While the podcast used to be a source of great inspiration and practical writing advice, the podcast has declined in quality over the past season. One major issue is the sheer amount of time spent on ads and self-promotion. It feels like a third of the episode is dedicated to ads, pitching their latest packages or exclusive content, which detracts from the insightful discussions that once made the show so valuable. Another point of frustration is the increasingly academic tone of the podcast. I appreciate deep discussions, but the emphasis on close readings and literary analysis has become overwhelming. Many of us are busy writers who tune in for actionable advice, not in-depth dissections of texts we don’t have the time—or interest—to study. The episodes now seem geared more toward advanced literary analysis than practical, real-world writing tips. It’s clear that their target audience has shifted, and unfortunately, I no longer feel like I’m part of it. Writing Excuses has lost much of what made it engaging and accessible, leaving it a lesser version of its former self.

Used to be great. Season 1 - 10 were phenomenal! It was about listening to FRIENDS informally chat. Writing advice…yes. But bite-size. It was the chemistry of the original gang, insights (sure) plus wit mixed with quirk and jokes. Now it’s about professionals having scholarly discussion and covering the same material covered years ago. It used to be: what do you think about x? And we’d get notions and ideas. Now it’s in the style of “this is the correct way.” Not bad, but not interesting. It’s like hours and hours of an extremely boring panel discussion. Very formal. (Guests asking if it’s time for a break and the answer being “not yet. “ What? So rigid. Lol.) Ugh! In person at a conference….ok. An ongoing podcast...tedious. Plus, it feels like the original gang moved on to other things for the most part. One or two may show up now and then. I’ll find them elsewhere.

I first listened to this podcast a couple years ago as I released my first two books. After time away, I came back and….what happened? There’s about 4-5 ads at the beginning of each episode, and another 3-4 at the end. So if you’re listening in the car, it’s a solid block of 8-9 ads in a row! Oh, and don’t worry, there’s another block of ads in the middle (sometimes twice) as well as an in-episode ad for someone’s book. I’d like to see a ‘content-to-ad’ ratio…willing to bet it’s less than 50%

I like the content that they provide. The team has a lot of good nuggets of information. But the first 3+ minutes are ads and another mass batch of ads midway. The podcast has a worse ratio of content to add than cable.

I’ve listened to every episode since season 1. I’m sad to say it’s gone downhill a lot, and not just because Brandon left (though this was a major loss). What ever happened to “fifteen minutes or less?!” Now there are nearly 10 minutes of ads in a 30+ minute episode?? But more importantly, the actual educational value of the podcast has declined. Wish I felt differently given how important a role this podcast has played in my writing journey, but this is the truth :/

I enjoy this podcast a great deal and appreciate how they break complex topics into bite-size, actionable recommendations. A good listen for writers but book-lovers of all stripes.

The podcast provides great discussions and tidbits to help take that next steps in becoming a better writer. Love the homework assignments.

I like the content of this podcast and the hosts are good. However— you know the type of radio ads that actively make you want to jump out of your car into moving traffic? The kind with screeching voices or sounds that are drastically different than the show you’re watching? This show has those. I wish they would be careful about what they pick.

I find this to be an extremely useful podcast even though sci-fi, fantasy and RPG are not my genres. Highly recommend.

This is full of great discussion and information. My only ask: please, for the misophonia sufferers, keep a glass of water handy while recording. There are dry mouth noises throughout that prevent me from following the discussion fully because I have to skip past or take my headphones off at points. It feels like such a stupid thing to say, but those mouth noises fill me with a visceral disgust that I can’t help.

When I stumbled onto this podcast a few years ago I went and downloaded the entire back cataloge and started listening from the beginning instead of the current week. There was a point starting season 14 or so where it started to fall off. First it was one episode at a time. Eventually I learned the names of episodes to key off of and just skip "Writing the Other" was a great warning of mediocre preachy content with bad advice that started to repeat. Eventually though I found my self skipping all but a handful of episodes each season to the point by season 15 I just unsubbed and stopped listening. There was just no good content left or it was buried under piles of political drivel.

They gave a heads up on adding ads to the eps but I had it in my head it was only going to be going forward but it’s in old and new eps, harder to binge listen to now.

Seriously, the first seven or eight, maybe ten seasons of Writing Excuses are fantastic. Great guests, great discussions about technical topics, and a clinic of how to improve as a writer. Then something started to go off the rails. Some of the episodes are still worth while, but too many of them now wander off into political discussions or social issues. The guest list has become increasingly stale as well, with all the authors sharing the same blandly liberal views on most things.

10 out of 10! Highly recommend!

Almost everything I know about revision and editing I learned from Writing Excuses; my novel out on query would not be this polished without everything I learned from this podcast.

Every spat of writer’s block, every rejection, and every frustration, all of it became manageable because I kept getting reminders of Brandon, Howard, Mary Robinette, Dan, and guests going through those same hurdles while giving practical advice. And now I’m working with my publisher to push out two series. There are not enough words of gratitude I could ever muster. Do what they tell you and you’ll get on your own path to publication!

I discovered WX in 2017, shortly after deciding to pursue writing as a career. Since then I've never missed an episode, and I've listened to the entirety of the podcast (yes, starting at Season 01, because I am a completionist) at least three times. Even before, but especially during the pandemic, it was an almost meditative experience to spend an evening listening to random episodes just to feel connected to the world of writing and publishing. Today, I am actively querying my epic fantasy novel, and when I get an agent and sell it to a publisher, it will be in no small measure thanks to Writing Excuses. Not only because of the skills I've acquired from listening to you fine people, but also for the safe space this podcast has been for my mental health in the years since I discovered it. Keep up the good work, and never stop growing!

Is Schlock required reading? Sometimes a title looks good, but then the whole episode is about schlock. Makes me think you guys ran out of ideas.

This used to be THE writing podcast to listen to, but without Brandon, it's just...meh. Mary and Howard's voices are over the top (their pronunciation of words if akin to nails on a chalkboard), and let's face it, none of these remaining writers are particularly successful with a capital S. I've moved on to The Creative Penn.

The discussions are very practical and they keep it moving along rather than waste of time with preliminaries as many Podcasts to do.

Decent advice, Mary Robinette’s voice seems extremely affected which is why I’m not giving 5 stars. Maybe let someone else do the intro and ad reads (which are starting up) from time to time to give us a break from that voice.

Writing Excuses has made me a better writer. I am consistently pleased by the nuanced and relevant topics they cover.

This used to be a podcast I listened to every week and always learned something new. The rotating group of guests kept it fresh and interesting with far more wisdom than any repeat panel can offer week to week. Please reconsider having guests again.

I used to listen to every episode. It was great for brand new writers. Unfortunately, over time, the 15-minute format has limited deep dives into topics. Also, the hosts have become increasingly political and navel-gazing to the point that it’s almost not listenable. Every new season I give it a try to see if it’s improved, but it’s sadly only declined. Suggestions: (1) longer format for more rich/relevant info, (2) more guests to prevent navel-gazing, (3) avoid politics to prevent toxic, peachy tone. I’d love to be a regular listener again.

Give me more of that sweet sweet Sanderson Also I don’t like any of the other hosts. Erin and Dan are cool ig.

While the new hosts are smart, and know a lot about writing, I’ve missed having the team together of Brandon, Dan, Howard, and Mary Robinette. I hope you will be part of the show every once in a while in the future. I’ve loved listening to you every season since the beginning, and it’s like listening to old friends when I hear your voices.

Great podcast—packed full of excellent advice. I just wish they would host all their back seasons on Apple podcast instead of only the current one or two. Some things I’d like to listen to are in much earlier seasons and I’m sorry but trying to navigate the website is clunky and not user friendly. I listen to these often when I drive and having past seasons easily accessible in the podcast app would be so nice. Oh well, a girl can dream.

I found some useful information. Just a couple things that bug me. One for such a short episode I don’t like the cut in for the book of the week in the middle. It disrupts it and changes the topics then onto a new topic then wait back to the other? The other thing is I am trying to listen to other videos and the way it is uploaded I can’t just let it play I have to keep going on and scrolling all the way down after each video. Maybe just an Apple podcast thing?

It’s hard not to love this fun show — “Fifteen minutes long, because you’re in a hurry and we’re not that smart.” The hosts all bring their own unique spin to their subject matter, and their spur-of-the-moment banter keeps the show fresh. They do a great job of talking about theory and then providing examples of how to apply that theory to practice.

* I don’t know how to give questions for the mircocast’s. So I’ll just put them on here, and also thank you for the show, it really helps. - what’s your writing schedule on the weekends? - how would you write fight scenes that were a unique fighting form you came up with? - what are some tips to guarantee your idea doesn’t sound similar to another? - should write the next book before sending the one before to the publishers? - For Mary: How do balance three creative based jobs? - If you take out editing and publishing, how long do you have to write the book?

The earlier seasons of this show are amazing. So much useful content. It’s very hit and miss these days. The master class on poetry and this nice quotient have been tough to listen to.

I’ve been enjoying the discussions and advice until today. During the MICE topic, a guest asks about the origins of the technique. Mary begins with a nearly immediate explanation of political differences between herself and her original teacher OSC. Card’s politics have absolutely nothing to do with the useful information he shared. There is no need to apologize for learning from one of the greats. To make an issue of it is not just irrelevant, but smacks of “wokeness.” Questioning politics and society is what artists should be doing more of, not bowing to tyranny of the culturally elite.

I just recently started listening to this but love most everything I’ve heard. The humor and relationships are great. The advice is impeccable!

I’ve listened to most of the episodes and they’re great. Howard is my favorite to listen to and I love the diversity in the story telling genres. I do skip a few episodes but only the ones that don’t apply to my writing such as writing children, writing historical fiction, etc. it’s definitely one of my favorites, however I don’t like when the guests get ‘corrected’ on their metaphors or aren’t allowed to talk as much. Overall, great podcast though.

No human voice actually sounds that stilted. Why are they all over-enunciating everything? Is it a rich people thing? You can just talk in your regular voice on a podcast

I used to get so much value and information for writing out of this podcast. It used to be a wonderful conversation and dialogue. And I really liked it when Mary joined and I hoped for a more balanced and diverse panel. But now... there are for guests as Mary teaches. Just gotta be honest. The spark is still there. Have some internal crucial conversations and it will be even better!

It’s really good and has lots to learn, but with the last few episodes about poetry it has just bored me to death. While I see where you are going with it , it doesn’t entertain me very much anymore. Although it is still great, I do not really like how much of coarse their is. But while you will flip to other writing, with the last few episodes with poetry and stuff, you aren’t making the flip and just kind of sitting in the middle. While with some episodes it will completely lean toward a topic and stick to it. The poetry episodes are confusing. Although it is still a good podcast just needs some change...

I started listening to this cast in 2016 and it is still my go to. At the time, I had abandoned writing fantasy because it wasn’t “important” or “literary” enough. This podcast—these writers—helped me pursue my first love again. If you’re new and don’t write genre, there’s plenty here for you, too. The episodes are short and helpful, and the cast will become your friends.

I need to echo what many are saying. I expected this to be great with guests like Patrick Rothfuss, but why go off into political discourse? I want to learn about the craft. If I want social studies, I’ll take a class at my nearby community college. Certain other guests and panelists ruin this podcast.

I’ve listened to this podcast for years and continue to enjoy gleaning knowledge from this great group of writers. The episodes are well titled, so if you’re a writer or a reader, just pick a topic and dive in!

This podcast is one of my favorite things in the world, and I listen through the entire archive at least once a year. (I have seven kids, so audio stuff keeps me happy during all the housework!) The advice is spot-on as well as entertaining, and I only argue with Mary (and some of the guests) when they start telling me what to write instead of just how. Although that has given me opportunity to clarify my own perspectives on many socially important topics, so I guess that benefits me as well. I pointed my teenage daughter at a couple of episodes when she had an assignment to write a short horror story for her creative writing class, and she mentioned it to her teacher, and now he’s addicted too, and wants to change his teaching plans because of it! 😂

I’m not wholly insensitive to the issues of marginalization. But, sheesh, does it need to be a main focus of nearly EVERY podcast the last few seasons? Treat it like a dash of spice. Enough to add depth, but not enough to make every dish (episode) start tasting (sounding) the same.

For a long while, I found this podcast helpful for learning about the craft of writing. But lately, it seems to have strayed from its original goal. During episode 15.04 with Patrick Rothfuss, Mary Robinette, cried foul about a “sexist” metaphor. I appreciate discussions of tropes and stereotypes, but Mary struck me as hostile. As a woman, I felt embarrassed. I recall thinking, “Of ALL the fights we have to endure, you’re picking THIS one?” I was honestly confused about why she was so deeply offended. Despite that, I gave it another shot. Then, in episode 15.34 about “deliberate discomfort,” one of the guests asserted that writers cannot “write horrible people just for funsies” and that scenes that depict discomfort should be essentially drawn from the author’s lived experiences. I’m sorry....whaaat? This slippery slope pairs nicely with the issues in #ownvoices. Isn’t creating stories part of imaginative process? How were books about elves, wizards, vampires, and fairies made if the author never lived that experience? And what if I don’t *want* to talk about the discomfort I’ve experienced as a BIPOC, and want to use writing as an escape? Does this mean an author cannot write a gruesome scene in her horror novel unless she “experienced” that discomfort? What about fantasy authors? Are we forbidden from writing those stories because they are not “ours” to tell? Instead of having a more nuanced (and messy) debate about this, everyone agreed. Lockstep. I don’t need another insufferable talking head in my life. It’s time to for me to move on.

I really enjoy this podcast! In some of the early episodes I felt a female perspective was needed. Mary was a welcome addition. She has clearly done a lot of work to consider how words and stories can be marginalizing and offensive. She is wonderfully sensitive in ways many of us are not. We all need a “Mary” voice in our head so we can see the ways our culture has raised us to other, dehumanize and marginalize non-dominate populations with our words and actions. Let’s do not harm with our stories.

I am not fully an author, but am more of an editor. Still, I love learning about the nuances of writing, mentally pan out some of the prompts/homework, and enjoy the hosts and guests. Through this podcast, I’ve been more open to other authors and writing styles/scenes. I’ve paid a bit more attention to how worldbuilding+ is done. And I’ve thought of how I could incorporate certain writing in my math classroom.

I love this podcast! It’s so informative and insightful. I’m glad that there is talk of social issues because representation is so important. The episode are pretty short which I really appreciate.

Started listening to this series, then I found out if you use an analogy of a love affair with a dark eyed beauty from Morocco, you’re a racist, and also using gender stereotypes. This white woman, Mary, is an insufferable feminist troll. Sheesh!

I’ve been listening for years, and have yet to stray! This is a must listen if you’re a sci-fi or fantasy author.

I really enjoy this podcast, but I am increasingly frustrated with one host in particular, and it lessens my enjoyment considerably. It has been so gratifying to see the show moving towards a more and more inclusive model as the seasons progress — touching on issues of representation that are increasingly relevant in today’s world. However, I have found that, repeatedly, Howard’s contributions feel very disconnected from the rest of the dialogue. I don’t want to disparage him in particular or as a person, but he seems to speak from within a very privileged bubble and without any awareness of it. It’s difficult to listen to a conversation about gender, race, or sexuality, only to abruptly have a (white, male) person jump in to brag about something they’ve written as they seemingly struggle to relate the concepts to their own life. The self-congratulation and disconnect can be jarring, and often bring down the quality of the discourse on the whole. That said, many of the contributions from other guest and regular hosts are very valuable. In particular, Mary Robinette always seems to have a relevant contribution (and great taste for recommendations!) As hosts do already rotate, I think the format would benefit from having some people take the back seat for certain topics.

There are a lot of great writing tips, particularly in series 11 on elemental genre. At a structural level, that series is incredibly helpful for anyone trying to sort out what they are trying to acccomplish with their work. Five stars for that series and for the earlier content, too. Over the past year or so, though, Howard's endless anecdotes, which are really just cocky stories about how amazing his ideas always are, have overshadowed actual structural writing advice. If you don't read his books, you don't know what he's talking about, you don't care, and you can't actually take his point. It's tediouss and I find myself turning off the podcast halfway throug if he gets going. Plenty of people seem to complain about Mary's take on fairly and accurately representing disadvantaged groups, but she's speaking to issues that are relevant within the publishing world. Write better characters, gain a wider audience, get a better publishing deal, sell more books. This is actually advice that will make you into a better writer. And she's capable of abstracting her individual experiences into tips on how to tackle writing problems that other author's might face. Five stars to her for bringing attention to how to be a better writer and a better human.