This is a podcast for emerging writers who want to improve the quality of their work and learn more about the publishing industry. Your one host, Bianca Marais (the bestselling author of &#39;The Witches of Moonshyne Manor&#39;) interviews authors, agents, editors and just about anyone and everyone who&#39;s involved in bringing a book to market. She&#39;s joined by her cohosts, literary agents Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra from P.S. Literary Agency, who read and critique query letters as well as opening pages in their Books with Hooks segment.  Expect good advice, honest insights, and a few laughs along the way.

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/27/20/dc050e53-cb08-4581-b82d-932db15994ce_162_with_kelly_mcmasters.mp3

In today&#39;s Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe are joined by two guests, author Rachel Kapelke-Dale and her agent, Sarah Phair. They discuss ensuring your comps align with each other and with your work; making sure your query is representative of your whole novel and not just one part; using your author bio to help show why you&#39;re the one to write this story; the concept of auto-fiction; the importance of highlighting the POV you&#39;re writing from; being specific with your plot points in your query; finding the right balance between what you withhold and what you reveal; and the need to show your character&#39;s emotions, especially messy ones. After which, Bianca interviews Kelly McMasters, author of The Leaving Season which is a memoir in essays. The two unpack writing essays vs a linear timeline in memoir; publishing essays from the collection ahead of the book’s release; deciding what to include and what to leave out; how to know where to begin; using external events and settings as metaphors for your character&#39;s emotionality; what memoirists owe their readers vs what they owe themselves; community vs platform; and making it all matter to the reader. Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency. Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>More information about Kelly can be found at <a href="https://www.kellymcmasters.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.kellymcmasters.com/</a>She&#39;s also on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kelly_mc_masters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/kelly_mc_masters/</a> To sign up for the All About Memoir webinar on the 11th of May, go to: <a href="https://www.biancamarais.com/all-about-memoir.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.biancamarais.com/all-about-memoir.html</a>To sign up for CeCe’s Writing Interiority Course on the 6th of June, go to <a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pKP-TqW9SSOlAHqSjKM21Q#/registration" rel="nofollow">https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pKP-TqW9SSOlAHqSjKM21Q#/registration</a>Carly&#39;s course for writers, The Author&#39;s Publishing Playbook, is available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven&#39;t grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15 Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

Kelly McMasters

Metaphor and Meaning in Memoir

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/20/12/fb01ac08-07e9-4b2f-8164-61201862c090_april_bonus_2024_with_emilie_and_sue.mp3

In this month’s bonus episode, Bianca interviews poet, novelist, and Chair of the Amherst Writers (AWA), Sue Reynolds. They discuss the AWA workshop method and how it differs from other workshops; what occurs in an AWA workshop; the importance of giving writers a safe and encouraging space to share their work; the concept of strength-based feedback; the specific practices within the workshops; writing without a &#39;pricetag&#39;; the AWA method&#39;s commitment to holding space for marginalized and previously silenced voices; the connection between disclosure through writing and healing; the point at which an AWA workshop can be helpful in the writing process; and how to find an AWA workshop.After which Emilie Sommer of East City Bookshop provides the invaluable service of suggesting comp titles to our listeners. If you’re looking for our usual Q&amp;A segment, that now gets published as part of our end of the month Substack newsletter. Subscribe to get access to that, and so much more, for free: <a href="https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com/" rel="nofollow">https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com/</a> Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency. Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and w<a href="http://ww.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">ww</a><a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">.cecilialyra.com</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>To connect with Emilie Sommer go to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/emiliegsommer/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/emiliegsommer/</a> and you can find East City Bookshop at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/eastcitybookshop/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/eastcitybookshop/</a>Information about an AWA workshops available near you can be found at <a href="https://amherstwriters.org/" rel="nofollow">https://amherstwriters.org/</a>More information about Sue can be found at <a href="https://inkslingers.ca/about-2/susan-lynn-reynolds/" rel="nofollow">https://inkslingers.ca/about-2/susan-lynn-reynolds/</a>She’s on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/suereynolds7997" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/suereynolds7997</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

Sue Reynolds: AWA

April Bonus Episode: Writing Without a Pricetag

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/13/17/6d112736-e952-4c6e-bf53-71ce6570b155_161_with_caroline_leavitt.mp3

In today’s Book with Hooks, Carly and CeCe critique two listener queries, a resubmission and a YA fantasy. They discuss the issue of starting with a protagonist that has a &#39;simple, stable&#39; life; a great example of an inciting incident; ensuring your major dramatic question is strong enough; good storytelling as the promise of change; making your protagonist the &#39;sun&#39; of your story; infusing emotion into the information you provide; ensuring that your plot feels like a set of dominos tipping over; taglines in a query; differentiating your novel&#39;s tropes from how they&#39;re used in other novels in your genre; and making characters&#39; motivations clear in a query. After which, Bianca interviews award-winning author, Caroline Leavitt. They discuss A Mighty Blaze and its origins; being a good literary citizen; Caroline&#39;s key to longevity in the industry; not taking rejections too hard; avoiding writing to the current market; Caroline&#39;s latest novel, Days of Wonder; her research process; using universal personal experiences that help connect your readers to your characters; Caroline&#39;s reasoning for the settings she chose; how she approaches characterization; and her thoughts on genre. Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency. Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>More information about Caroline can be found at <a href="http://www.carolineleavitt.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carolineleavitt.com</a>She&#39;s also on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/Leavittnovelist" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/Leavittnovelist</a> and on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/carolineleavitt" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carolineleavitt</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/amightyblaze" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/amightyblaze</a> To sign up for the All About Memoir webinar on the 11th of May, go to: <a href="https://www.biancamarais.com/all-about-memoir.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.biancamarais.com/all-about-memoir.html</a>Carly&#39;s course for writers, The Author&#39;s Publishing Playbook, is now available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven&#39;t grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15 Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

Caroline Leavitt

Caroline Leavitt’s Insights and Encouragement

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/9/17/e3f68119-464d-42a1-a071-854d9f3fd298_160_with_sara_koffi.mp3

In today&#39;s Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe critique a children&#39;s picture book and a literary fiction query. They discuss avoiding vagueness, no matter the genre; using illustrator notes in a picture book pitch; the need for tension, even in a children&#39;s book; framing your novel in your query so agents aren&#39;t confused when they get to the pages; the need for external plot points, even in a more internal work of literary fiction; the natural gravitation of readers to one POV in a dual POV work; the subjectivity of the industry; the purpose of interiority; and erring on the side of showing, rather than telling, to maintain tension.After which, Bianca interviews Sara Koffi, author of the debut novel, While We Were Burning. They discuss Sara&#39;s letter to the reader; her reasoning behind the setting she chose; how Sara chose her characters&#39; POVs and her inspiration behind the characters; writing an unreliable narrator; weaving in overarching themes or messages; advice for writing an unlikeable main character; advice on writing characters experiencing grief; Sara&#39;s journey to publication; and avoiding comparing yourself to others.Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>More information about Sara can be found at <a href="https://www.sarakoffi.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.sarakoffi.com/</a>She&#39;s also on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/SaraTheKoffi" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/SaraTheKoffi</a> and Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sarathekoffi" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/sarathekoffi</a>To sign up for the All About Memoir webinar on the 11th of May, go to: <a href="https://www.biancamarais.com/all-about-memoir.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.biancamarais.com/all-about-memoir.html</a>Carly&#39;s course for writers, The Author&#39;s Publishing Playbook, is now available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven&#39;t grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15 Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

Sara Koffi

Figuring Out What Genre You Should Be Writing In

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/2/22/cef73c81-7ea9-4eeb-8b80-750cd541a22a_159_with_fiona_williams.mp3

In today&#39;s Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are joined by guest agent, Jo Ramsay, to critique two queries. They discuss the issue of withholding too much plot in a query; highlighting the stakes in your query; the importance of first lines in a novel; the need for psychological depth and acuity in your characters; the issue of comping to titles that are hugely successful; the risk of having too many POVs in a novel; avoiding too much backstory in your query; and the problems with a reader being too removed from a scene, even if it&#39;s done intentionally.After which, guest interviewer, Bronwen Keyes-Bevan from BoolaBos magazine interviews author and winner of the Bridport Prize for literary fiction, Fiona Williams. They discuss Fiona&#39;s debut novel, The House of Broken Bricks; her background in biological sciences and her shift to creative writing; the expert use of figurative language; how Fiona tackled writing four different points of view, and her reasoning for choosing certain perspectives for certain characters; writing from children&#39;s POVs; and Fiona&#39;s feelings around the potential of being conflated with some of her characters.Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency. Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>Fiona is on Twitter at: <a href="https://twitter.com/feewilliams75" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/feewilliams75</a> and Instagram at: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fionawilliamswrites/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/fionawilliamswrites/</a>Bronwen can be found at <a href="http://www.boolabos.com/" rel="nofollow">www.boolabos.com</a> and on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/boola.bos/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/boola.bos/</a> and at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bronwenkeyesbevan" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/bronwenkeyesbevan</a>Jo can be found on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thejoramsay/Carly&#39;s course for writers, The Author&#39;s Publishing Playbook, is now available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven&#39;t grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15To sign up for the All About Memoir webinar on the 11th of May, go to: <a href="https://www.biancamarais.com/all-about-memoir.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.biancamarais.com/all-about-memoir.html</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

Fiona Williams

Choosing the Best POVs for a Multi-POV Novel

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/2/20/13399646-80a2-4e52-966b-d8f72069d74c_158_with_mary.mp3

In today&#39;s Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly and CeCe discuss choosing a unique title for your work; having a strong plot connection between your main characters in a multi POV novel; avoiding situations where the agent has to make too many assumptions in a query; choosing between italics and dialogue tags when having a character talk to themselves; balancing interiority so as not to leak tension; framing your story in a way that is accurate to your work; connecting external stakes to plot points; centering the reader in a memoir query; and CeCe&#39;s tension song!Bianca then interviews NYT bestselling author, Mary Kubica, about her latest novel, She&#39;s Not Sorry. The two discuss the thriller genre; readers’ fascination with the domestic suspense genre; how Mary approaches structure and the creation of tension; how personal universal elements can connect readers to characters; tackling the 50% chunk of Act II; writing an &#39;authentic&#39; twist that doesn&#39;t make the reader feel manipulated; strategies for hiding clues in plain sight; and advice for thriller and domestic suspense writers.Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>More information about Mary can be found at: <a href="https://marykubica.com/" rel="nofollow">https://marykubica.com/</a>She&#39;s also on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/marykubica/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/marykubica/</a> and on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryKubica" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/MaryKubica</a>Carly&#39;s course for writers, The Author&#39;s Publishing Playbook, is now available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven&#39;t grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15To book for CeCe&#39;s upcoming Writing Tension Webinar on the 11th of April, go to: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_B9m5eRJIT_uxiVrUte381g#/registrationNote: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency. Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

Insights from Mary Kubica

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/3/16/23/760c0a7c-fc1a-4284-8078-d6348428a579_157_with_jo_piazza.mp3

In today&#39;s Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe discuss keeping your author bio paragraph concise; the need for causality in a plot paragraph; paying attention to the language you use in a query so you don&#39;t create confusion surrounding the book&#39;s premise; knowing who your protagonist is and highlighting their interiority and inner life over other characters&#39;; the stakes in rom-coms; centering your protagonist&#39;s experience; making plot details realistic so your readers are on board with them; avoiding pages that seem crafted for the reader; and the &#39;blank canvas protagonist&#39; issue. After which, Carly interviews award-winning journalist and bestselling author, Jo Piazza. They discuss Jo&#39;s upcoming novel, The Sicilian Inheritance; how she decided on a dual POV/dual timeline structure; whether Jo is a plotter or a pantser, and how she approaches her first draft; mirroring current themes in historical fiction; what a &#39;book club&#39; book is; weaving elements of personal life into her work; how Jo views herself as a creator; the idea of letting fiction lead the way; the process of film and TV adaptations; and Jo&#39;s advice for emerging writers. Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>More information about Jo can be found at <a href="https://www.jopiazza.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.jopiazza.com/</a>She&#39;s also on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jopiazzaauthor" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/jopiazzaauthor</a>and on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/jopiazza" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/jopiazza</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

Jo Piazza - The Sicilian Inheritance

Defining Book Club Fiction

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/4/3/19/1a26c4bc-5ffa-4afc-b8a6-421791d18a2b_march_edited_bonus_-_correction.mp3

In this month’s bonus episode, Bianca interviews game designer, curator, and writer, Holly Gramazio to discuss her debut novel, The Husbands. The two discuss Holly&#39;s journey to publication; the novel’s inspiration and genre; how game design lends itself to novel writing; how she structured the novel; the importance of causality; Holly&#39;s approach to POV; and whether she feels pressure to write future novels in the same genre.After which Emilie Sommer of East City Bookshop provides the invaluable service of suggesting comp titles to our listeners.If you’re looking for our usual Q&amp;A segment, that now gets published as part of our end of the month Substack newsletter. Subscribe to get access to that, and so much more, for free: <a href="https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com/" rel="nofollow">https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com/</a> Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>To connect with Emilie Sommer go to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/emiliegsommer/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/emiliegsommer/</a> and you can find East City Bookshop at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/eastcitybookshop/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/eastcitybookshop/</a>More information about Holly can be found at <a href="https://www.hollygramazio.net/" rel="nofollow">https://www.hollygramazio.net/</a>She&#39;s also on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/holly_gramazio/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/holly_gramazio/</a> and Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/hollygramazio" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/hollygramazio</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

Holly Gramazio - The Husbands

March Bonus Episode

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/3/13/11/d650c435-c6e4-433e-92b3-f9fcd5f0f690_156_with_garrard_conley.mp3

In today&#39;s Books with Hooks, Carly, CeCe, and Bianca are joined by Ron, to discuss his query submission. They chat about Ron&#39;s curiosity-inducing first query paragraph; the line between giving away too much plot and sharing just enough in a query; how subjective agents’ opinions can be; the right emotional calibration within your characters; the issue with having too many names in opening pages; ways authors share the socio-emotional frameworks of their characters; balancing interiority with explanation and exposition; the difference between emotionality, interiority, and &#39;telling&#39;; and the idea of putting characters in situations that will reveal the right things about them.After which, Bianca interviews Garrard Conley, professor, and New York Times bestselling author of the memoir, Boy Erased. They discuss All the World Beside; the letter to the reader in the advanced copy; Gerrard&#39;s unconventional journey to the publication with Boy Erased; the role of luck in the industry; whether Garrard had a large platform/following when he published his memoir; subjectivity of agents and publishers; Garrard&#39;s process in writing his latest book; the benefits of researching, even when some of the information doesn&#39;t make it into the final work; the number of edits Garrard went through before he produced his final draft; and the idea of &#39;jazz hands writing&#39; versus simplistic emotional truth.Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>More information about Garrard can be found at: <a href="https://garrardconley.com/biography" rel="nofollow">https://garrardconley.com/biography</a>He&#39;s also on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gayrodcon/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/gayrodcon/</a>Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/gayrodcon" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/gayrodcon</a>and Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/garrardc/" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/garrardc/</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

Garrard Conley

How Research Should Inform a Novel Without Leaving Too Many Fingerprints

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/3/5/22/af13f93d-8053-4d68-a1b5-527c7422e8eb_155_with_johnny_compton.mp3

In today&#39;s Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe  discuss the need for external pressure in your major dramatic question; the three sets of questions that create tension at the beginning of a story; surprising your reader in your first five pages; the accuracy of third party manuscript wishlists; the need for world-building in a fantasy query; being too vague in your query; the concept of the &#39;new adult&#39; genre; thinking about readers&#39; expectations for certain types of stories; making sure that characters who appear in opening scenes are essential; and the importance of emotionality and interiority in your main character.After which, Bianca interviews Johnny Compton about his debut novel, The Spite House. The two chat about the psychology behind reading and writing horror fiction; the heavy-lifting that horror expects of its audience; the world-building that&#39;s involved; the idea of not needing an explanation for everything; how Johnny balances curiosity seeds and tension without &#39;cheating&#39; the reader; the social commentary that Johnny weaves into his novel; and Johnny&#39;s advice for writing very young characters.Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>More information about Johnny can be found at <a href="https://johnnycompton.com/" rel="nofollow">https://johnnycompton.com</a>He&#39;s also on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/comptonwrites" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/comptonwrites</a>and Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/comptonwrites" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/comptonwrites</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

Horror Fiction with Johnny Compton

Balancing Curiosity Seeds and Tension Without Making the Reader Feel Cheated

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/3/13/10/02cd956c-e8f6-4c66-b3f1-61d605d93c80_154_with_liz_and_kate.mp3

In today&#39;s Books with Hooks segment, Carly, CeCe, and Bianca are joined by two acquisitions editors at Atria Books, Elizabeth Hitti and Melanie Iglesias. Melanie is a senior editor at Atria Books and has worked on various bestselling titles, including It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover. Elizabeth joined Atria in 2022 and has worked on various bestselling titles as well as The Crescent Moon Tea Room by Stacy Sivinski, a Simon and Schuster Top Shelf Pick for this fall.The four discuss the difficulties associated with writing a query with a larger cast of characters; the importance of having an overarching reason for having a large cast and why their worlds are colliding; whether publisher interest in historical fiction is waning; an example of how to make a hook punchier; the importance on having a strong sense of place; and the need for interiority to be realistic to your character.After which, Bianca interviews Kate Hilton and Elizabeth Renzetti, co-authors of Bury the Lead. They discuss how Liz and Kate&#39;s joint project came about; tackling the challenges of collaborating with another author, particularly when it comes to two established authors; the drafting process; keeping track of details like how characters and settings look; when descriptions are necessary and when they don&#39;t make sense; and whether or not Kate and Liz work with separate agents for their collaborative works.Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>More information about Elizabeth can be found at: <a href="https://www.elizabethrenzetti.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.elizabethrenzetti.com/</a> She&#39;s also on Twitter at: <a href="https://twitter.com/lizrenzetti" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/lizrenzetti</a> and on Instagram at: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lizrenzetti/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/lizrenzetti/</a>More information about Kate can be found at: <a href="https://www.katehilton.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.katehilton.com/</a>She&#39;s also on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KateHiltonAuthor/" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/KateHiltonAuthor/</a> and on Instagram at: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/katehiltonbooks/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/katehiltonbooks/</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

Liz Renzetti and Kate Hilton

Insights from Acquisitions Editors & Working on Author Collaborations

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/2/18/16/73d0dbdf-bedf-41e5-938a-551f423ca39b_153_with_maura_cheeks.mp3

In today&#39;s Books with Hooks segment, Bianca, Carly and CeCe discuss the importance of specifying between awards for published and unpublished manuscripts; the difficulty with trying to sell a book whose main character’s race and culture differs from the author’s lived experience; the need for a main character’s interiority to accurately reflect their age; including specifics in your plot paragraph; being explicit with your stakes; including information that shows the relationship dynamics between your protagonist and others; and the need to start your story in the right place.After which, Bianca interviews writer and essayist, Maura Cheeks. They discuss Maura&#39;s debut novel, Acts of Forgiveness; intentionality with the novel&#39;s timeline; Maura&#39;s journey to publication; the reasons for the delay in publishing Acts of Forgiveness; the extent to which Maura&#39;s submission pitch aligns with the published book; the research process; writing a dual timeline as a debut novel; and incorporating news stories and speeches as exposition.Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>More information about Maura can be found at: <a href="https://www.mauracheeks.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.mauracheeks.com/</a>She&#39;s also on Twitter at: <a href="https://twitter.com/mauracheeks?lang=en" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/mauracheeks?lang=en</a> and Instagram at:  <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mauracheeks/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/mauracheeks/</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

Maura Cheeks

Being Intentional With Your Novel's Timeline

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/2/23/13/533ca9c6-33cc-4e83-87d3-05d754fbede7_february_bonus.mp3

In today&#39;s Bumper February Bonus Episode, Bianca kicks it off by interviewing interviews tech anthropologist and author, Nikki Payne. They discuss her latest novel, Sex, Lies, and Sensibility, a retelling of the classic, Sense and Sensibility; how Nikki approached writing her retelling, one which specifically centred diversity; decentering whiteness in the romance genre; Nikki&#39;s experience using sensitivity readers; how much &#39;shorthand&#39; you can use when writing a retelling; reframing scandal in the modern world; and Nikki&#39;s clever way of introducing backstory.After which Bianca interviews author Jessica Bull, author Miss Austen Investigates. They discuss Jessica&#39;s inspiration for her series and her journey to publication; the length of her work and how she pitched it with series potential; the process of writing real characters while also making up other aspects to the novel; how creating a ticking time bomb helped Jessica in creating tension and upping the stakes; and how Jessica managed to straddle genres when writing.Then, Bianca interviews returning guest, Samantha M. Bailey, author of Woman on the Edge and Watch Out for Her. They discuss Samantha&#39;s latest novel, A Friend in the Dark; the myth that novel writing becomes easier with each new book; the new challenges that Samantha faced in her latest novel; how she successfully broke the rules with her prologue; making the opening pages compelling even though the protagonist is alone for most of them; when you purposefully leave out a second POV in the novel’s flap copy; and why she chose to structure her characters&#39; interactions partially through DMs on Facebook. Finally, Emilie Sommer of East City Bookshop provides the invaluable service of suggesting comp titles to our listeners.If you’re looking for our usual Q&amp;A segment, that now gets published as part of our end of the month Substack newsletter. Subscribe to get access to that, and so much more, for free: <a href="https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com/" rel="nofollow">https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com/</a> Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">ww.cecilialyra.com</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>To connect with Emilie Sommer go to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/emiliegsommer/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/emiliegsommer/</a> and you can find East City Bookshop at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/eastcitybookshop/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/eastcitybookshop/</a>More information about Nikki can be found at: <a href="https://www.nikkipaynebooks.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.nikkipaynebooks.com/</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

Nikki Payne, Jessica Bull & Samantha M. Bailey

Bumper February Bonus Episode

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/2/12/0/21289654-ea42-4c61-90ab-de4e15501b06_152_with_donna_hemmans.mp3

In today&#39;s Books with Hooks segment, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe are joined by emerging author, Sarah. They discuss ways to make a novel sound less quiet in a query; the necessity of a hook; when it&#39;s acceptable to comp to a hugely successful novel; how to convey a longer timeline; how to share pivotal plot points in a query without spoiling the novel; and what made Sarah&#39;s pages particularly special.After which, Bianca interviews Donna Hemans, author of The House of Plain Truth. They discuss the DC Writers&#39; Room; Donna&#39;s journey to publication; putting some ideas on the shelf until you&#39;re ready to do them justice; not being so rigid with the structure of your work that you hold your story back; deciding when to change your agent; and approaching characterization and backstory. Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>More information about Donna can be found at: <a href="https://www.donnahemans.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.donnahemans.com/</a>She&#39;s also on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/donna_hemans" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/donna_hemans</a> and Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/donna_hemans" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/donna_hemans</a>  Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

A Podcast for Writers

How Some Stories Need You to Become a Better Writer Before Telling Them

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/2/3/17/bad07093-6d6e-4ba2-a0c5-c199e2dedce6_151_with_robin_oliveira.mp3

In today&#39;s Books with Hooks, Bianca, CeCe, and Carly discuss small tweaks for an overall &#39;fantastic&#39; query; a good example of framing and planting curiosity seeds; starting a novel with a scene where the protagonist is waking up; being careful about word choice in a query; being mindful of when you&#39;re being vague vs specific; and the importance of showing inner life in your characters.After which, Bianca interviews NYT&#39;s bestselling author, Robin Oliveira. They discuss Robin&#39;s latest novel, A Wild and Heavenly Place; how long it took her to write; the importance of the research trip to Scotland that Robin took; keeping the &#39;intention&#39; of a novel centred while writing; torturing your characters, especially in Act Two; leveraging different types of conflict; how cutting plot points is like unravelling a thread, and strategies for &#39;pulling the thread&#39; successfully; and how to know when a book is finished.Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>More information about Robin can be found at: <a href="https://www.robinoliveira.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.robinoliveira.com/</a> and she can be found on Instagram at: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/Robin_Oliveira_Author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/Robin_Oliveira_Author/</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

Torturing Your Characters in the Second Act

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/1/23/15/4aa1dc5d-3ac1-47bc-9c89-6c014329038a_150_with_elba_iris_perez.mp3

In today&#39;s Books with Hooks, Bianca, CeCe, and Carly critique an upmarket/southern-gothic query and a book club romance. They discuss a &#34;perfect&#34; first query paragraph; the importance of accurate framing in a query; when a content warning is necessary; tips for elevating your line level writing along with examples of sophisticated writing; writing protagonists&#39; thoughts in a realistic way; mistakes writers make that make their writing appear less polished; and examples of how to build curiosity into your pages.After which, Bianca interviews Elba Iris Pérez, debut author of The Things We Didn&#39;t Know. They discuss Elba&#39;s winning of the Simon and Schuster &#34;Books Like Us&#34; award and Elba&#39;s subsequent journey to publication; the benefit of taking writing courses; writing magazines as good resources for finding contests; immersing readers in scenes that are unfamiliar to them; and writing children in first person in a convincing manner.Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>More information about Elba can be found at: <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Elba-Iris-Perez/195715113" rel="nofollow">https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Elba-Iris-Perez/195715113</a>She&#39;s also on Twitter at: <a href="https://twitter.com/elbaip?lang=en" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/elbaip?lang=en</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

Elba Iris Perez

How Writing Contests Can Help Launch Your Career

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/1/19/22/3826a4f6-7ec3-47fe-9ed2-8252d237d9af_149_with_ali_and_kiley.mp3

In today&#39;s Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe discuss the need for specificity with regard to plot details when you have a more psychological book/concept; avoiding too much backstory in the opening pages; the need for your first chapter to be as strong as your prologue (if you have one); being as specific about your genre as possible; and how emotionality adds layers to your work. After which, we have two author interviews. Bianca first interviews NYT bestselling Ali Hazelwood, author of Bride and The Love Hypothesis. They discuss how Ali started writing fanfiction; the unconventional way she got her agent; Ali&#39;s submission experience with The Love Hypothesis; reader fascination with vampires and werewolves; how Ali tackled world-building in Bride; writing an &#39;alpha male&#39; trope that still aligns with feminism; how Ali approached making her prickly main character more sympathetic; and Ali&#39;s advice for writing steamy scenes. After which Bianca interviews Kiley Reid, author of the NYT bestseller, Such a Fun Age, and her latest, Come &amp; Get It. They discuss Kiley&#39;s journey to publication; her choice of inciting incident for both of her novels; how she successfully &#39;broke the rules&#39; with regards to character introduction in the first chapter; her strategies for writing authentic dialogue; leaning into specificity through action beats within dialogue; Kiley&#39;s &#39;signature move&#39; involving the introduction of backstory; and tips for writing a quieter novel, but with strong, &#39;loud&#39; undercurrents.Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a> Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>More information about Ali can be found at: <a href="https://alihazelwood.com/" rel="nofollow">https://alihazelwood.com/</a>She&#39;s also on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/alihazelwood/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/alihazelwood/?hl=en</a>Kiley is on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kileyreid/?hl=en" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/kileyreid/?hl=en</a> and on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/kileyreid" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/kileyreid</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

Insights from NYT Bestselling Authors, Ali Hazelwood and Kiley Reid

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/1/25/14/0aedd32a-7dae-426e-b276-7ff801c3bd34_january_bonus.mp3

In today&#39;s January Bonus Episode, Bianca interviews Jami Attenberg, author of 1000 Words: A Writer&#39;s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round. They discuss Jami&#39;s 1000 Words of Summer newsletter and the idea of being a good literary citizen; the essays from Jami&#39;s latest work; writing for other reasons than to get published; remembering why you write; battling with imposter syndrome; the false concept of an expiration date as a writer; writing as strength-training; the need to live in order to write; and why writing isn’t a process that has to be efficient.After which Bianca interviews Jo Salas, author of Mrs. Lowe-Porter. They discuss the inspiration and research behind Jo&#39;s latest novel; the challenges of writing a character with dementia and how life experiences can lend themselves to writing; how Jo balanced the use of historical source materials and fictional representations; one of the chapters in Jo&#39;s novel where a fictional character has a conversation with the woman writing her; the struggle to make your writing a priority; and Jo&#39;s non-traditional journey to publication.Finally, Emilie Sommer of East City Bookshop provides the invaluable service of suggesting comp titles to our listeners.If you’re looking for our usual Q&amp;A segment, that now gets published as part of our end of the month Substack newsletter. Subscribe to get access to that, and so much for free: <a href="https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com/" rel="nofollow">https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com/</a> Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and w<a href="http://ww.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">w</a><a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">w.cecilialyra.com</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>To connect with Emilie Sommer go to <a href="https://www.instagram.com/emiliegsommer/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/emiliegsommer/</a> and you can find East City Bookshop at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/eastcitybookshop/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/eastcitybookshop/</a>More information about Jami can be found at <a href="https://www.jamiattenberg.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.jamiattenberg.com</a> She&#39;s also on Instagram at <a href="http://www.instagram.com/jamiattenberg" rel="nofollow">http://www.instagram.com/jamiattenberg</a> and Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/jamiattenberg" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/jamiattenberg</a>More information about Jo can be found at <a href="https://josalas.com/" rel="nofollow">https://josalas.com/</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

January Bonus Episode

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/1/15/12/8ecc3cd8-3b8a-4140-a779-75ee64c649e3_148_with_laurie_frankel.mp3

In today&#39;s Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe are joined by guest listener, Erica. They discuss the need to illustrate external plot points within a query letter, even if the book is more quiet/internal; using plot as scaffolding for the emotionality within your novel; the need for propulsiveness in a query and plot; figuring out how to describe your climax when it includes various subplots; how having a strong, definitive hook makes it easier to write a query letter; letting your story speak for itself rather than trying to shoehorn it into a different genre; the purpose of prologues (when they work); and specificity within a character&#39;s thoughts.After which, Bianca interviews Laurie Frankel, author of Family Family. They discuss the importance of creating unique character names; writing a novel that&#39;s full of nuggets of wisdom without being trite; sticking to one draft instead of choosing a different one that&#39;s easier; Laurie&#39;s approach to editing; what a leap of faith writing a novel is; and Laurie&#39;s use of third person close POV and how this can get a writer even closer to their characters than first person.Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>More information about Laurie can be found at: <a href="https://www.lauriefrankel.net/" rel="nofollow">https://www.lauriefrankel.net/</a>She&#39;s also on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/laurie.frankel/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/laurie.frankel/</a> and Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/laurie_frankel?lang=en" rel="nofollow">https://twitter.com/laurie_frankel?lang=en</a> Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

How the Close Third Person POV Can Get You Closer Than First Person

https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/pod-public-media-files/2024/1/15/17/502cb6e9-e9cc-4d2e-9a09-11a1909dddcf_147_with_veera.mp3

In today&#39;s Books with Hooks, CeCe and Carly discuss what agents look for with a resubmission; the issue with starting with themes in a query letter; the need for your plot and stakes to have a &#39;domino&#39; effect; infusing character description with emotionality; the need for specificity in plot points; the standards for literary fiction writing; the ever-present need for active emotions and interiority; and the subjectivity of the industry and taste in novels.After which, Bianca chats with Middle Grade author and former Simon &amp; Schuster editor, Veera Hiranandani about her MG novels, A Night Diary, and its companion novel, Amil and the After. They discuss the age range of MG; what it’s like to write in this genre vs other age categories; a sequel vs a companion book; how illustrations can help inform a character’s arc; working with an illustrator; production costs of having illustrations; writing about difficult subject matter for children; and the biggest mistakes MG authors make.Find us on our socials:Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">@TSNOTYAW</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/biancam_author" rel="nofollow">@BiancaM_author</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/carlywatters" rel="nofollow">@carlywatters</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ceciliaclyra" rel="nofollow">@ceciliaclyra</a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/" rel="nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/</a>Facebook:  <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAW</a>Websites: <a href="http://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/" rel="nofollow">www.theshitaboutwriting.com</a>, <a href="http://www.biancamarais.com/" rel="nofollow">www.biancamarais.com</a>, <a href="http://www.carlywatters.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carlywatters.com</a> and <a href="http://www.cecilialyra.com/" rel="nofollow">www.cecilialyra.com</a>To ask a question, go to: <a href="https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW" rel="nofollow">https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW</a>Bookshop.org affiliate page: <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting" rel="nofollow">https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting</a>More information about Veera can be found at <a href="https://www.veerahiranandani.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.veerahiranandani.com/</a>. She’s on Instagram <a href="https://instagram.com/veerawrites" rel="nofollow">@veerawrites</a> and Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/veerahira" rel="nofollow">@veerahira</a>. Our Sponsors: * Check out undefined and use my code TODAY for a great deal: undefined * Check out undefined and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: undefined Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a>

The Dos and Don’ts When Writing For Children

Monthly TSNOTYAW subscribers get access to Carly and CeCe's written critiques as discussed on each week's Books with Hooks, as well as additional content such as author's query letters, etc. 

This is a podcast for emerging writers who want to improve the quality of their work and learn more about the publishing industry. Your one host, Bianca Marais (the bestselling author of 'The Witches of Moonshyne Manor') interviews authors, agents, editors and just about anyone and everyone who's involved in bringing a book to market. She's joined by her cohosts, literary agents Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra from P.S. Literary Agency, who read and critique query letters as well as opening pages in their Books with Hooks segment. Expect good advice, honest insights, and a few laughs along the way.