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Content provided by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler, Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler, Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.
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20.25: Writing Confrontation (LIVE Aboard the WX Cruise)

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Manage episode 490151226 series 2547755
Content provided by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler, Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler, Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.

Our hosts explore how to write compelling confrontations—whether physical fights or emotional arguments—in a live episode recorded on the Writing Excuses Cruise. Building off Dan Wells' class Why Your Fight Scene Is Boring, our hosts break down reactions into four elements: focus, physicality, thought, and action. The discussion dives into how newness, character history, and anticipation shape these moments, and how effective confrontations reveal both character and motivation. Plus: sword fighting, puppetry, and driving on black ice.

Thing of the Week: Death and Other Details (on Hulu)

Homework: Watch an action scene in a movie—something that you really like. Then, to underline how different books are as a medium, transcribe it— blow for blow, step for step, and see how long you can get into that before you tear your own hair out because it becomes incredibly boring. Then, after you've proven that the blocking and the blow-by-blow doesn't work, rewrite that scene in a way that does, in a way that translates to and uses the medium of prose.

P.S. Our 2025 writing retreat (on a cruise! In Mexico!) is over 50% sold out! Learn more and sign up here.

Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, 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!

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Our Sponsors:
* Check out Kinsta: https://kinsta.com
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  continue reading

943 episodes

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iconShare
 
Manage episode 490151226 series 2547755
Content provided by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler, Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler, Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://staging.podcastplayer.com/legal.

Our hosts explore how to write compelling confrontations—whether physical fights or emotional arguments—in a live episode recorded on the Writing Excuses Cruise. Building off Dan Wells' class Why Your Fight Scene Is Boring, our hosts break down reactions into four elements: focus, physicality, thought, and action. The discussion dives into how newness, character history, and anticipation shape these moments, and how effective confrontations reveal both character and motivation. Plus: sword fighting, puppetry, and driving on black ice.

Thing of the Week: Death and Other Details (on Hulu)

Homework: Watch an action scene in a movie—something that you really like. Then, to underline how different books are as a medium, transcribe it— blow for blow, step for step, and see how long you can get into that before you tear your own hair out because it becomes incredibly boring. Then, after you've proven that the blocking and the blow-by-blow doesn't work, rewrite that scene in a way that does, in a way that translates to and uses the medium of prose.

P.S. Our 2025 writing retreat (on a cruise! In Mexico!) is over 50% sold out! Learn more and sign up here.

Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Dan Wells, Mary Robinette Kowal, 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!

Writing Retreats

Newsletter

Patreon

Instagram

Threads

Bluesky

TikTok

YouTube

Facebook

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Kinsta: https://kinsta.com
Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  continue reading

943 episodes

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