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The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

Latest episodes

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Mar 7, 2024 • 1h 11min

Insights from Acquisitions Editors & Working on Author Collaborations

In today's Books with Hooks segment, Carly, CeCe, and Bianca are joined by two acquisitions editors at Atria Books, Elizabeth Hitti and Melanie Iglesias. Melanie is a senior editor at Atria Books and has worked on various bestselling titles, including It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover. Elizabeth joined Atria in 2022 and has worked on various bestselling titles as well as The Crescent Moon Tea Room by Stacy Sivinski, a Simon and Schuster Top Shelf Pick for this fall.The four discuss the difficulties associated with writing a query with a larger cast of characters; the importance of having an overarching reason for having a large cast and why their worlds are colliding; whether publisher interest in historical fiction is waning; an example of how to make a hook punchier; the importance on having a strong sense of place; and the need for interiority to be realistic to your character.After which, Bianca interviews Kate Hilton and Elizabeth Renzetti, co-authors of Bury the Lead. They discuss how Liz and Kate's joint project came about; tackling the challenges of collaborating with another author, particularly when it comes to two established authors; the drafting process; keeping track of details like how characters and settings look; when descriptions are necessary and when they don't make sense; and whether or not Kate and Liz work with separate agents for their collaborative works.Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAWWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.comTo ask a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAWBookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwritingMore information about Elizabeth can be found at: https://www.elizabethrenzetti.com/ She's also on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/lizrenzetti and on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/lizrenzetti/More information about Kate can be found at: https://www.katehilton.com/She's also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KateHiltonAuthor/ and on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/katehiltonbooks/Our Sponsors:* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Feb 29, 2024 • 1h 1min

Being Intentional With Your Novel's Timeline

Topics include the challenges of selling a book with a different race from the author, starting a story in the right place, and crafting intentional timelines. The interview with Maura Cheeks covers her debut novel, writing dual timelines, and using news stories for exposition.
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Feb 26, 2024 • 2h 15min

Bumper February Bonus Episode

In today's Bumper February Bonus Episode, Bianca kicks it off by interviewing interviews tech anthropologist and author, Nikki Payne. They discuss her latest novel, Sex, Lies, and Sensibility, a retelling of the classic, Sense and Sensibility; how Nikki approached writing her retelling, one which specifically centred diversity; decentering whiteness in the romance genre; Nikki's experience using sensitivity readers; how much 'shorthand' you can use when writing a retelling; reframing scandal in the modern world; and Nikki's clever way of introducing backstory.After which Bianca interviews author Jessica Bull, author Miss Austen Investigates. They discuss Jessica's inspiration for her series and her journey to publication; the length of her work and how she pitched it with series potential; the process of writing real characters while also making up other aspects to the novel; how creating a ticking time bomb helped Jessica in creating tension and upping the stakes; and how Jessica managed to straddle genres when writing.Then, Bianca interviews returning guest, Samantha M. Bailey, author of Woman on the Edge and Watch Out for Her. They discuss Samantha's latest novel, A Friend in the Dark; the myth that novel writing becomes easier with each new book; the new challenges that Samantha faced in her latest novel; how she successfully broke the rules with her prologue; making the opening pages compelling even though the protagonist is alone for most of them; when you purposefully leave out a second POV in the novel’s flap copy; and why she chose to structure her characters' interactions partially through DMs on Facebook. Finally, Emilie Sommer of East City Bookshop provides the invaluable service of suggesting comp titles to our listeners.If you’re looking for our usual Q&A segment, that now gets published as part of our end of the month Substack newsletter. Subscribe to get access to that, and so much more, for free: https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com/ Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/ https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAWWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and ww.cecilialyra.comBookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwritingTo ask a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAWTo connect with Emilie Sommer go to https://www.instagram.com/emiliegsommer/ and you can find East City Bookshop at https://www.instagram.com/eastcitybookshop/More information about Nikki can be found at: https://www.nikkipaynebooks.com/Our Sponsors:* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Feb 22, 2024 • 1h 3min

How Some Stories Need You to Become a Better Writer Before Telling Them

Author Donna Hemans shares her publishing journey, importance of flexible structure, and character development. Emerging author Sarah discusses making novels sound less quiet and sharing pivotal plot points in queries. Learn about writing hooks, timelines, and finding the right agent.
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Feb 15, 2024 • 1h 7min

Torturing Your Characters in the Second Act

Author Robin Oliveira discusses her latest novel and the importance of research trips. They also delve into the process of torturing characters in the second act, leveraging different types of conflict, and strategies for knowing when a book is finished.
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Feb 8, 2024 • 57min

How Writing Contests Can Help Launch Your Career

The podcast discusses the critique of query letters and a book club romance, tips for improving line level writing, mistakes that make writing less polished, and building curiosity in your writing. They also interview debut author Elba Iris Pérez about winning a writing contest and her journey to publication. The role of houses in gothic novels, plot twists, and the power of setting are also explored.
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Feb 1, 2024 • 1h 34min

Insights from NYT Bestselling Authors, Ali Hazelwood and Kiley Reid

Bestselling authors Ali Hazelwood and Kiley Reid share insights in this podcast. They discuss Ali's unconventional path to finding an agent, reader fascination with vampires and werewolves, and tips for writing steamy scenes. Kiley talks about her journey to publication, breaking the rules with character introductions, and strategies for writing authentic dialogue. Both authors emphasize the importance of specificity and creating multifaceted characters.
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Jan 29, 2024 • 1h 36min

January Bonus Episode

In today's January Bonus Episode, Bianca interviews Jami Attenberg, author of 1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round. They discuss Jami's 1000 Words of Summer newsletter and the idea of being a good literary citizen; the essays from Jami's latest work; writing for other reasons than to get published; remembering why you write; battling with imposter syndrome; the false concept of an expiration date as a writer; writing as strength-training; the need to live in order to write; and why writing isn’t a process that has to be efficient.After which Bianca interviews Jo Salas, author of Mrs. Lowe-Porter. They discuss the inspiration and research behind Jo's latest novel; the challenges of writing a character with dementia and how life experiences can lend themselves to writing; how Jo balanced the use of historical source materials and fictional representations; one of the chapters in Jo's novel where a fictional character has a conversation with the woman writing her; the struggle to make your writing a priority; and Jo's non-traditional journey to publication.Finally, Emilie Sommer of East City Bookshop provides the invaluable service of suggesting comp titles to our listeners.If you’re looking for our usual Q&A segment, that now gets published as part of our end of the month Substack newsletter. Subscribe to get access to that, and so much for free: https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com/ Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/ https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAWWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.comBookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwritingTo ask a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAWTo connect with Emilie Sommer go to https://www.instagram.com/emiliegsommer/ and you can find East City Bookshop at https://www.instagram.com/eastcitybookshop/More information about Jami can be found at https://www.jamiattenberg.com She's also on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/jamiattenberg and Twitter at https://twitter.com/jamiattenbergMore information about Jo can be found at https://josalas.com/Our Sponsors:* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Jan 25, 2024 • 1h 17min

How the Close Third Person POV Can Get You Closer Than First Person

In today's Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe are joined by guest listener, Erica. They discuss the need to illustrate external plot points within a query letter, even if the book is more quiet/internal; using plot as scaffolding for the emotionality within your novel; the need for propulsiveness in a query and plot; figuring out how to describe your climax when it includes various subplots; how having a strong, definitive hook makes it easier to write a query letter; letting your story speak for itself rather than trying to shoehorn it into a different genre; the purpose of prologues (when they work); and specificity within a character's thoughts.After which, Bianca interviews Laurie Frankel, author of Family Family. They discuss the importance of creating unique character names; writing a novel that's full of nuggets of wisdom without being trite; sticking to one draft instead of choosing a different one that's easier; Laurie's approach to editing; what a leap of faith writing a novel is; and Laurie's use of third person close POV and how this can get a writer even closer to their characters than first person.Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/ https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAWWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.comTo ask a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAWBookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwritingMore information about Laurie can be found at: https://www.lauriefrankel.net/She's also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/laurie.frankel/ and Twitter at https://twitter.com/laurie_frankel?lang=enOur Sponsors:* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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Jan 18, 2024 • 1h 6min

The Dos and Don’ts When Writing For Children

In today's Books with Hooks, CeCe and Carly discuss what agents look for with a resubmission; the issue with starting with themes in a query letter; the need for your plot and stakes to have a 'domino' effect; infusing character description with emotionality; the need for specificity in plot points; the standards for literary fiction writing; the ever-present need for active emotions and interiority; and the subjectivity of the industry and taste in novels.After which, Bianca chats with Middle Grade author and former Simon & Schuster editor, Veera Hiranandani about her MG novels, A Night Diary, and its companion novel, Amil and the After. They discuss the age range of MG; what it’s like to write in this genre vs other age categories; a sequel vs a companion book; how illustrations can help inform a character’s arc; working with an illustrator; production costs of having illustrations; writing about difficult subject matter for children; and the biggest mistakes MG authors make.Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/ https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAWWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.comTo ask a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAWBookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwritingMore information about Veera can be found at https://www.veerahiranandani.com/. She’s on Instagram @veerawrites and Twitter @veerahira.Our Sponsors:* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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