The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

In today's Books With Hooks, Carly and CeCe look at two critiques each, discussing the importance of using sharp specifics and strong interiority; ensuring there’s tension and stakes in the first pages; having distinct character voices; dropping hints but leaving them unanswered; challenges with omniscient POV; keeping all the metadata together in one paragraph; stories within stories slowing down the pacing; leaning into complicated emotions and revealing contradictions from the get-go; and making intentional stylistic choices, especially in literary fiction.After which, Bianca chats with Amita Parikh, author of The Circus Train, about choosing comps; hitting the sweet spot to get agents’ attention; what to do if you keep getting rejections; adding tension and conflict and stakes to a novel that’s not working; writing at a scene and chapter level; writing historical events as a backdrop, not a history lesson; and not allowing your character to have the benefit of your hindsight when dealing with historical times/events.Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writingFacebook: @tsnotyawWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting, www.biancamarais.com and www.carlywatters.com Amita can be found at www.amitaparikh.com and on Instagram at @amita_parikh Our Sponsors:* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe each look at one submitted query letter, after which they each discuss a query letter that they ended up representing as an example of what grabs their attention. They discuss redacted titles; explaining POV in a query letter; putting the hook front and center; coincidences in the story; too much internal and not enough external in the first pages; dual POV in a query letter; tension leaks and starting with proper interiority and not narration.After which, Bianca chats with Felicity George, author of A Lady's Risk , about regency romance and what the genre is; how she tackles getting the language of that era correct; her novel’s inciting incident and the key event; Felicity's reasoning for her POV choice; and her road to publication.Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writingFacebook: @tsnotyawWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting, www.biancamarais.com and www.carlywatters.com Felicity can be found at www.felicitygeorgeauthor.wordpress.com, on Instagram at @FelicityGeorge_romance and Twitter at @elizabethwelkeOur Sponsors:* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In today's Bonus Episode, Carly and CeCe answer all your questions and Emilie Sommer from East City Book Shop gives you comp titles. After which, CeCe chats with Susie Yang, author of White Ivy, which was a Books with Hooks Book Club pick in the spring.CeCe and Susie discuss fairytale elements and omniscient POV; how suspicious writers make the best writers; what it’s like to work with an editor after getting a book deal; Susie's experience as a debut author; craft resources she uses; writing many different versions to get to the right one; and having an unsettling ending. Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writingFacebook: @tsnotyawWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting, www.biancamarais.com and www.carlywatters.com Susie can be found at www.susiebooks.com and on Instagram and Twitter at @susieyyang Our Sponsors:* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In today's Books with Hooks, Jael Richardson (author of Gutter Child) joins Carly and CeCe to critique query letters. During the segment, they discuss starting in the right place; using time stamps to make it easier for the reader to ground themselves; ensuring there’s interiority with the narrating character; the web effect in query letters; clarifying the emotionality of the main character; teasing the tone/vibe of the book in the query letter; starting a book with a letter; ensuring your query letter voice matches what’s in the pages; and how to make good choices about where you begin and how you get there.After which, Bianca chats with Christina Romeril, author of A Christmas Candy Killing, about the expectations of cozy mysteries; using Pinterest for inspiration; using a map for your setting to help maintain consistency; creative writing procrastination; using the resources available to become a better writer; setting up red herrings, planting clues, etc; and using a spouse or friend to help with accuracy in details. Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writingFacebook: @tsnotyawWebsite: www.biancamarais.com and www.theshitaboutwriting.Christina can be found at www.christinaromeril.com and on Instagram at @christinaromerilwriterOur Sponsors:* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are joined by Jennifer and David, two authors who submitted their work for consideration. During the segment, they discuss whether you should have themes in a query letter; query letter vs proposal for memoirs; having something happening every five pages; letting the reader ask the question before you answer it as the author; keeping passive plot points out of the query letter; showing connections between important characters; showing a very clear goal in the opening pages;  using an emotional entryway into the story; adding another clue every time you dangle the carrot for the reader; the contrast between vague thoughts and specific visuals;  creating a synopsis for your first five pages; and goal and power imbalance, and giving very clear reasons/stakes below the surface in the opening pages.After which, Bianca chats with Jordan Aaronson, a Marketing Manager for the Penguin Publishing Group at Penguin Random House. They discuss what a marketing manager does at a big publishing house; the acquisitions process in a publishing house; how important comps are at the acquisition stage; factors considered when deciding on advances; the importance of platforms; how important TikTok can be authors; the difference between marketing and PR; how marketing and PR budgets are decided; trends in the market; how to stand out to publishers to make them want to buy your book; advice for emerging writers; and how publishing is changing for the better.Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writingFacebook: @tsnotyawWebsite: www.biancamarais.com and www.theshitaboutwriting.Leftie's podcast can be found at: https://leftie-aubes-writing-podcast.simplecast.com/  Our Sponsors:* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe each review two query letters, in the process discussing overexplaining and taking the readers out of the scene; leaning into your scene from a reader’s perspective; having a very clear idea of the major dramatic question that is specific to the protagonist’s plot journey; prioritizing a character's interiority over their noticing other characters’ reactions to things; avoiding head-hopping; ensuring specific details are where they need to be placed; starting in the right place; making sure your character has a goal of some sort in the opening pages; connecting with zingy social commentary in a story; and  integrating setup within the action of the story.After which, Bianca chats with Richard Osman, multi-million copy bestselling author of The Thursday Murder Club series, about why his novels have appealed to such a wide demographic; how he came up with his premise; why he chose the POV structure for the novel that he did; writing social commentary subtly; techniques for making readers connect with so-called unlikeable characters. Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writingFacebook: @tsnotyawWebsite: www.biancamarais.com and www.theshitaboutwriting.Richard can be found at @richardosman on Twitter.Leftie's podcast can be found at: https://leftie-aubes-writing-podcast.simplecast.com/Our Sponsors:* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe discuss being clear about your age category and details of the plot; keeping the query letter short; fleshing out character dynamics and not focusing too much on worldbuilding; connecting with a character, as opposed to the world, in the opening pages; a children’s picture book query letter; including some illustrator notes; exploring darker themes in a picture book; symbolism in children’s books; kidlit411.com; using lists in query letters; keeping the metadata at the top of the letter; having a domino effect in the query letter; including active emotion in the opening pages; and adding surprise to your pages.After which Bianca chats with NYT bestselling Jonathan Evison, author of Small World, about the process of writing a very complex 400+ page novel; writing outside the purview of your personal experience and using sensitivity readers; understanding others’ experiences through empathy and showing that in your writing; the research that goes into huge books that span generations; how to narrow down what research is needed and stay out of the rabbit holes; knowing when to reveal information throughout the story; and always be thinking about your reader.Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writingFacebook: @tsnotyawWebsite: www.biancamarais.com and www.theshitaboutwriting.Jonathan can be found at www.jonathanevison.netLeftie's podcast can be found at: https://leftie-aubes-writing-podcast.simplecast.com/Our Sponsors:* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe discuss keeping secrets from the reader vs. keeping them from the character; choosing a variety of comparable titles and authors; relatability to what the character is going through; ways to make a story believable; interiority and emotionality in the characters; not giving too much in the opening pages; revealing information in the right order; how themes don’t sell books, hooks sell books; and writing longer scenes and starting at the right place.After which, Bianca chats with Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, bestselling authors of The Personal Librarian, about finding a writing soulmate; recognizing and respecting each other’s strengths; recognizing when a story can’t be fully told from a perspective that the author doesn’t share; connecting on a human level in a writing duo, always respecting and supporting each other; not burying the lead, which is also important when querying; having backstory at the beginning; finding your way into a story; and how you learn from everything you write, regardless of whether you take it out. Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writingFacebook: @tsnotyawWebsite: www.biancamarais.com and www.theshitaboutwriting. Marie and Victoria can be found at www.authormariebenedict.com and www.victoriachristophermurray.comOur Sponsors:* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca, Carly and CeCe answer all your burning questions about writing and publishing. After which, Bianca chats with Elizabeth Held, creator of the What to Read substack, who answers your first batch of comp title requests. Followed by a chat with Emilie Sommer of East City Bookshop who answers the second batch of comp title requests.Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writingFacebook: @tsnotyawWebsite: www.biancamarais.com and www.theshitaboutwriting.comEmilie can be found on Instagram at @emiliegsommer and East City Bookshop can be found at @eastcitybookshopElizabeth can be found on https://whattoreadif.substack.com and on Twitter at @ElizabethHeld Our Sponsors:* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

In today's Books with Hooks, we're joined by guest agent, Emmy Nordstrom-Higdon from Westwood Creative Artists who looks at four submissions. During the segment, Emmy discusses executing the world-building in a way that’s accessible to readers, and ensuring you’re also covering your characters' conflicts, goals, stakes, etc. in a query; keeping your query letter under a page; ensuring something happens plot-wise and that there’s voicey-ness in the writing sample; having wonderful line-level writing but focusing on the wrong things on a scene level; an efficient query letter formula; differentiating the voices of the characters; including enough voice in the query, but not as much as what’s in the pages; and a fantastic example of an MG query letter and opening pages.After which, Bianca chats with John Galligan, author of Bad Day Breaking, about following and then breaking the “rules” of writing; the 'show, don’t tell' lightbulb moments; how to stop talking to ourselves and start talking to our readers; getting into the psyche of your characters; what genre has the most effective prologues and how to know you’re doing it right; using adjectives and adverbs the right way; creating character voice in third person; and tips for crossing gender, race, etc. boundaries to create empathy in characters and in readers—without crossing lines.Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writingFacebook: @tsnotyawWebsite: www.biancamarais.com and www.theshitaboutwriting.comJohn can be found at www.johngalligan.com Our Sponsors:* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com* Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code TSNOTYAW for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands