20.20: The Lens of Where and When

Writing Excuses

Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler

Fiction, Business, Careers

4.7 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 18 May 2025

⏱️ 23 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today we’re talking about setting, which in speculative fiction is often called worldbuilding. But once you’ve finished building the world, how do you convey that world on the page? That is, how do time and place shape your story—and your characters?

In this episode, we’re talking about the power of setting through the lens of “where and when.” From daily life details like transportation and sanitation to larger societal pressures like war or peace, we explore how characters are shaped by their environment. Whether you’re building a brand new world or writing alternate history, setting isn't just a backdrop—it’s a driving force in your storytelling.

P.S. Want to come write with us in 2025?! Our retreat registration is open, and we are starting to fill up! We are going to unlock our creative processes in Minnesota and explore Story Refinement as we cruise down the Mexican Riviera! Learn more here.

Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, and Erin Roberts. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, guess what? The 2025 Writing Excuses Cruise is over 50% sold out. During this week-long
0:06.7	masterclass, I'm going to be leading writers like yourself through a series of workshops designed to
0:11.4	give you the tools to take your writing to the next level. Space is limited, but there is still
0:16.8	time to secure your spot. We're going to be sailing out of Los Angeles from September 18th
0:21.8	through 26th. Regardless of where you are in your writing journey, this event is your opportunity
0:27.4	to learn new skills while exploring the beautiful Mexican Riviera. Whether you're revising a story,
0:33.5	reworking a character arc, or revitalizing your plot, you'll leave more confident in your
0:38.0	current story and bolstered by a new set of friends. Join us on board at writingexcuses.com
0:44.9	slash retreats. This episode of writing excuses has been brought to you by our listeners,
0:50.7	patrons, and friends. If you would like to learn how to support this podcast, visit
0:55.2	www. www. patreon.com slash writing excuses.
1:01.9	Season 20, episode 20.
1:06.0	This is writing excuses.
1:08.5	The Lens of Where and When.
1:10.5	I'm Mary Robinette.
1:11.6	I'm Dan.
1:12.3	I'm Aaron.
1:13.5	Today we're going to talk about where and when and we're going to talk about setting, how you view and use setting.
1:19.6	And in speculative fiction, we often call this world building.
1:23.1	But once you've finished building the world, how do you capture it on the page?
1:28.2	How do you convey that world and how, most importantly, does that world change the things that you're writing and change the way that you're telling the story?
1:38.6	What does it really mean for a setting to be vivid, for a world to feel deep, for a place to feel lived in. And so I want to
	...

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