Writing Excuses 9.18: Microcasting

Microcasting! A Q&A by any other name. Here are the questions we fielded: * Can I have a rule-based magic system and a mystical system in the same universe? * What are your pre-writing methods? (Can of worms -- it's going to get its own episode) * What's the first thing you do once the first draft is done? * When approaching real-world issues, how do you avoid being preachy? * What's the best advice you can offer to someone who's just starting to write? * Does it help you to experiment with weird narrative styles? * What are your least favorite tropes? * Should you fully edit your first few "practice" books? * How do you know if you're writing too quickly? * How do you tell the difference between a weakness in your craft, and a story that requires stylistic rule-breaking?   In other news, Writing Excuses Season 8 has been nominated for the 2014 Hugo Award for Best Related Work. We're thrilled to appear on the ballot, and are excited to be in such good company there.