Writing Dialogue That Carries the Entire Scene and How Voice Can Make or Break Your Novel
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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 is the main focus of Lara Stokes' debut novel?
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 everybody, welcome. It is one of your author interviews with Carly today. You're having Bianca some time off and I have so many wonderful authors to have on the show lately because I have so many authors with books coming out. And today I have my client Laura Stokes on the show. We have so much to talk about. Everything from the story of how we started working together to how many projects we worked on together to her new novel, Midsummer Nights. I'm going to tell you a little bit about Lara and then I will let her tell you about the book. So Lara Stokes studied theater and creative writing at York University, where she was the recipient of the B.P. Nickel Award and the Judith Eve Gerwitz Award.
Her work has appeared in the Danforth Review and the Ottawa Arts Review, among others.
How did querying during COVID impact Lara's journey?
Born and raised in northern Ontario, she now lives in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario. And you can check her out online at larastokeswriter.com. Lara, welcome to the show.
Thank you. I'm a big fan, so I'm very excited to be talking to you. I know.
Oh, it's so good. I'm like, we've been waiting for this moment to have you on the show. We have so much to talk about. We worked together for a long time, but today we are talking about this book.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:03–1:34
2
What is the main focus of Lara Stokes' debut novel?
1:34–4:01
3
How did querying during COVID impact Lara's journey?
4:01–5:33
4
What challenges did Lara face while balancing writing and a day job?
5:33–9:10
5
How does Camille Perri define voice in writing?
9:10–11:48
6
What strategies does Camille use for writing across genres?
11:48–16:08
7
How do humor and emotional depth coexist in writing?
16:08–19:07
8
What role does setting play in character development?
19:07–1:04:06
Speakers
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In Conversation with Editor and Author