soon as they come out.

Writing excuses offers a fix for any trouble I might encounter while writing. If a character isn't working, they have an answer. If I'm caught by endless revisions of a chapter, they have an answer. If my plot is broken and I'm out of ideas, they have an answer. Hundreds of episodes means answers to almost any question you could encounter as a writer. And if you have a question they haven't answered? They often seek questions from their listeners.

At the end of each podcast they include a challenging writing prompt that is meant to push your abilities and practice the topics discussed in that episode. The prompts are a great resource for practice.

The podcasters also offer Book suggestions that exemplify the episode's topic. Because they are sponsored by Audible, you can use their name and receive a free audio book. This lets you see professional examples of the principles they discuss.

As a final side note, each year they hold an "Out of Excuses" Writer's Retreat and Workshop for hands-on instruction. Compared to other Workshops I've seen, their's is inexpensive. Tickets usually go on sale in mid-January, though seats are limited. 2014's slots ran out after less than ten minutes. Check their website frequently and listen to their podcast to receive details on availability and pricing.

It's free, it's professional, and it's entertaining. So why not give it a try? Their website link is here, and this is the link for submitting questions. There is also a forum.

This podcast has done wonders with my ability to write, it can help you as well.