The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

In today's Books with Hooks segment, Carly and CeCe discuss the heartbreak of the querying process; the power imbalance between agents and authors; giving agents an idea of whether your novel is commercial or literary fiction; picking your comps and inciting incident; and avoiding two heroes' journeys in one query. Bianca also challenges Carly to name her nemeses. We all talk and disagree A LOT about Mare of Easttown, and we take more of your questions. After which, Bianca chats with Hannah Mary McKinnon, bestselling author of You Will Remember Me, about plotting, outlining and structuring your novel; skeleton drafts; the 16 beat structure; layering your novel during edits; and choosing POV. 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 segment, Carly and CeCe discuss leaning into unlikable characters but how to make them relatable; avoiding info dumps, especially in dialogue; starting at the right place; and trusting both yourself and your reader.  After which, Bianca chats with Uzma Jalaluddin, author of Hana Khan Carries On about writing rom coms; the tropes and conventions of the genre; choosing the best setting for your story; tackling important themes in all genres; the three-act structure; and keeping your secondary characters in check.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 segment, Carly and CeCe discuss being more explicit about genre and tone; establishing emotionality in your main characters rather than just having them being observers or vessels; giving your reader access to your character's thoughts and feelings, while balancing show vs tell; setting not just the story stakes, but scene stakes as well; and eliminating wordiness.  After which, Bianca chats with Heather Chavez, debut author of No Bad Deed, about pacing and tension; how long overnight success takes; being stubborn and passionate about your work; how to effectively integrate action/reaction sequences; and using action beats vs dialogue tags. 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 bonus content episode,  Bianca, Carly and CeCe take all your questions about agents' and publishers' contracts; finding a reputable agent; being out on submission; the etiquette of querying;  why agents might offer R&Rs; the kinds of revisions you'll be expected to do, etc. 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 segment, Carly and CeCe discuss falling in love with a story before falling in love with an author; what constitutes a memoir and the different types of non-fiction; giving time frames for your manuscripts; and using the present tense for more immediacy.  After which, Bianca chats with publishing phenomenon, Jeffery Deaver, about hooking your reader and keeping them turning pages; and why books are products with your readers being your customers. 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 segment, Carly and CeCe discuss using pseudonyms; the difference between women's fiction and book club fiction; beginning your book with adult characters in adult novels; giving agents trigger/content warnings; how to propose sequels; and how to find the most compelling entry point into your story.  After which, Bianca chats with award-winning and bestselling author, Lily King (author of Writers & Lovers) about the writer's life; scrapping novels halfway through; dealing with rejection; and starting the process all over again with a new book.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 segment, Carly and CeCe discuss the issue of swearing in novels; how characters feel about the action playing out on the page; and moving around the puzzle pieces of a story. After which, Bianca chats with Katie Wall, a book coach at Craft Better Books, about what you can learn from your rejections; why patience will pay off down the line; and why you might do better working with a book coach.  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 segment, Carly and CeCe fall in love with another submission; discuss writing from perspectives that aren't your own; what the 'arrogant win' is; how to write prologues; and writing second person PoV. After which, Bianca chats with Kristin Beck, author of COURAGE, MY LOVE, about writing and researching historical fiction; how to establish an effective research process; what you can learn from starter novels; and putting off writing your passion project until you're a better writer. 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 segment, Carly and CeCe fall in love with one submission; suggest using a different PoV for another; discuss how characterization can be revealed through what a character notices, and how a writer is an artist who doesn't get to see their audience. After which, Bianca chats with Daniel Ford, author and podcast host, about what he's learned about writing from his years of interviewing great writers, as well as the benefit of creating a writing playlist, and how patience really is a writing virtue. 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

Carly Watters and Cece Lyra are now co-hosts of the podcast (Yay!),  who will be doing the Books with Hooks segment every week, in which they discuss your query letters and opening pages. This week's segment specifically looks at how to trust both yourself and your reader. After which, Bianca Marais chats with author, Kerry Clare, about how to be a human on the internet as you work to raise your author profile ahead of publication.  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