June Bonus Episode
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
What's up, everyone? This is Cece. So I recently grabbed lunch with an acquiring editor from HarperCollins who told me that the number of submissions she's been getting has nearly doubled. And I wasn't surprised at all because every agent and editor I know has been talking about how the volume of submission keeps increasing. So personally, that is a wonderful thing, because it's more reading for me, but it also means I have more chances of matching with authors. I consider it a privilege to review queries on Books with Hooks, and of course, in my submissions inbox. But at the same time, I talk to writers who tell me that they wish agents would read more than a few pages because... And I quote, my story gets better in chapter two.
I have to be honest, this kills me. It's like me wanting chocolate chip cookies to have the nutritional value of kale. It's just not realistic. Like it or not, no agent, no acquiring editor is going to stick around to see if a submission gets better. It's not because we're mean, it's because we get dozens and dozens every day. I know it's harsh, but ambitious writers embrace harsh realities. So here it goes. It's your job to make your opening pages irresistible, to make agents crave it, to make agents want to read more. That's why I'm so excited about my upcoming course, Starting It Right. How to begin your story in the best place and in the best way.
What themes does Teddy Wayne explore in 'The Au Pair'?
I created this course after studying hundreds of books. I've mapped out elements that are present in the beginning of all successful novels and memoirs. And I've designed checklists, actual checklists, that you can use to ensure that your story's beginning is seducing your reader. We'll cover how to write a great first line, different types of beginnings and how you can choose the best one, the best place to start and the best way to start, yes, these are totally different things, when it makes sense to add a prologue and when it doesn't, how to frame your inciting incident in an appealing way, how to balance exposition and mystery, how to include context but not weigh it down with too much backstory, and what to do if your story has more than one POV or timeline.
Most of all, I'm going to show you how to make readers want to turn to Chapter 2. Join me for this multi-day course designed to help you break through the noise. You'll leave with a clear, actionable breakdown of exactly what goes into a terrific beginning. If you've already signed up, come prepared to take lots of notes. We're talking hundreds of slides with real-world examples and specific techniques, plus a super fun surprise that I can't wait to share. I hope to see you there.
and welcome to our show, The Shit No One Tells You About Writing. I'm best-selling author Bianca Murray and I'm joined by Cece Lira of Wendy Sherman Associates and Carly Waters of PS Literary. Hi, everyone. Today's guest is the author of seven novels and a winner of the Whiting Award and an NEA Creative Writing Fellowship, as well as a finalist for the Young Lions Fiction Award, the Penn Robert W. Bingham Prize, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize.
How does Teddy Wayne define literary thrillers?
A frequent contributor to The New Yorker and a former columnist for The New York Times, he has taught at Columbia University and Washington University in St. Louis. He lives in Brooklyn with his family It's my pleasure to welcome Teddy Wayne. Teddy, welcome to the show.
Thanks so much for having me.
It's wonderful having you. And for our listeners who are not watching on the YouTube channel, I am holding up the book cover of the book we're discussing today, The Au Pair, very dark and broody cover. I'm just going to read the flap copy so everybody knows what we're talking about, and then we're going to dive in. So Stephen Hammer was once an acclaimed literary star. Now his career is floundering, his marriage to a high-powered woman is crumbling, and the only bright spot in his life is Astrid, the Norwegian au pair who cares for their children and reveres his neglected novels. But what begins as a secret infatuation soon spirals into a scandal that makes them both infamous.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:03–1:34
2
What themes does Teddy Wayne explore in 'The Au Pair'?
1:34–3:35
3
How does Teddy Wayne define literary thrillers?
3:35–4:46
4
What are the challenges of writing morally complex characters?
4:46–6:18
5
How does the author balance psychological depth with narrative pace?
6:18–7:21
6
What is the process of layering character backstory in revisions?
7:21–8:48
7
How does Teddy Wayne approach adapting novels into screenplays?
8:48–9:37
8
What insights does Jenny Jackson share about writing a second novel?
9:37–1:18:09