Exploring the Critical to Compassionate Spectrum

Aug 21, 2025

The hosts dive deeply into a historical mystery query, emphasizing the importance of clarity and character depth. They analyze how a strong prologue can enhance atmosphere and internal conflict. Later, discussions shift to the compassionate vs. critical spectrum in character development, showcasing how characters' thoughts can drive engagement. Personal anecdotes on language learning and health awareness offer practical tips for creative growth. Their candid critique of a fantasy manuscript highlights vivid world-building and the essential balance of tension in storytelling.

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ADVICE

Make Reader Curiosity Your North Star

Make readers curious by infusing tension, conflict, and stakes in your story.
Use formulas and craftable techniques to build sustained reader curiosity.

ADVICE

Check If The Title Misleads Genre

Avoid titles that read nonfiction when your book is fiction and consider stronger, clearer alternatives.
Make sure your title signals genre and tone instead of echoing popular nonfiction phrasing.

INSIGHT

Two Worlds Need One Clear Thread

Pairing two intriguing worlds requires a clear connective plot thread in the query.
Without a clear link, readers perceive two separate stories rather than one cohesive mystery.

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In this episode of Books with Hooks, hosts Bianca, Carly, and CeCe dive into a query for the historical mystery ‘A Body at Rest', exploring the impact of its title, the clarity of its plot threads, and how well the characters’ interiority comes through. They also assess the effectiveness of the prologue and discuss how to strengthen character development. Later, CeCe introduces a second query—this time for an epic fantasy—which sparks a conversation about what makes a strong pitch and where writers often stumble.

Note: Cece Lyra is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates. If you’d like to query CeCe, please refer to the submission guidelines at www.wsherman.com. Carly Watters is a literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency, but her work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly on this podcast are solely that of her as a podcast co-host and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

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