The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca chats with Lidija Hilje, an Author Accelerator certified book coach about differentiating between genres; how to use her genre guide; the differences between literary, upmarket, book club, and women’s fiction; how literary fiction moves a story deeper, not forward; what “postcard” scenes are and how to use them; as well as Lidija’s editing and book coaching ser...

In today's Books with Hooks , Carly and CeCe look at the same 3 queries, discussing a technique for discerning whether your plot points are too internal; the difficulties of having a very emotional character in an opening scene; and the importance of plausibility in plot. Carly and CeCe also fight over a query in a good way! After which, Bianca chats with May Cobb , author of My Summer Darling...

In today's Bonus Episode , Femi Omotade joins us as a guest interviewer to chat with Ava Wilder , author of How to Fake It in Hollywood , to chat about tropes and elements that are not as prominent anymore in romance; reflecting a world in which there are authentic, diverse characters without appropriating voices that aren’t your own and without it feeling like tokenism; writing sex scenes; wh...

In today’s Books with Hooks , Carly and CeCe evaluate the same three query letters, and in the process, they offer solutions for when your novel doesn’t seem to have any similar comps; remind us of the importance of story-forward curiosity; and explain what’s necessary in historical fiction to ensure the feel of a certain time period. After which, Bianca chats with Isabel Cañas , author of The Hac...

In today’s Bonus Episode, Bianca chats with Hannah Orenstein , author of Meant to Be Mine , about drawing on personal connections for characters; getting an opening chapter to work by breaking the rules about interaction and dialogue; and shutting up your inner critic and allowing yourself to write your stories! After which, Bianca chats with Philippa East , author of Safe and Sound , about struct...

In today's Books with Hooks , we're joined by two authors who submitted their work for critique. In the segment, Carly, CeCe and Bianca discuss when it’s appropriate for a character to be a curmudgeon; the difference between situational grumpiness vs global grumpiness; the importance of vulnerability when dealing with an unlikeable character; the need for your query to show multi-dimension...

In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca chats with Carley Fortune , author of Every Summer After,   about setting a book in Canada; her journey to publication; the importance of reaching out to fellow authors for beta reads and critiques; structuring a dual timeline; upping the stakes and tension when you allude to a secret so readers don’t get bored waiting for the big reveal; and making writing a p...

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe each discuss the same three queries, unpacking why queries are meant to be short and sweet; the difference between a setup and a reveal; agent burnout and pitching the most exciting info about your novel ASAP; and upping tension by subverting character expectations in the first few pages. Also, Carly surprises us by advocating for a prologue, and Car...

In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca chats with Hanny Mary McKinnon , author of NEVER COMING HOME, about how to write characters that we root for even though they’re bad; pacing at a scene or chapter level; adding in “sparkly touches” during the editing/revision stage; how to ensure a reader won’t want to put your book down; and knowing when a scene or chapter isn’t enhancing your story  After whi...

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe each critique two query letters. In the process they discuss closing the distance between narrator and reader; ensuring the reader knows exactly who to root for and what the hook is; how secrets in a query letter must carry inherent stakes with them; voice-y hybrid second person; and planting curiosity seeds. After which, Bianca chats with Stacey Swa...

In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca first chats with Jessica Payne , author of Make Me Disappear , about getting "the call"; how long the editorial process can take before going on sub; how publishing is like dating; how to tell when you’re close to getting offers of representation; writing under contract while launching a debut; and establishing relationships with Bookstagrammers and a p...

In today's Books with Hooks , we're joined by Paige and Rianne who submitted their work for critique. Carly and CeCe discuss how to make your query properly voicey and following the ‘language’ of your novel;  cornering your protagonist to create tension; the need for a personified antagonistic force in your query/novel; and the need for active emotions. After which, Bianca chats with Emily...

In today's Bonus Episode, CeCe chats with Sarah Cantin, Executive Editor at St. Martin's Publishing Group and the editor of the #BookswithHooksBC pick, The Ballerinas . They discuss what made Sarah fall in love with the submission for The Ballerinas;  what “pre-empt” means in an offer/deal; instantly knowing the genre vs pondering the straddling of two genres; the ratio of submissions vs o...

In today's Books with Hooks , Carly and CeCe each review two query letters. In the process, they discuss being specific with hooks and ensuring that you're labeling/branding novel genres correctly; how to create plot points that will make a novel more upmarket/pacey; how emotionality builds tension; the ways in which your author bio should relate to the plot/idea of your book; dealing with...

In today’s Bonus Episode , Bianca chats with Jennifer Fawcett , author of Beneath the Stairs , about her publishing journey; positioning yourself in the market for editors—and why comps and knowing your genre are so important; writing a book that stays true to what you want to write, but is also marketable and satisfies the readers of that genre; and having the setting become character. After whic...

In today's Books with Hooks , Carly and CeCe evaluate the same three query letters, discussing developing character while developing plot; leveraging the reveal in a way that ramps up stakes and tension; having appropriate stakes for the age group and genre; framing what’s happening around the main character(s); how we need disruption, imbalance and conflict in the MC’s life, especially in the...

In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca chats with Alisha Sevigny , author of The Oracle of Avaris , about the difference between MG and Upper MG; the importance of reading in the genre you want to write in; guarding against talking down to kids or teaching a lesson; taboo subjects for MG and how to approach writing difficult topics. After which, Bianca chats with TJ Alexander , author of Chef's...

In today's Books with Hooks , Carly and CeCe are joined by Kim and Jessica who submitted their queries for critique. They discuss how to elevate a query so that it matches the quality of the pages, reminding us that the goal of the query letter is to get an agent to read those pages; how to lean into specificity to elevate a query; toeing the line between giving away too much and too little in...

In today’s BONUS EPISODE, Bianca chats with Matt Bell , author of Refuse to be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts , about how teaching has helped them become better writers; revising in layers versus all at once; how there's not just one way to write or revise a novel; revision tools for if you don't have beta readers; and the responsibility of being a creative writing...

In today's Books with Hooks , Carly and CeCe evaluate two submissions each and discuss not feeding the reader all the information right up front; how the reader should be the co-pilot; that understanding how much you should reveal is a complicated  dance; not starting with a child's POV when it’s an adult novel; and having things happening in the first pages and not just setting the scene...

In today's jam-packed Bonus Episode, Bianca first chats with Grant Ginder ,  author of Let's Not Do That Again , about “unlikable” characters and what they might reveal about us as readers; the 5-Act structure; framing a scene to play with dramatic effect; and specificity in scenes according to what would be important for each particular character. After which, Bianca chats with Tracy Wolf...

In today's Books with Hooks , Hannah and Beth join Carly and CeCe to discuss their submissions. During the chat, Carly and CeCe chat about the difference between ‘heart’ and ‘hook’; raising the stakes in your novel; a good way to describe a ‘quiet’ novel in a query; sharing anything that elevates your novel’s structure and style in your query; and how to deal with the issue of writing (or avoi...

In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca chats with Lee Gowan , author of The Beautiful Place about taking twelve years to finish a novel; the process of figuring out when your novel is done; advice on how to find the right beginning; cannibalizing your writing; the importance of knowing where your novel is going, and how cutting things out can help you figure out key parts of your novel. After which,...

In today’s special episode of Books with Hooks , Carly and CeCe welcome author Rachel Kapelke-Dale and her agent Sarah Phair to offer feedback on three query letters from members of the Books with Hooks Book Club. During the chat, they address how withholding information at the start of a story can create tension, not starting a story with descriptions on the weather (and how that is like wearing...

In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca begins by chatting with Chloe Benjamin , bestselling author of The Immortalists , about handling the perfectionism-induced burnout after finishing The Immortalists, and the techniques she uses to pace herself; the romanticization of being an artist and struggling with mental health issues; the toxicity of grind culture;  and various ways for you to research and...