The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

Latest Episodes:

When Writing is Both Therapeutic and Profitable Feb 10, 2022

Show notes

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are joined by Kathy and Leila who have submitted their queries for critique. During the segment, they discuss why it’s important to frame a memoir as ‘why does this book have to be out there for others?’; why it’s okay to not have your hook fully fleshed out in a memoir query because agents are there to help you finish the job; how, in non-fiction, the hook is what you’re delivering to the reader and so it’s something you dig to find, unlike in fiction; how your story can start in multiple places, depending on taste; how starting in story is always the best place to start, even in memoir; using first person to help yourself write third person close; watching out for characters that are too generic/cookie-cutter/cliche; and how to make readers connect with characters in dark stories by making them very human.
After which, Bianca chats with Ashley Audrain, author of The Push, and bookstagrammer, Femi Omotade, about inserting non-typical themes into a thriller; writing about things that could be triggering for an author; writing being a cathartic experience—not therapy, but therapeutic; and the process of having a book get optioned for film or TV.
Find us on our socials:
Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra
Instagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writing
Facebook: @tsnotyaw
Website: www.biancamarais.com
Ashley Audrain can be found at www.ashelyaudrain.com and on Instagram at @ashleyaudrain and Twitter at @audrain
Femi Omotade can be found on Instagram at @thebookalert

Our Sponsors:
* Check out The Comprehensive Copywriting Academy and use my code thecca.co/tspodcast for a great deal: https://thecca.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

BONUS Episode: Discussing Action and Humor with Mark Greaney and Josie Silver Feb 07, 2022

Show notes

In today's BONUS EPISODE Bianca first chats with Mark Greaney, author of Sierra Six, about writing espionage mysteries, putting your manuscript aside to work on something different so you can come back to it with fresh eyes; using every project as a learning experience; immersing yourself in your research; writing a series; listing your characters if you have a lot of them; and how to manage the scene arc in shorter chapters.
After which, Bianca chats with Josie Silver, author of One Night on the Island, about writing rom-coms; publishing without an agent; infusing humor into your writing; writing in first person; giving characters a lot of emotional baggage, and using a plot mechanism to create humor; having internal and external conflict in the first few pages; and assigning each POV character to someone from your life or an actor to keep them separate and differentiated on the page.
Find us on our socials:
Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra
Instagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writing
Facebook: @tsnotyaw
Website: www.biancamarais.com
Mark Greaney can be found at https://markgreaneybooks.com and on Instagram at @Mark GreaneyBooks and Twitter at @MarkGreaneyBook
Josie Silver can be found at www.josiesilver.com and on Instagram at @josiesilverauthor and on Twitter at @JosieSilver_

Our Sponsors:
* Check out The Comprehensive Copywriting Academy and use my code thecca.co/tspodcast for a great deal: https://thecca.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Mastering Multi-POV and Multi-Timeline Novels with Fiona Davis Feb 03, 2022

Show notes

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe each tackle two query letters. In the process, they discuss the importance of not only having internal conflict, but also having external conflict so that you can create a proper hook; the difference between women’s fiction and romance, and a larger discussion of what ‘women’s fiction’ actually is; making sure the types of stakes of your novel match your genre; the best POV when writing a non-human narrator; how women’s fiction queries should be less about feelings and more about plot; and how a good submission is about two main questions for an agent: ‘am I curious?’ and ‘is the writing strong?’
After which, Bianca chats with Fiona Davis, author of The Magnolia Palace, about the difficulty of writing two POVs and timelines within one book; ensuring that each storyline has an inciting incident and key event, and that readers are fully invested in both; Fiona’s ‘w’ story structure and how she plots out her story beats and plotline; and deciding on an author brand and genre.
Find us on our socials:
Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra
Instagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writing
Facebook: @tsnotyaw
Website: www.biancamarais.com
Fiona Davis can be found at www.fionadavisbooks.com and on Instagram at @FionaDavisAuthor and Twitter at @FionaDavisBooks

Our Sponsors:
* Check out The Comprehensive Copywriting Academy and use my code thecca.co/tspodcast for a great deal: https://thecca.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

BONUS: Experimenting with Structure - Mitzi Angel and Janice Hallett Jan 31, 2022

Show notes

In today's BONUS EPISODE, we do a deep dive into experimenting with structure.
Bianca first chats with Mitzi Angel—publisher of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and editor to publishing phenomenon, Sally Rooney—about the structure and unusual POV that Sally chose for Beautiful World, Where Are You. Mitzi also takes our listeners' questions about Sally's work.
After which, Bianca interviews Janice Hallett, author of The Appeal, about her Agatha Christie-esque novel that's structured entirely out of WhatsApp messages and emails. Janice explains how she stumbled upon this unusual structure, as well as the pros and cons of using it.
Find us on our socials:
Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra
Instagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writing
Facebook: @tsnotyaw
Website: www.biancamarais.com
Janice on Twitter: @JaniceHallett and Instagram: @janice.hallett

Our Sponsors:
* Check out The Comprehensive Copywriting Academy and use my code thecca.co/tspodcast for a great deal: https://thecca.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Rachel Krantz's Advice on Writing Memoir Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are joined by Layne and Peter. They discuss the importance of having a clear antagonistic force that the reader is scared of/rooting against; having a uniting factor in multi-POV stories; the difference between a premise and a hook; balancing being literary in a thriller/upmarket novel; and how you can sneak in an effective prologue.

After which, Bianca chats with Rachel Krantz, author of Open: An Uncensored Memoir of Love, Liberation, and Non-Monogamy, about her advice for memoirists. They also discuss the difference between a reported memoir vs a traditional memoir; how the fallout/revelations of #MeToo affected the way Rachel gathered evidence during her experience; and the importance of the awareness of privilege, and not just acknowledging it, but working to raise awareness in others.
Find us on our socials:
Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra
Instagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writing
Facebook: @tsnotyaw
Website: www.biancamarais.com
Rachel's website: https://www.racheljkrantz.com/about
On Instagram and Twitter: @rachelkrantz

Our Sponsors:
* Check out The Comprehensive Copywriting Academy and use my code thecca.co/tspodcast for a great deal: https://thecca.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

BONUS EPISODE: A Romance Author Answers Your Questions & An Intro to Scrivener Jan 24, 2022

Show notes

In today's bonus episode, Bianca first chats with Seressia Glass, author of The Love Con, about all things romance as Seressia kindly answers listener questions about the genre while sharing invaluable insight.
After which, Bianca chats with Julia from Scrivener about what value the writing software can add while helping streamline your writing process.
Find us on our socials:
Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra
Instagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writing
Facebook: @tsnotyaw
Website: www.biancamarais.com
Seressia on Twitter: @seressia and on Instagram: @seressiaglass
Scrivener on Twitter: @scrivenerapp
https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview

Our Sponsors:
* Check out The Comprehensive Copywriting Academy and use my code thecca.co/tspodcast for a great deal: https://thecca.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Building a Writing Resume on Your Journey to Publication - Deesha Philyaw Jan 20, 2022

Show notes

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe each take on two query letters. They discuss being cognizant of including descriptive features of the characters that don’t actually add any information/teach us anything about the character themselves; the trick of re-writing a scene in a different POV to really fine-tune emotional feelings within a scene; ensuring that dramatic questions in your plot actually center around your main character; being careful of using descriptions that are too derivative; how sensory details can beef up a description; and being mindful of how many names you throw out in the query letter since you don’t want it to read too much like a synopsis.
After which, Bianca chats with Deesha Philyaw, award-winning author of the short story collection The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, about publishing a short story collection;
having an agent that believes in what you want to write and the direction you want to go; not taking rejection personally; getting some short stories published first in reputable magazines/journals before presenting them as a collection to publishers; finding that place of play and experimentation in your writing; and how the most interesting stories can come from a place of discovery.
Find us on our socials:
Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra
Instagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writing
Facebook: @tsnotyaw
Website: www.biancamarais.com
Deesha on Twitter and Instagram: @DeeshaPhilyaw

Our Sponsors:
* Check out The Comprehensive Copywriting Academy and use my code thecca.co/tspodcast for a great deal: https://thecca.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Granting Yourself Permission to Tell a Story - Kerri Maher Jan 13, 2022

Show notes

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are kicking it back to the old format in which they look at the same three queries together. They discuss how important it is to show that there's enough plot and escalation to merit a whole novel when writing a query; the pitfall of using the term "crossover"; being mindful of when your book is coming off as quiet or too interior to the protagonist; avoiding a recap beginning, where you give too much background info, like a recap on a show; looking out for redundancies during the polishing phase; the difference between telling the reader something versus making the reader FEEL something; and how it isn't enough to just paint a picture - the picture needs to feel real.
After which Bianca chats with Kerri Maher, author of The Paris Bookseller, about fictionalizing real people (including the potential pitfalls and how to do it in a meaningful way); the social contract involved in writing/reading historical fiction; how to quiet the doubtful voice when writing, granting yourself permission to write a particular story; and how to frame novels that span a significant period of time.
Find us on our socials:
Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra
Instagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writing
Facebook: @tsnotyaw
Website: www.biancamarais.com
Kerri Maher on Instagram: @kerrimaherwriter and on Twitter: @kerrimaherbooks

Our Sponsors:
* Check out The Comprehensive Copywriting Academy and use my code thecca.co/tspodcast for a great deal: https://thecca.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

BONUS EPISODE: From Rocky Beginnings to Strong Endings Jan 10, 2022

Show notes

In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca chats with two awesome guests. The first is Genevieve Gornichec, author of The Witch's Heart, who discusses querying a book that's ten years in the making when you’re not sure if it has a place in the market; the whirlwind of quickly getting an agent and book deal; turning your NaNoWriMo novel into a successful book; avoiding info-dumping through dialogue; creating a narrative outline; and reading outside your genre.

In the second interview, Bianca chats with Jes Trudel, co-founder of writingcommunity.ca about The Story Endings Matrix. Jes discusses how publishers use a SWOT Analysis to analyze a manuscript; how YOU can use a SWOT analysis to identify areas of weakness in your manuscript; how to ensure you have the proper ending for your book in any genre; and reverse outlining—working back from your ending to the beginning.

Find us on our socials:
Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra
Instagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writing
Facebook: @tsnotyaw
Website: www.biancamarais.com
Genevieve on Instagram and Twitter: @gengornichec
Jes on Twitter: @jes_trudel
www.writingcommunity.ca

Our Sponsors:
* Check out The Comprehensive Copywriting Academy and use my code thecca.co/tspodcast for a great deal: https://thecca.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Knowing When You're Not Quite There... Yet - Tomi Adeyemi Jan 06, 2022

Show notes

In today's Books with Hooks, guest agent Veronia Park joins us from Fuse Literary to discuss Joanne's and Gaylen's submissions with them. In the segment, Veronica chats about straddling the line between two age categories; knowing, with MG fiction, who your target parents and teachers are because they're the ones who're going to be putting your book in their children’s hands; writing a dual-POV query letter for a dual-POV novel; letting your characters lie a little, or hold back truths, especially in the beginning; and including the first few pages of each POV character in a dual-POV situation.
After which, Bianca chats with the amazing Tomi Adeyemi, #1 NYT bestselling and award-winning author of Children of Blood and Bone and Children of Virtue and Vengeance about working through rejection to use the feedback you’re given; making the most of opportunities like Pitch Wars; reading new releases in your genre so you know what’s currently doing well; knowing when to give up on a project and move on; getting validation from yourself rather than external sources; how to be inspired rather than intimidated by great work; why trying and failing isn’t a bad thing; and how rejected books can act as your MFA. Tomi also discusses her amazing writer's masterclass called The Writer's Roadmap.
Find us on our socials:
Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra
Instagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writing
Facebook: @tsnotyaw
Website: www.biancamarais.com
Veronica Park on Twitter: @veroniKaboom
Fuse Literary on Twitter: @FuseLiterary
www.fuseliterary.com
Joanne on Twitter: @JoanneKelle
Gaylen on Twitter: @gaylenjoy
Tomi Adeyemi on Twitter: @tomi_adeyemi
Tomi on Instagram: @tomiadeyemi
https://www.thewritersroadmap.net/

Our Sponsors:
* Check out The Comprehensive Copywriting Academy and use my code thecca.co/tspodcast for a great deal: https://thecca.co
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands