In this podcast, the hosts critique listener query letters, discuss the importance of character movement and interiority, and give line-level writing advice. They also interview author Jillian Cantor about writing across genres, finding the right agent, and writing retellings. Overall, they provide valuable insights for aspiring writers.
Characters need to physically move around to avoid too much interiority and not enough plot.
Writing across genres can expand a writer's abilities and teach valuable skills.
Clear storytelling in query letters and opening pages includes specificity, avoiding spoilers, and engaging the reader through action.
Deep dives
Podcast Summary
The podcast episode discusses the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle during busy times, like the holiday season. It emphasizes the role of proper nutrition in staying energized and focused. The podcast introduces Factor, a ready-to-eat meal delivery service that offers chef-prepared, dietitian-approved meals. It highlights the convenience and time-saving benefits of using Factor to eat well and stay on track with one's healthy lifestyle. The podcast also mentions the availability of gourmet options and lunch-to-go meals, as well as additional wellness boosts like cold press juices and smoothies.
Writing Style Discussion
The podcast episode explores the writing style of query letters and first pages and provides feedback on several examples. The hosts discuss the importance of concise and engaging query letters, offering suggestions for condensing and improving the structure of the letters. They also analyze the content of sample queries, pointing out areas that require more clarity or connection to the protagonist. Additionally, they touch upon the merits of plotting and discovering the story while writing versus having a more detailed outline. They praise the unique and intricate plot of "The Fiction Writer", a book discussed in one of the queries.
Guest Interview: Gillian Cantor
The podcast welcomes best-selling author Gillian Cantor, known for writing across various genres, including rom-coms, historical fiction, suspense, and literary fiction. The hosts discuss how Gillian's ability to write different genres challenges the publishing industry's tendency to categorize authors. They touch on the importance of finding the right agent who supports and champions the author's diverse interests. Gillian shares insights into her writing process, including her preference for discovering the plot as she writes and her inspiration for retelling classic stories from different perspectives. The episode highlights Gillian's latest novel, "The Fiction Writer", a thrilling narrative filled with stories within stories.
The importance of clear storytelling
The podcast episode discusses the importance of clear storytelling in a query letter and the opening pages of a novel. The speakers emphasize the need for specificity and avoiding spoilers while maintaining a professional and polished tone. They also highlight the significance of engaging the reader through action and physical movement instead of excessive interiority. Additionally, they explore the importance of stage direction and effective use of characters in creating a well-paced and captivating story.
Crafting compelling prologues and novel excerpts
The podcast episode dives into the creation of prologues and novel excerpts that serve as engaging storytelling tools. The speakers discuss the power of prologues in setting a suspenseful tone, building mystery, and introducing key elements of the story. They emphasize the importance of balancing actions, emotions, and opinions in capturing the voice and perspective of the narrator. Furthermore, they explore the use of novel excerpts as a means to add depth, intertextuality, and an additional layer of mystery to the overall narrative.
In today's Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly and CeCe critique two listener query letters, one fantasy and one middle-grade fiction. During which, they discuss the need for characters to physically move around and the idea that a lack of movement might mean too much interiority and not enough plot; the need for interiority to match point of view; Bianca gives line level writing advice about phrasing; the idea of your protagonist being the 'sun' in your novel and other characters the 'planets'; the difference between specificity and spoilers in a query; and comparison as a way to build character.
After which, Bianca interviews Jillian Cantor, author of The Fiction Writer. The two discuss the freedom and ability to write across genres; the importance of finding the right agent for you; what writing different genres can teach you as a writer; writing retellings; how the prologue of Jillian's latest novel came to be; using epistolary elements; and Jillian's advice for writers trying to break into the industry.
Our Sponsors: * Check out Quince: https://quince.com/tsnotyaw * Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com
