21.41: Barrier Breaking- Physical Fatigue

Psychotherapist Maureen Murdock invented the Heroine's Journey in response to Joseph Campbell's monomyth Hero's Journey. He reportedly said, "Women don’t need to make the journey, they are the place that everyone is trying to get to." This version of story structure is attempting to tell different stories. This week, we’re diving into the Heroine’s Journey! We talk about its (very) gendered origins, but also about what we can take from the structure: what happens after a character gets what they thought they wanted? Our hosts also discuss the biases built into different plot structures, layering structures on top of each other, and using the Heroine’s Journey to think about a character’s relationship to themself, their community, and the expectations placed on them. Homework: Pick one of three strands—your character’s relationship to community, self, or expectation—and track how it changes at each major plot point. When you get to the end, ask: is there somewhere else you can go? Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson. Join Our Writing Community! Writing Retreats Newsletter Patreon Instagram Threads Bluesky TikTok YouTube Facebook

What if a character arc had a structure you could actually map? This week, our hosts break down the DREAM arc: denial, resistance, exploration, acceptance, and manifestation. We look at how characters move through these stages—and why stopping at acceptance can make an arc feel incomplete. From Casablanca and Avatar: The Last Airbender to Parasite and Kylo Ren, we explore how the structure can create heroes, villains, and characters who change in messier ways. Homework: Take the DREAM arc out to play with your current WIP: denial, resistance, exploration, acceptance, and manifestation. For each stage, write down one action your character can take to reinforce who they believe they are at that point in the arc. Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.

Your life is probably weirder—and more useful to your writing—than you think. This week, our hosts explore how to turn lived experience into fiction, from borrowing sensory details and emotional reactions to reshaping real people and events. We dive into the feelings wheel, specificity, and the layers of belief, feeling, thought, and action that can make characters feel human. Plus, how journaling can become a surprisingly useful bank of material for your future self. Homework: Journal about a significant emotional moment in your life. Write down the physical sensations, specific feelings, thoughts, conclusions, and choices you made. Then rewrite it as a third-person scene, giving your protagonist different biographical details while keeping the emotional experience. Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.

“Tools, not rules” gets flipped on its head this week. Our hosts revisit the Turkey City Lexicon, a snarky collection of writing “rules” that circulated widely among speculative fiction writers in 1988, and ask what still holds up—and what happens when useful terminology turns into rigid prescription. From “show, don’t tell” to white room syndrome and TV Tropes, we look at our recurring desire for an easy answer to what makes writing work. Then everyone picks a writing hill they’re willing to die on.

How do you keep writing when the world is on fire? This week, our hosts talk about protecting our narrative energy when the news, social media, or our own lives feel overwhelming. We explore boundaries, boredom, intentional information consumption, and why sometimes the most useful thing a writer can do is log off. We also look at how writing can become a place to process what’s happening around us—giving our characters our emotions, interrogating difficult systems through worldbuilding, and making space to imagine something different. Homework: Log off. Put yourself on a strict social media diet (of your choosing) for the week and make the boundaries concrete. When you feel the urge to reach for your phone, sit with the discomfort for at least ten minutes. Let your boredom develop within you, and see what thoughts emerge. Credits: Your hosts for this episode were Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, and Howard Tayler. It was produced by Emma Reynolds, recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson.