Writing Excuses is motivational procrastination

PODCAST OFFERS ADVICE FOR CREATIVES

Writing Excuses is a weekly podcast for writers, created by writers. The educational podcast aims to help listeners develop their writing skills. By discussing the intricacies of writing everything from novels to screenplays, listeners with any specific interest in writing will leave each episode inspired to create.

Writing Excuses has 12 seasons, each one focusing on one broad topic for a year, discussing one component weekly. Hosted by a cast of seven writers, listeners have an opportunity to learn from a wide swath of the industry. While there are many voices to hear from, only four writers host each episode. Listeners may have one host as a favorite but not hear from them for weeks, creating some frustration.

Each episode of the show includes a roundtable discussion of a particular topic, a book of the week that usually relates to the topic of the episode, and ends with a piece of homework that allows listeners to practice what the authors discussed. The final line of each episode is, “You’re out of excuses, now go write.”

The roundtable discussion between the authors is overflowing with passion, spurring listeners to have an increased desire to go write. The show is unscripted, which allows the discussion to feel natural, making it feel like listeners are overhearing a conversation between talented writers rather than listening to an educational podcast.

While many educational podcasts can be hard to follow or boring to listen to, the tone of Writing Excuses keeps listeners engaged, making anyone who hears the show want to go create. The fact that each host writes in a range of topics allows all listeners to find an interest. Whether interested in romance writing or creating an in depth sci-fi world, the hosts quickly become mentors for any listener wanting to develop their craft.

Whether professional or amateur, writing for fun or for profit, this podcast never fails to leave listeners feeling inspired and motivated to write.