Johnny Hobson, a podcast listener, joins Carly and CeCe to discuss query letters and writing techniques. They talk about avoiding a synopsis-heavy query, showing the protagonism of a main character, breaking down love scenes, starting a novel in a non-ideal situation, and writing alternate history. Karma Brown, author of What Wild Women Do, discusses the novel's idea, outlining, getting feedback, epistolary elements, dual POV structure, and positive self-talk.
Outlining helps writers ensure their story has legs and identify potential flaws early on.
Balancing creative freedom and publisher expectations can be challenging for authors.
The structure of a novel, including alternating points of view and the use of source materials, can greatly impact the reader's experience.
Deep dives
Overview of the Main Ideas
The podcast episode discusses the creative process of writing and the challenges authors face in developing ideas. The host and guest share their experiences with coming up with book ideas and how they often go through multiple iterations before finding the right concept. The importance of outlining and having a clear structure is emphasized, allowing authors to identify potential flaws or plot holes early on. The conversation also touches on the freedom that comes with being an author and the ability to explore different genres and themes without being constrained by expectations.
Exploring the Creative Process
The podcast delves into the creative process of writing a book, highlighting the messy and often exploratory nature of developing ideas. The guest shares how she went through various iterations and synopsis attempts before settling on the final concept for her novel. The importance of having a framework or outline is discussed, allowing authors to see early on if a particular idea will work or if adjustments are needed. The conversation also explores the challenge of balancing creative freedom with the expectations of publishers, especially when working under a two-book deal or author branding.
Structuring a Novel: Breaking the Rules
The episode delves into the structure of the novel and the decisions the author made regarding dual points of view (POV) and alternating chapters. While alternating chapters is often recommended to avoid attachment to a single character, the guest chose to break this rule and presented five chapters from one character's perspective before switching to the other. The challenges and benefits of this approach are discussed, along with the importance of considering the flow and impact on the reader. The discussion also touches on the importance of setting as a character and how it can enhance the storytelling and reader experience.
Alternate POVs and the Challenge of Converging Timelines
The author initially planned to alternate between the two main characters' points of view in the novel but soon realized it wouldn't work for this story. Instead, she wrote all of Rowan's chapters first and then all of Eddie's chapters. This allowed her to delve deeper into each character's story and set the stage for their eventual convergence. The chapter order was rearranged multiple times, using the writing software Scribner, until the flow felt right and the alternating timelines seamlessly intertwined.
The Role of Source Materials in Connecting Past and Present
To create a connection between the past and present timelines, the author incorporated source materials in the form of excerpts from Camp Calloway's Wild Woman Handbook, written by Eddie. This handbook becomes a link between the modern-day protagonist, Rowan, and Eddie from the past. It includes Eddie's wisdom, sketches, and even recipes, serving as a lasting memory of the camp. The idea for the handbook came after much brainstorming and discussions with editors and agents to find the perfect element to bridge the gap between the two timelines.
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.
