In this episode, we're wrapping up our three-part series on novel, talking about actually finishing the thing, managing the emotional rollercoaster of finishing, stepping away after “The End,” and getting your manuscript ready for beta readers.

In Hot Goss, we dive into the latest BookTok drama involving author and influencer Elyse Myers, reader spaces, parasocial relationships, and the increasingly complicated rules of online engagement.

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We're glad you're here, even if none of us know what we're doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty.

Show email: badlitfriends@gmail.com


Bluesky: @badlitfriends.bsky.social


Threads: @badlitfriends
Instagram: @badlitfriends


Website: https://www.badlitfriends.com/

Show notes:

Seven Drafts, by Allison K Williams

https://sevendrafts.com/

Elyse Myers' Bad Taco Date

https://www.tiktok.com/@elysemyers/video/7016002945082871046?lang=en

Welcome back to the second part of our "So You Want to Write a Novel" series! Last week, we covered the basics: genre, POV, and whether your idea could just be vibes (spoiler: no). This week, we're tackling the actual writing part, which turns out to be kind of important.

We discuss where (and where not) to start your novel , why your first draft is allowed to be garbage, and the importance of just getting words on the page. We also compare writing tools and get very serious about backups. (Seriously, stop reading this and go back up your manuscript right now.)

We also talk about research and how much is enough before you're just procrastinating, and why momentum matters.

And of course…Hot Goss. (Hot gos? Hotgos? Hawtgaws?)

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We're glad you're here, even if none of us know what we're doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty.

Show email: badlitfriends@gmail.com


Bluesky: @badlitfriends.bsky.social


Threads: @badlitfriends
Instagram: @badlitfriends


Website: https://www.badlitfriends.com/

Show notes:

Scrivener: https://www.literatureandlatte.com/

Dabble: https://www.dabblewriter.com/

Episode 14: “So You Want to Write a Novel — Really? (Part 1: Before You Begin)”

This week, Meagan and Kirk kick off a three-part series on actually writing a novel. If you’ve ever said, “I think I’ll finally write that book,” this series is the audio equivalent of Cher slapping Nic Cage in the face in Moonstruck. Maybe.

In Part 1 of the series, we’re talking reality checks and big decisions: are you sure you want to do this, what you’re really signing up for (spoiler: years of emotional and financial ruin), and how to choose your genre, POV, and tense without having a full-blown existential, thermonuclear meltdown. Also outlining vs. pure chaos and admit which camps we not-so-secretly live in, and why writers don’t need to be footsoldiers in the gatekeeping wars.

In Hot Goss, we rage about that agent on Threads who insists you need ten betas before querying. We discuss why beta readers are important, why online writer groups are absolutely the hellscape people think (unless you’re in Meagan’s group), and why quality is more important than quantity when it comes to betas.

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We're glad you're here, even if none of us know what we're doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty.

Show email: badlitfriends@gmail.com

Bluesky: @badlitfriends.bsky.social

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

Website: https://www.badlitfriends.com/

Jane Friedman on Beta Readers: https://janefriedman.com/beta-readers/