The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

In today's bumper October Bonus Episode, Emilie Sommer of East City Bookshop kicks us off with suggested comp titles. After which, Jessica Knoll joins Carly to talk about Bright Young Women. They also discuss opening pages and prologues; the book vs the audio version; violence on the page; the power in naming things we typically shy away from; the internet and social media as a tool for authors; i...

In today's bumper October Bonus Episode, Emilie Sommer of East City Bookshop kicks us off with suggested comp titles. After which, Jessica Knoll joins Carly to talk about Bright Young Women. They also discuss opening pages and prologues; the book vs the audio version; violence on the page; the power in naming things we typically shy away from; the internet and social media as a tool for authors; i...

On today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are joined by podcast listener, Johnny Hobson. While reviewing his query letter, they discuss avoiding a synopsis-heavy query; the importance of showing the protagonism of a main character in a query; breaking down the mechanics of a love scene to reflect reality; the issue with starting a novel in a place where everything is going well; and some of the...

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe critique three query letters. During the segment, they discuss the need for physicality of movement as well as inner life in opening pages; 'wrong shoe theory' to emphasize the importance of making surprising choices as a storyteller; causality when writing about plot points in a query; and the need for character depth. After which, Bianca interviews Cha...

In today’s Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe critique two submissions, discussing how to include enough of a hook in a query without spoiling the story; burying the lead; making it obvious how an author wants readers to feel about certain things; longer query letter word counts; personifying the antagonist; and polished pages on a scene level. After which, Bianca interviews Hannah Mary McKinnon, th...

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe critique three query letters during which they discuss the 'hook, book, cook' method; the importance of layering emotionality and depth; writing a narrator that starts as a child and becomes an adult; and the line between emphasis when writing, and not being confident in what you're writing. They also critique a query that was previously submitted to the...

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are joined by listener, Jessica, while they critique and discuss her query letter and pages. They discuss the need for the level of external plot to match the level of interiority; specificity to create an 'atmosphere' around your novel; how women's fiction readers feel about swearing in a novel; and creating a sense of believability and plausibility in...

In today's bumper September Bonus Episode, Emilie Sommer of East City Bookshop kicks us off with suggested comp titles. After which, Bianca interviews Nina Simon, author of Mother-Daughter Murder Night, a debut that was chosen for Reese’s Book Club. They discuss Nina’s nightmare-turned-dream debut experience; the trend of the cozy murder mystery; picking the right agent; the query letter that land...

In today’s Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe critique three submissions, in the process discussing intentionality with regards to timelines; how novels with certain types of themes need to get 'messy'; the importance of specificity; showing rather than telling; and using active emotions. After which Bianca interviews LaToya Watkins, acclaimed author of the short story anthology Holler, Child. They...

In today's episode, Carly and CeCe are joined by Maya Golden, author of The Return Trip. During the episode, they discuss a query that was previously submitted to BWH; the need for balance between bio and plot in a query letter; memoirists writing their query letter plot/body paragraphs in first person rather than third; and cautioning against focusing on questions when writing plot paragraphs. Ma...

In today’s Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe critique three submissions and cover topics like having escalating plot in the plot paragraphs; having only one POV character; weaving in setting in historical fiction, interiority; character names in query letters vs synopses; ensuring dual timelines connect; passivity and coincidences; using statements instead of questions in the query; short frame nar...

In today's episode, Carly and CeCe are joined by Kelly S. Thompson, author of the memoir Still, I Cannot Save You. The three discuss: POV lending itself to emotionality in pages and the importance of choosing the right POV to fully exemplify that emotionality; the two required elements of a memoir and the importance of a thematic singular thread through it; remembering what your reader knows vs wh...

In today's bumper August Episode, we have two amazing author interviews as well as a Q & A and Comp Title segment. Bianca first chats with bestselling and award-winning author, Emma Donoghue, about her latest novel, Learned By Heart. During the segment, the two discuss quieter novels; waiting for the right time to write a particular novel; the limitations of playwriting vs novel writing; the a...

In today’s episode, Fiona Davis joins Bianca, Carly, and CeCe to critique Books with Hooks submissions while also talking about her latest novel, The Spectacular. During the episode, they discuss achieving NYT Bestselling status several times over; having messy story setups and high stakes; interiority and emotionality; ensuring there are obstacles in the main character’s way right from the start;...

Today's episode is sponsored by June's Journey. Find the link to the glamorous hidden object game here:  https://www.wooga.com/games/junes-journey Today, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe chat with Jessica Hamilton, author of Don’t You Dare, while also critiquing listeners' query letters. They discuss Jessica's experience with going on submission and publishing during the start of Covid; examples of a succe...

Today's episode is sponsored by June's Journey. Find the link to the glamorous hidden object game here: https://www.wooga.com/games/junes-journey In today's episode, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe critique query letters and chat with Lauren JA Bear, author of Medusa’s Sisters. During the show, they discuss being 'on trend'; writing counter-narratives; being inspired by mythology; Lauren's inspiration for...

In today’s episode, Byron Lane joins Bianca, Carly, and CeCe to critique Books with Hooks submissions while also talking about Big Gay Wedding. During the episode, they discuss a character’s why’s; being too on the nose/predictable with plot points; the use of a foreign language; the element of surprise; weaving humour into the story; prologues that have got to go; moving between different POVs (i...

In today's bumper Bonus July Episode, we have three amazing interviews! Bianca first chats with bestselling and award-winning author, Ann Patchett, about her latest novel, Tom Lake. During the show, the two discuss how and why Ann wrote past and present as 'bleeding into one narrative' in her latest novel; when to show vs when to tell backstory; testing different ways of beginning a story before s...

Today's episode is sponsored by Riverside.fm. Using the promo code TSNOTYAW offers you a 15% discount on all individual plans! Click here for more info! In today's episode, author and agent Jennifer Herrera joins Bianca, Carly, and CeCe to critique Books with Hooks submissions, and to discuss Jennifer's debut novel, The Hunter. In the episode, they discuss the challenges of starting your pages wit...

This episode is sponsored by HelloFresh. Go to www.hellofresh.com/tsnotyaw50 and use the code tsnotyaw50 for 50% off plus free shipping! In today’s episode, Kirthana Ramisetti joins Bianca, Carly, and CeCe to critique Books with Hooks submissions, while also talking about her latest novel, Advika and the Hollywood Wives. During the episode, they discuss the importance of the 'why' behind plot poin...

Today's episode is sponsored by Riverside.fm. Using the promo code TSNOTYAW offers you a 15% discount on all individual plans! Click here for more info! In today’s episode, M. Evelina Galang joins Bianca, Carly, and CeCe to critique Books with Hooks submissions while also talking about her short story collection, When the Hibiscus Falls. During the episode, they discuss how to connect short storie...

Today's episode is sponsored by Riverside.fm. Using the promo code TSNOTYAW offers you a 15% discount on all individual plans! Click here for more info! In today's episode, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe kick it back old school using the old classic 'Books with Hooks' format during which they discuss leaning into specificity in query letters; stating where you live when writing a query; needing a major d...

Today's episode is sponsored by Riverside.fm. Using the promo code TSNOTYAW offers you a 15% discount on all individual plans! Click here for more info! In today’s episode, Sara DiVello joins Bianca, Carly, and CeCe to critique Books with Hooks submissions while also talking about her upcoming novel, Broadway Butterfly. During the episode, they discuss why Sara wanted to include certain themes, an...

Today's episode is sponsored by Riverside.fm. Using the promo code TSNOTYAW offers you a 15% discount on all individual plans! Click here for more info! In today's Bonus Episode, we have two amazing author interviews! Bianca chats with returning guest Julie Carrick Dalton, author of The Last Beekeeper, about dual timelines vs flashbacks; POV strategy; writing from a place of rage vs a place of fea...

Today's episode is sponsored by HelloFresh. Go to www.hellofrresh.com/tsnotyaw16 and use the code tsnotyaw16 for 16 free meals plus free shipping! In today’s episode, Bryn Turnbull joins Bianca, Carly, and CeCe to critique Books with Hooks submissions while also talking about The Paris Deception. During the episode, they discuss being unlucky in publishing; story inspiration; not having things too...