In today's Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe critique a YA submission and a literary coming-of-age horror. They discuss avoiding using repetitive language in a query; considering SEO when choosing a book title; the concept of 'scene work'; the need for disruption to occur in opening pages; matching word choice to genre when writing your query; pitching a literary fiction; finding a balance between showing and telling, even in literary fiction; and avoiding overwriting.

After which, Bianca chats with freelance TV executive and writer, Samuel Burr. The two discuss Samuel's novel, The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers; its incredible journey to publication; how to find comps when you have a more unique novel premise; how Samuel developed his protagonist; creating the puzzles that appear in his work; why he chose to use a dual timeline and the process he used when writing it; and his advice for successfully writing an ensemble cast.

Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

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/TSNOTYAW

Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com

To ask a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW

Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

More information about Samuel can be found at https://www.samuelburr.com/

He's also on Twitter at https://twitter.com/samuelburr

and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/samuelburr/

To sign up for CeCe’s Writing Interiority Course on the 6th of June, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pKP-TqW9SSOlAHqSjKM21Q#/registration

Carly's course for writers, The Author's Publishing Playbook, is available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven't grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15

To sign up for the Beta Reader Match Up, go to https://www.biancamarais.com/beta-reader-match-up.html

In today's Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe critique a literary fiction query and a high concept YA fantasy query. They discuss the necessity of being specific with plot details and your protagonists' motivations in your query; honing in on world-building when your novel takes place in a reality that's different from ours; the issue with not grounding readers strongly enough in scene; avoiding jumping around in time too much in the opening pages; the need to correctly specify your genre so an agent knows what to expect from your pages; being mindful of spelling errors and putting your best foot forward; the hill that CeCe will die on regarding opening lines; avoiding info-dumping; interiority as helping add context for readers; and the importance of showing characters' reactions to the things that are happening to them.

After which, CeCe interviews NYT bestselling author, and publishing phenomenon, Veronica Roth. They discuss Veronica's latest novel, When Among Crows; the Polish folklore that underpins the novel; why Chicago inspires Veronica; the length of the novel; the allure of modern fantasy; Veronica's entry point into a story; not throwing any ideas away; Veronica's drafting and outlining process and how/why it's changed; and what she would tell her younger writer self.

Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

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/TSNOTYAW

Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com

To ask a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW

Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

More information about Veronica can be found at https://veronicarothbooks.com/

She's also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/veronicaroth/

To sign up for CeCe’s Writing Interiority Course on the 6th of June, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pKP-TqW9SSOlAHqSjKM21Q#/registration

Carly's course for writers, The Author's Publishing Playbook, is available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven't grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15

In today's Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe are joined by Paige to discuss her query for her action-adventure romance novel. They discuss the importance of spelling out your protagonist's motivation in your query; the need for story-forward plot escalation; accurately positioning your novel’s genre; making an agent's job easier by picking the right comps; using external plot to make readers invested in your characters; following genre rules when it comes to plot points; the need for conflict and tension in act two; focusing on your protagonist in your opening lines/paragraphs; avoiding character descriptions that are too on the nose; the need for active emotions in addition to interiority; the intrigue of complex emotions; and what makes a work YA rather than adult fiction.

After which, Bianca interviews author, nurse, and co-founder of #momswritersclub, Sara Read. They discuss Sara's sophomore novel, Principles of (E)motion; her path to publication; querying her first novel and the feedback she received; structure mistakes that beginner writers tend to make; how Sara pitched her second novel; the importance of rewriting before you give up on a WIP; what Sara learned from each of her rewrites; the need for causality in story; her research process; the prologue in Principles of (E)motion; and the genre of the novel.

Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

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/TSNOTYAW

Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com

To ask a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW

Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

Information about Sara can be found at: https://www.sararead.net/

She's also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sarareadauthor/

and Twitter at https://twitter.com/sarareadauthor

To sign up for the All About Memoir webinar on the 11th of May, go to: https://www.biancamarais.com/all-about-memoir.html

Carly's course for writers, The Author's Publishing Playbook, is now available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven't grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15

In today's Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe are joined by two guests, author Rachel Kapelke-Dale and her agent, Sarah Phair. They discuss ensuring your comps align with each other and with your work; making sure your query is representative of your whole novel and not just one part; using your author bio to help show why you're the one to write this story; the concept of auto-fiction; the importance of highlighting the POV you're writing from; being specific with your plot points in your query; finding the right balance between what you withhold and what you reveal; and the need to show your character's emotions, especially messy ones.

After which, Bianca interviews Kelly McMasters, author of The Leaving Season which is a memoir in essays. The two unpack writing essays vs a linear timeline in memoir; publishing essays from the collection ahead of the book’s release; deciding what to include and what to leave out; how to know where to begin; using external events and settings as metaphors for your character's emotionality; what memoirists owe their readers vs what they owe themselves; community vs platform; and making it all matter to the reader.

Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

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/TSNOTYAW

Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com

To ask a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW

Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

More information about Kelly can be found at https://www.kellymcmasters.com/

She's also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kelly_mc_masters/

To sign up for the All About Memoir webinar on the 11th of May, go to: https://www.biancamarais.com/all-about-memoir.html

To sign up for CeCe’s Writing Interiority Course on the 6th of June, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pKP-TqW9SSOlAHqSjKM21Q#/registration

Carly's course for writers, The Author's Publishing Playbook, is available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven't grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15

In this month’s bonus episode, Bianca interviews poet, novelist, and Chair of the Amherst Writers (AWA), Sue Reynolds. They discuss the AWA workshop method and how it differs from other workshops; what occurs in an AWA workshop; the importance of giving writers a safe and encouraging space to share their work; the concept of strength-based feedback; the specific practices within the workshops; writing without a 'pricetag'; the AWA method's commitment to holding space for marginalized and previously silenced voices; the connection between disclosure through writing and healing; the point at which an AWA workshop can be helpful in the writing process; and how to find an AWA workshop.

After which 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/

Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

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/TSNOTYAW

Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com

Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

To ask a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW

To connect with Emilie Sommer go to https://www.instagram.com/emiliegsommer/ and you can find East City Bookshop at https://www.instagram.com/eastcitybookshop/

Information about an AWA workshops available near you can be found at https://amherstwriters.org/

More information about Sue can be found at https://inkslingers.ca/about-2/susan-lynn-reynolds/

She’s on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/suereynolds7997

In today’s Book with Hooks, Carly and CeCe critique two listener queries, a resubmission and a YA fantasy. They discuss the issue of starting with a protagonist that has a 'simple, stable' life; a great example of an inciting incident; ensuring your major dramatic question is strong enough; good storytelling as the promise of change; making your protagonist the 'sun' of your story; infusing emotion into the information you provide; ensuring that your plot feels like a set of dominos tipping over; taglines in a query; differentiating your novel's tropes from how they're used in other novels in your genre; and making characters' motivations clear in a query.

After which, Bianca interviews award-winning author, Caroline Leavitt. They discuss A Mighty Blaze and its origins; being a good literary citizen; Caroline's key to longevity in the industry; not taking rejections too hard; avoiding writing to the current market; Caroline's latest novel, Days of Wonder; her research process; using universal personal experiences that help connect your readers to your characters; Caroline's reasoning for the settings she chose; how she approaches characterization; and her thoughts on genre.

Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

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/TSNOTYAW

Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com

To ask a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW

Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

More information about Caroline can be found at www.carolineleavitt.com

She's also on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Leavittnovelist and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/carolineleavitt and https://www.instagram.com/amightyblaze

To sign up for the All About Memoir webinar on the 11th of May, go to: https://www.biancamarais.com/all-about-memoir.html

Carly's course for writers, The Author's Publishing Playbook, is now available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven't grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15

In today's Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe critique a children's picture book and a literary fiction query. They discuss avoiding vagueness, no matter the genre; using illustrator notes in a picture book pitch; the need for tension, even in a children's book; framing your novel in your query so agents aren't confused when they get to the pages; the need for external plot points, even in a more internal work of literary fiction; the natural gravitation of readers to one POV in a dual POV work; the subjectivity of the industry; the purpose of interiority; and erring on the side of showing, rather than telling, to maintain tension.

After which, Bianca interviews Sara Koffi, author of the debut novel, While We Were Burning. They discuss Sara's letter to the reader; her reasoning behind the setting she chose; how Sara chose her characters' POVs and her inspiration behind the characters; writing an unreliable narrator; weaving in overarching themes or messages; advice for writing an unlikeable main character; advice on writing characters experiencing grief; Sara's journey to publication; and avoiding comparing yourself to others.

Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

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/TSNOTYAW

Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com

To ask a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW

Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

More information about Sara can be found at https://www.sarakoffi.com/

She's also on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SaraTheKoffi and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sarathekoffi

To sign up for the All About Memoir webinar on the 11th of May, go to: https://www.biancamarais.com/all-about-memoir.html

Carly's course for writers, The Author's Publishing Playbook, is now available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven't grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15