Writing Excuses
| Writing Excuses | |
|---|---|
| Presentation | |
| Hosted by | Dan Wells, Brandon Sanderson, Howard Tayler, Mary Robinette Kowal |
| Publication | |
| Original release | 02/10/2008 – present |
| Website | www.writingexcuses.com |
Writing Excuses is a (nominally) fifteen-minute-long podcast hosted by authors Dan Wells, Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal and web cartoonist Howard Tayler. Promoted as "fifteen minutes long, because you're in a hurry, and we're not that smart",[1] the four hosts discuss different topics involved in the creation and production of genre writing and webcomics. As of 2017, authors Wesley Chu, Piper J. Drake and Mary Anne Mohanraj were added as secondary hosts, each having 1 show a month alongside different configurations of the primary hosts.[2]
Premise
Writing Excuses began in 2008 with three hosts – Sanderson, Tayler, and Wells – accompanied by Brandon's brother, Jordan Sanderson, who serves as producer. The show aims to cover a single writing-related topic in each podcast, in a format short enough to be listened to on a morning commute or during a lunch break.
The single topic is discussed in a back-and-forth by the hosts for fifteen minutes. Halfway through the podcast the hosts introduce a book of the week, either a favorite of the hosts or one of their own works. Writing Excuses has been sponsored by Audible since October 2009.[3] On numerous occasions, often at conventions, the hosts invite guest authors and industry professionals on board for podcast episodes.
After making a number of guest appearances, Mary Robinette Kowal joined the permanent cast as a new host at the beginning of season 6.[4]
Wesley Chu, Piper J. Drake and Mary Anne Mohanraj were added as secondary hosts at the beginning of series 12[2]
Shadows Beneath anthology
Shadows Beneath, an anthology of four stories written by the members of Writing Excuses, was published in 2014.[5] The anthology's bonus material is intended to show some of the processes of story creation. The stories were brainstormed on the podcast and the first drafts later critiqued; transcripts of the podcasts, along with the first drafts of the stories, are included.[6] The stories are:
- I.E. Demon, by Dan Wells
- An Honest Death, by Howard Tayler
- A Fire in the Heavens, by Mary Robinette Kowal
- Sixth of the Dusk, by Brandon Sanderson
Awards
- Hugo Awards 2014 (season 8, nominated for Best Related Work) [7]
- Hugo Awards 2013 (season 7, winner for Best Related Work) [8]
- Hugo Awards 2012 (season 6, nominated for Best Related Work)[9]
- Hugo Awards 2011 (season 4, nominated for Best Related Work) [10]
- Podcast Awards 2010 (nominated) [11]
- Parsec Awards 2010 (winner for Best Podcast about Speculative Fiction Content Creation) [12]
- Parsec Awards 2009 (winner for Best Writing Related Podcast) [13]
See also
References
- ↑ "Writing Excuses". Writing Excuses. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
- 1 2 Tayler, Howard (2017-01-01). "12.1: Variations on First Person". Writing Excuses. Retrieved 2017-02-01.
- ↑ "Season 3 Episode 22: Idea to Story". Writing Excuses. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
- ↑ "6.1: Can Creativity be Taught?". Writing Excuses. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
- ↑ Wells, Dan; Tayler, Howard; Kowal, Mary Robinette; Sanderson, Brandon. Shadows Beneath: The Writing Excuses Anthology. Dragonsteel Entertainment. ASIN B00LDOM8A2.
- ↑ Sanderson, Brandon (June 30, 2014). "Shadows Beneath". brandonsanderson.com.
- ↑ "2014 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. Retrieved 2014-04-20.
- ↑ "2013 Hugo Award Winners". World Science Fiction Society. Retrieved 2013-02-09.
- ↑ "2012 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. Retrieved 2014-04-20.
- ↑ "2011 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. Retrieved 2014-04-20.
- ↑ One Technologies, LLC. "PodCastAwards.com". PodCastAwards.com. Retrieved 2012-11-09.
- ↑ "2010 Parsec Awards Winners & Finalists". parsecawards.com. Retrieved 2012-11-09
- ↑ "2009 Parsec Award Winners & Finalists". parsecawards.com. Retrieved 2012-11-09