“This podcast is ideally titled. It is all about excuses NOT to write. Talk about tv, watch tv, absolutely. Teach people how to be hacks? This show does it in spades. Learn about the massive talents of Brandon. Listen to Mary associate literature to puppetry. (That is the same as comparing superhero comics to literature. Shallow value.) Get a thesaurus of pet jargon from Howard and insights gleaned from a life in front of the television set.
They have value as a parody of good writers. By instructing others how to be formulaic hacks they are helping to reduce their own shelf life even further.
As a writing professor I am thoroughly entertained by a podcast about writing that talks so little about writing and reading. With the exception of Mary's occasional references to Jane Austin or King Lear, any writing advice this group gives is based on a MOVIE they saw. Any discussion of character developmental involves Star Wars characters or the latest interpretation of dwarves. The show makes me laugh because the only literature they examine is each others'. E.B. White (look him up!) once wrote that the people with the least sense of humor spend hours examining it. Howard of Writing Excuses is exhibit A. I am bashing you folks because you have created a good forum here but you are doing so little to develop yourselves as writers. The only conflicts humans have are those that threaten the fabric of the universe? Really? Take some of your own homework seriously. Grow.
But it is most off base at its core. Good writing is not a fifteen minute, hurried exercise because "we are in a hurry". All good writing requires time and the hosts talk like they do not have a clue about that. Instead they rattle off their jargon, advise people to go LISTEN to a story, and say goodbye just as the conversation has a chance of having something substantial to offer.
These folks gave me a new synonymn for bad writing- EPIC FANTASY.”Read full review »
storyteller/educator via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
12/05/16
“This group of writers exemplifies generosity. They all write, which requires huge amounts of time, attend conferences, and take care of the biz of writing as well as maintaining private lives, yet they make the time, week after week, to share excellent information about writing and the writing...”Read full review »
Yoga fiend via Apple Podcasts ·
United States of America ·
10/24/15
“I've been listening to Writing Excuses for a while now, and honestly it's helped me so much with finding what is wrong with my writing so I can approve. I can't afford outside critiques to learn how to get better, so I appericate this podcast so much.”Read full review »