Writing Excuses

Today, we are joined by Margaret Dunlap as we dive into the three-act structure. This traditional framework—setup, confrontation, and resolution—is a tool to use rather than a formula to follow. We break down each act, exploring the defining questions, try/fail cycles, and emotional shifts that shape a story. We also highlight the importance of identifying your central dramatic question while examining common pitfalls like the “soggy middle.” Today’s biggest takeaway is that this structure should serve your story, not constrain it.
Homework: Take a familiar fairy tale (e.g., “The Three Little Pigs” or “Goldilocks”) and map it onto a three-act structure. Identify where Act One, Act Two, and Act Three fall, and note whether you would need to add or adjust elements to make it fit more clearly.
Final WXR Cruise! 
Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, Erin Roberts, and DongWon Song. Our guest was Margaret Dunlap. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
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Today we zoom out from moment-to-moment tension and look at how escalation and de-escalation shape a story at the structural level—how raising stakes, lowering pressure, and shifting focus can control pacing, reader emotion, and narrative momentum. Our hosts explore what happens when stakes escalate too quickly (and lose meaning), and how de-escalation can be used intentionally through humor, distraction, or shifting perspective. From miscommunication tropes to scene transitions to avoiding “pointless up-and-down” detours, we offer practical ways to keep your readers engaged while guiding them smoothly between emotional highs and lows.
Homework:
Map the major beats of your work-in-progress and label each one as either an escalation or a de-escalation across your plot lines. Then review that map to identify any “pointless up-and-down” moments—places where tension drops without purpose or without a corresponding rise elsewhere—and revise so that every shift either advances stakes, deepens character, or introduces a new layer of tension.
Final WXR Cruise! 
Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, Erin Roberts, and DongWon Song. 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 HomeServe: https://www.homeserve.com
* Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES
* Check out Talkiatry: https://Talkiatry.com/WX
* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wx

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Today, we’re talking about tension and release as a kind of call and response, and how that dynamic can guide your reader through a story. It explores how different types of tension—conflict, unanswered questions, anticipation, and microtension—can be balanced with moments of release to shape pacing and keep readers engaged. The conversation also looks at how resolving one kind of tension while sustaining another creates forward momentum, and how varying those patterns prevents a story from feeling flat or repetitive. Along the way, it examines how genres like horror and humor use this rhythm especially well, and how techniques like contrast, modulation, and layering multiple plotlines can sharpen emotional impact and control the reader’s experience.
Homework:
Look at a scene you’ve already written and identify what creates tension within it. If nothing stands out, add a source of tension—such as a question, juxtaposition, or anticipation. If tension is already present, try changing or swapping it for a different type and observe how that affects the scene.
Final WXR Cruise! 
Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!

Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, Erin Roberts, and DongWon Song. 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 HomeServe: https://www.homeserve.com
* Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES
* Check out Talkiatry: https://Talkiatry.com/WX
* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wx

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations

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Today, we’re talking about how to use contrast to make key moments in your story hit harder, especially in the middle. We explore how pairing light and dark beats, shifting expectations, or placing opposing elements side by side can deepen the emotional impact and keep your readers engaged. Our conversation also looks at different kinds of contrast—from big structural turns to subtle tonal juxtapositions—and explores how managing distance, tension, and “loaded” moments can create that satisfying snap when a scene lands.
Homework:
Look at a pivotal moment in your story and add a beat before or after it that inverts some element of the original. This could mean changing the tone or mood, introducing a contrasting character, or shifting the setting in a way that highlights something new about the scene.
Locus Magazine Annual Fundraiser (ends April 14th, 2026)
Join us in supporting Locus Magazine– explore the campaign and fantastic rewards for donors online at locusmag.com/igg26.
Final WXR Cruise! 
Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Erin Roberts, and DongWon Song. 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 HomeServe: https://www.homeserve.com
* Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES
* Check out Talkiatry: https://Talkiatry.com/WX
* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wx

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations

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Today, we’re talking about the “try-fail cycle” and why failure is essential to making the middle of your story actually interesting. It allows readers to follow characters as they try something, fail, adjust, and try again until they finally succeed. Our conversation gets into how failure builds tension and empathy and how you can use “yes, but / no, and” to control your story’s momentum. We also address the difference between barriers and attempts, and how to keep things from feeling repetitive or stalled, whether you’re writing epic fantasy or a quiet coffee shop story.
Homework:
Look at the MICE quotient elements (milieu, inquiry, character, event) in your story and make a list of barriers for each. Then choose a smaller subset of those barriers that work well together, and use them to design try-fail cycles that keep your story dynamic without becoming repetitive or overcrowded.
Locus Magazine Annual Fundraiser (ends April 14th, 2026)
Join us in supporting Locus Magazine– explore the campaign and fantastic rewards for donors online at locusmag.com/igg26.
Final WXR Cruise! 
Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here!
Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Erin Roberts, and DongWon Song. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.
Join Our Writing Community! 
Writing Retreats
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Instagram
Threads
Bluesky
TikTok
YouTube
Facebook

Our Sponsors:
* Check out HomeServe: https://www.homeserve.com
* Check out MasterClass: https://masterclass.com/EXCUSES
* Check out Talkiatry: https://Talkiatry.com/WX
* If you’re struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/wx

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/writing-excuses2130/donations

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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy