Crafting Character Backstories and Surprising Plot Twists

In today'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'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's pages particularly special.

After which, Bianca interviews Donna Hemans, author of The House of Plain Truth. They discuss the DC Writers' Room; Donna's journey to publication; putting some ideas on the shelf until you'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.

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