On today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are joined by podcast listener, Johnny Hobson. While reviewing his query letter, they discuss avoiding a synopsis-heavy query; the importance of showing the protagonism of a main character in a query; breaking down the mechanics of a love scene to reflect reality; the issue with starting a novel in a place where everything is going well; and some of the nuances in writing an alternate history.

After which, Bianca interviews Karma Brown, author of What Wild Women Do. They discuss the idea for the novel; how outlining can help you be certain that a story has legs; the pros and cons of getting feedback early in the drafting and outlining process; the epistolary elements in the book; deciding how best to structure a dual POV story in which the two characters will never be on the page together; and the importance of positive self-talk.

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Episode 249: Stick With Me