The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

In this episode of Books with Hooks, hosts Bianca, Carly, and CeCe dive into the intricacies of middle grade fantasy submissions. They discuss a query about a fantasy novel featuring a cat protagonist, exploring themes of family, sacrifice, and the stakes involved in the narrative. The conversation shifts to critiques of character development, emotional stakes, and the importance of world-building...

In this engaging conversation, Bianca , interviews New York Times bestselling author Gillian McAllister . The author’s explore Gillian’s writing process, narrative techniques, and character development. Bianca and Gillian chat about the challenges of writing multi-POV novels, the organic twists that emerge during the writing process, and the importance of character occupations in driving the plot....

In the first engaging conversation of this bonus episode, Bianca interviews Booker Prize-nominated Charlotte Wood , the acclaimed author of Stone Yard Devotional . They delve into the challenges of writing quiet stories, the significance of visitations in the narrative, and the intentional choices behind the unnamed narrator. Wood discusses her unique diary style, the themes of guilt, shame, and f...

In this segment of Books with Hook s, Bianca, Carly and CeCe discuss a gothic horror novel submission as well as a psychological thriller. They highlight the importance of starting a story in the right place, the challenges of multi-POV narratives, and the need for clarity in character perspectives. The critique emphasizes the balance between emotional depth and curiosity in storytelling. The host...

In today’s author interview, Bianca chats with Sarah Chihaya about her memoir, Bibliophobia . During the conversation, they explore the profound impact of literature on identity and mental health. Sarah also reflects on her journey as a reader and writer, the complexities of navigating personal narratives, and the challenges of writing about trauma.  The discussion delves into the significance of...

In this segment of Books with Hooks , Bianca, Carly and Cece discuss a memoir submission as well as a speculative thriller submission. They highlight the importance of balancing plot points with emotional depth; the significance of character development through interior monologue; how character arcs are crucial in memoir writing; the importance of building tension throughout the narrative; how the...

In this engaging conversation, Bianca interviews Allegra Goodman about her latest novel, Isola , exploring themes of storytelling, character development, and the writing process. Goodman discusses her journey as a writer, the importance of writing what interests you, and the challenges of crafting a historical narrative. The discussion delves into the role of voice, perspective, and the economy of...

In January’s bonus episode, Bianca and Emilie Sommer from East City Book Bookshop tackle a variety of book recommendations based on listener comp requests. 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: https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com/ Note: Carly Watters and C...

In this Books with Hooks segment, hosts Bianca, Carly and CeCe delve into two query letters from aspiring authors.  The hosts discuss how negotiation can leak tension in storytelling; why character relationships should drive the narrative; how world-building should enhance character development; why queries for retellings need to focus on unique story angles; and avoiding namesplaining in characte...

In this engaging author interview, Bianca chats with Karissa Chen about her debut novel, Homeseeking . During the conversation, they explore the inspiration behind the story, the extensive research that was required before Karissa could begin writing, and the challenges of navigating language and cultural identity in literature. Karissa shares her journey to publication, the integral role that mus...

In this Books with Hooks segment, hosts Bianca, Carly and CeCe welcome listeners to a new year of writing while they reflect on their critiquing journey over the past four years.  They dive into the critique of two query letters, focusing on the importance of connection, character motivations, and cinematic elements in storytelling. The conversation also explores the dynamics of campus novels and...

In today’s episode, Bianca interviews Emmy award-winning journalist and bestselling author, Kate Fagan , about her debut novel, The Three Lives of Cate Kay . Kate shares how she originally came to listen to the podcast, as well as the details of her journey to publication (which included querying podcast host, Carly Watters ).  Bianca and Kate go on to discuss the unique structure of the novel tha...

In today’s Books with Hooks segment, hosts Bianca, Carly, and CeCe provide feedback on two query letters, one for historical fiction and the other for historical fantasy. They discuss the importance of character development, plot clarity, and the balance between world-building and emotional engagement. The conversation emphasizes the need for specificity in storytelling and the challenges of writi...

In today’s author interview, Bianca interviews Jessica Waite about her memoir, The Widow's Guide to Dead Bastards . Jessica discusses her writing journey as a form of healing, the challenges of the publishing process, and the complexities of grief. They also discuss the intentional choices behind the book's structure, the use of present tense, and the importance of dramatizing scenes to en...

In today’s Books with Hooks segment, hosts Bianca, Carly, and CeCe analyze two query letters, one for an upmarket novel and one for women’s fiction, providing insights on character development, prologues, and the importance of clarity in storytelling. The discussion emphasizes the need for movement in narratives and the balance between internal conflict and external action. The hosts offer constru...

In this engaging author interview, Bianca chats with Sarah Hawley to discuss her journey as a fantasy and paranormal romance author, focusing on her latest novel, Servant of Earth . Sarah shares insights into the writing process, the importance of character-driven narratives, and the nuances of defining genres like romantasy. The discussion also delves into world-building, the challenges of plotti...

In today’s Books with Hooks segment, the hosts, Bianca, Carly and CeCe , analyze two query letters submitted by aspiring authors, one of which is a memoir and the other a YA steampunk query. They provide detailed feedback on the structure, content, and emotional depth of the letters, emphasizing the importance of clarity, causality, and character development. The conversation also delves into the...

In November’s bonus episode, Bianca and Emilie Sommer from East City Book Bookshop tackle a variety of book recommendations based on listener comp requests. They discuss neurodivergent characters, speculative fiction, crime and mystery, literary fiction dealing with trauma, humorous narratives, art and historical mysteries, speculative westerns, dark fiction, hopeful sci-fi, romance in unique sett...

In today’s episode, Bianca interviews KJ Dell’Antonia , author of The Chicken Sisters and Playing the Witch Card . They discuss KJ's journey from nonfiction to fiction, the challenges of debuting with a bestseller, and the intricacies of world-building in contemporary fiction. The discussion also delves into narrative voice, character arcs, and the importance of aligning emotional stakes with...

In today’s Books with Hooks segment, hosts Bianca, Carly and CeCe analyze a literary fiction query and a historical fiction query, providing insights on structure, emotional depth, and character development. The discussion emphasizes the importance of compelling opening lines, the need for emotional complexity in characters, and the significance of pacing in storytelling. The hosts also share thei...

In today’s episode, Carly and CeCe interview Franklin Leonard and Randy Winston , founders of The Blacklist , a platform designed to connect writers with industry professionals. They discuss the role of literary agents, the pricing structure of their services, the qualifications of their readers, and the impact of their recent New York Times profile. The conversation highlights the challenges and...

Today Bianca, Carly, and CeCe critique a coming-of-age submission set in the 80s, as well as a speculative literary fiction query. They chat about the importance of details in a query, as opposed to big-picture themes; an example of a prologue that induces curiosity; layering emotion to create more realistic interactions with characters; including emotion and interiority during narration/expositio...

Join Bianca in our October bonus episode as your favourite book person, Emilie Sommer from East City Book Shop, answers all your comp requests! 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: https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com/ Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are...

Today Bianca interviews NYT bestselling nature writer, Leigh Ann Henion . They discuss Leigh Ann's latest work , Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark ; the inspiration behind the book; the process of getting a book like this written and published; being able to illustrate how your non-fiction work fills a gap in the market; scene-setting in non-f...

Today, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe critique a speculative fiction query and a literary fiction one. They discuss avoiding confusion in your query letter; using names, rather than pronouns, in queries; ensuring your plot and climax match your genre; writing interiority that reflects your characters' realities; title expectations for literary fiction; avoiding being too vague with your plot; and the...