The Shit No One Tells You About Writing
Episodes
When Breaking the Rules Works
20 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is sponsored by HelloFresh. Go to www.hellofresh.com/tsnotyaw50 and use the code tsnotyaw50 for 50% off plus free shipping!In today’s e...
The Short Story vs The Novel
13 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is sponsored by Riverside.fm. Using the promo code TSNOTYAW offers you a 15% discount on all individual plans! Click here for more...
Referencing the Pandemic in Your WIP
06 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is sponsored by Riverside.fm. Using the promo code TSNOTYAW offers you a 15% discount on all individual plans! Click here for more...
Setting Up Your Social Media Platform
29 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is sponsored by Riverside.fm. Using the promo code TSNOTYAW offers you a 15% discount on all individual plans! Click here for more...
June Bonus Episode with Julie Carrick Dalton and Kerryn Mayne
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is sponsored by Riverside.fm. Using the promo code TSNOTYAW offers you a 15% discount on all individual plans! Click here for more...
How to Make Readers Connect With Your Characters
22 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is sponsored by HelloFresh. Go to www.hellofrresh.com/tsnotyaw16 and use the code tsnotyaw16 for 16 free meals plus free shipping!...
When to Begin With ‘The Big Terrible Thing’
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is sponsored by Riverside.fm. Using the promo code TSNOTYAW offers you a 15% discount on all individual plans! Click here for more...
Doing Everything Wrong in Your First Draft
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is sponsored by Riverside.fm. Using the promo code TSNOTYAW offers you a 15% discount on all individual plans! Click here for more...
Creating Conflict For Your Characters
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is sponsored by Riverside.fm. Using the promo code TSNOTYAW offers you a 15% discount on all individual plans! Click here for more...
May Bonus Episode: All the Romance & We Answer Your Questions & Give You Comps
29 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is sponsored by HelloFresh. Go to HelloFresh dot com slash tsnotyaw16 and use code tsnotyaw16 for 16 free meals plus free shipping...
Writing Dream Sequences That Work
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is sponsored by HelloFresh. Go to HelloFresh dot com slash tsnotyaw16 and use code tsnotyaw16 for 16 free meals plus free shipping...
When Not to Give Up!
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is sponsored by Riverside.fm. Using the promo code TSNOTYAW offers you a 15% discount on all individual plans! Click here for more...
Special Episode: Her Name is Coceka Lubobo
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this short bonus episode, Bianca pays tribute to the bravery of Coceka Lubobo, a young woman who ended a serial killer's reign of terror in Orl...
Being Intentional With Your POV Characters
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/WRITING and get on your way to being your best self.In today...
Insights from Caroline Kepnes, Author of the ‘You’ Series
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Books with Hooks segment, Bianca and guest agent, Rachel McMillan, discuss the importance of social media presence; tailoring your querie...
How Setting Informs Plot and Character
27 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Books with Hooks segment, Carly and CeCe discuss descriptive specificity; comping to famous writers; sensitivity when describing mental h...
Bumper Edition: April Bonus Episode
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's bumper Bonus Episode, in an incredibly emotional interview, Bianca talks with Carol Major, author of the memoir The Asparagus Wars, abo...
Two Authors Review Your Work While Discussing Their Own
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/WRITING and get on your way to being your best self.In today...
Insights from Bonnie Garmus, Internationally Bestselling Author of Lessons in Chemistry
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Books With Hooks segment, Carly and Cece each critique two submissions, discussing tongue twister titles; putting a fresh spin on feminis...
Using Curiosity Seeds in a Dual Timeline Narrative
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/WRITING and get on your way to being your best self.In today...
Keeping the Plot Moving Forward
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks segment, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe discuss keeping names in a query to a minimum; an 'excellent' query with open...
Bumper Edition March Bonus Episode
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's bumper Bonus Episode, Bianca chats with Amy Tector, author of three novels which have all been released in the last year, including Spe...
How to Know When You Need a Prologue
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe discuss the line between YA and adult historical fiction; category mashups; plausibility of plot point...
How to Ensure Your Characters Aren’t Just Puppets Being Manipulated Through a Plot
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks segment, Dongwon Song, an agent at Howard Morhaim Literary Agency who specializes in the sci-fi and fantasy genres, jo...
Rebecca Makkai's Writing Insights
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Books With Hooks, Carly and Cece co-critique two queries, discussing showing how the protagonist is propelled on their journey; deal...
Writing About Trauma
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Books With Hooks, which is our 100th segment, Carly and CeCe each critique two queries, discussing comps; clear and compelling inciting i...
Jam-packed February Bonus Episode
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's jam-packed Bonus Episode, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe answer questions about whether dark novels and WWII novels have a place in the cur...
Being Intentional With Setting
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Bianca speaks to guest agent, Emmy Nordstrom-Higdon, about five submissions including middle grade queries, a rom-com...
Grady Hendrix’s Insights on Writing
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the latest Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe each critique two queries and discuss pitching only one genre; having a solid reason that a story takes...
Books That Get a Lot of Buzz
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly, CeCe, and Bianca are joined by listeners Marnie and Karisa. In the process, they discuss the importance of st...
Welcoming Critique & Using the Hank 'Tuck' Method
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe critique two queries each, discussing strong hooks; coincidences; describing a character indirectly...
The Different Routes to Publication
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe critique two queries each, discussing catchy titles; voice-y and specific details in queries; using line...
Writing About Grief & We Answer Your Questions & We Give You Comp Titles
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s jampacked Bonus Episode, Carly and CeCe answer all your questions, tackling the difference between trade and academic publishing; using ...
Finding Mentors in Your Writing Journey
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Books with Hooks, Carly, CeCe and Bianca look at two queries, in the process discussing a metafiction query letter; the idea of having ch...
Pitching a Book Before You Write It
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe critique two queries each, in the process discussing the concept of a protagonist knowing their fate or...
Seize the Day and Write the Book!
05 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe critique two queries each, in the process discussing extraordinarily long query letters; why it’s tric...
Using Emotional Memories in Writing & Our End-of-Year Wrap Up
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe critique two queries each, in the process discussing putting your own spin on a classic trope; writing p...
Writing Tightly on a Scene Level & Keeping Your Characters in Motion
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe critique two queries each, in the process discussing the pros and cons of epistolary novels; the #ownvoi...
A Podcast Listener's Success Story
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe each look at two query letters, and in the process discuss making sure interiority adds up—showing not...
December Bonus Episode: We Answer Your Questions & Give You Comp Titles
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Bonus Episode, Carly and CeCe answer all your burning questions, in the process discussing whether agents ever ask for full manusc...
When All the Rejections Become Resounding Yeses!
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Jessica and Kate join Carly and CeCe who critique their work, in the process discussing the important difference ...
The Importance of Surprising the Reader From the First Chapter
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe each critique two query letters, in the process discussing WWII fatigue in the industry; the importanc...
Writing Strong Character Arcs That Are Tied to Character Wants
24 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe analyze two query letters each, and in the process discuss what constitutes a long query, in respect o...
Jeffrey Archer's 14-Draft Process & Writing Plots Twists vs Reveals
17 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are left unsupervised as they critique two query letters each, in the process discussing the best way ...
The Importance of Having No Ego When Receiving Critique
10 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are joined by two authors, Melissa and Elizabeth, whose work they critique. In the process, they discu...
Adding Tension, Conflict and Stakes to a Novel That's Not Working
03 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books With Hooks, Carly and CeCe look at two critiques each, discussing the importance of using sharp specifics and strong interiority;...
Inciting Incidents and Key Events
27 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe each look at one submitted query letter, after which they each discuss a query letter that they ended ...
Bonus Episode: We Answer Your Questions, Give You Comp Titles, and Chat with Susie Yang
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Bonus Episode, Carly and CeCe answer all your questions and Emilie Sommer from East City Book Shop gives you comp titles. After which, ...
Why You Don't Need an MFA to Become a Better Writer
20 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Jael Richardson (author of Gutter Child) joins Carly and CeCe to critique query letters. During the segment, they dis...
The Process When Publishers Acquire a Novel & How to Make Yourself More Marketable
13 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are joined by Jennifer and David, two authors who submitted their work for consideration. During the s...
Fleshing Out All of Your Characters, Including the Antagonists
06 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe each review two query letters, in the process discussing overexplaining and taking the readers out of ...
Including Diversity in Your Writing & Always Thinking About Your Reader
29 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe discuss being clear about your age category and details of the plot; keeping the query letter short; f...
How to Know if You're the Right Person to Tell a Story
22 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe discuss keeping secrets from the reader vs. keeping them from the character; choosing a variety of com...
Bonus Episode: We Answer Your Questions and Give You Comps
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca, Carly and CeCe answer all your burning questions about writing and publishing. After which, Bianca chats with El...
How to Stop Talking to Ourselves and Start Talking to Our Readers
15 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, we're joined by guest agent, Emmy Nordstrom-Higdon from Westwood Creative Artists who looks at four submissions. ...
Tearing a Story Apart Until the Puzzle Pieces Fit Perfectly
08 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe review a resubmission and in the process discuss an impressive author paragraph; writing the subtletie...
Writing a Successful Book Proposal
01 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe discuss the target audience for a coming of age novel; the pitfalls of the early 2000s as a setting; t...
How Classic Literature Can Inform Your Own Work
25 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are joined by Nurin and Layne who submitted their work for critique. During the segment, they discuss ...
Balancing Character Development, Curiosity Seeds and Plot
18 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe look at two queries each, in the process discussing what is meant when agents want specificity in a qu...
Letting the Story Be Bigger Than You
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe discuss having a strong sense of place in your work; an example of a good prologue; when it can work t...
Maximizing the Benefit of Working with a Freelance Editor
04 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's special Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are joined by guest literary agent, Jenni Ferrari-Adler who represents Susie Yang (whose novel...
From the Archives: Dealing with Rejection
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode from the archives, Bianca chats with award-winning and bestselling author, Lily King (author of Writers & Lovers) about the...
From the Archives: How to Create and Maintain Suspense
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode from the archives, Bianca chats with Putnam editor and adjunct professor of publishing for NYU, Mark Tavani, about all things s...
From the Archives: Learning Your Craft
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode from the archives, Bianca chats with award winning author, playwright, screenwriter and journalist, Byron Lane — author of th...
From the Archives: Coming Up with A High Concept Premise
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode from the archives, Bianca chats with bestselling author, Samantha M. Bailey, as well as Nita Pronovost, editor and vice preside...
Writing Scenes Involving Multiple Characters, Understanding Writing Theory & We Answer Your Questions
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca is joined by guest interviewer Kira Mahoney who interviews Daniel Kalla, author of The Darkness in the Light, abo...
Tess Gerritsen's Advice to Writers
30 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks , Carly and CeCe each critique two query letters. In the process, they discuss stories with magical elements and why t...
Writing Memoir, Planting Curiosity Seeds & Choosing Inciting Incidents
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Bonus Episode, CeCe chats with Zibby Owens, podcaster, publisher, CEO and author of Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Literature. T...
Using a Pen Name & Advice for Showing vs Telling - Riley Sager
23 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On today's Books with Hooks segment, Carly and CeCe are joined by Caroline and Sammy who submitted their work for critique. During the discussion,...
A Genre Guide, What Postcard Scenes Are, Resources Available to Writers, and a Bookstagrammer Gives You Comps
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca chats with Lidija Hilje, an Author Accelerator certified book coach about differentiating between genres; how to ...
May Cobb's Insights on Writing
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 int...
Tips for Romance Writers, Blurred Genres & We Answer Your Questions
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 abo...
Trusting Your Subconscious and Yourself
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 does...
Breaking the Rules & The Importance of Juxtaposition & A Bookstagrammer Gives You Comps
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Bonus Episode, Bianca chats with Hannah Orenstein, author of Meant to Be Mine, about drawing on personal connections for characters; gett...
How Racism in the US Pushed Tara M. Stringfellow to Write Memphis
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Combating Query Fatigue & A Bookseller Gives You Comps
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca chats with Carley Fortune, author of Every Summer After, about setting a book in Canada; her journey to publica...
The Poetic Efficiency of Writing Well at the Line Level - Emma Straub
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 differ...
Pacing at a Chapter Level, How the Industry is Faring, and We Answer Your Questions
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
The Secret to Incorporating Backstory
19 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Being Out on Sub, Drafting vs Revising Mode, Answering Your Questions and Comps Titles
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca first chats with Jessica Payne, author of Make Me Disappear, about getting "the call"; how long the edito...
Emily Henry's Advice for Writing Good Dialogue
12 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 q...
What Makes an Editor Fall in Love with a Book & How to Manage Your Writerly Anxiety & A Bookseller Gives You Comps
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Bonus Episode, CeCe chats with Sarah Cantin, Executive Editor at St. Martin's Publishing Group and the editor of the #BookswithHook...
The Difference Between Memoir and Recollection
05 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 tha...
Setting as Character, How Your Journey Will Be Unique, and We Answer Your Questions
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s Bonus Episode, Bianca chats with Jennifer Fawcett, author of Beneath the Stairs, about her publishing journey; positioning yourself in th...
How to Make 'Quiet' Novels Unputdownable
28 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe evaluate the same three query letters, discussing developing character while developing plot; leveragi...
Middle-Grade Fiction, Rom-coms, and a Bookseller Gives You Comps
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 impo...
Making Structural Choices to Best Serve a Particular Story
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Writing and Rewriting a Novel Until It's Ready & We Answer Your Questions
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 teac...
The Importance of Endings - Lisa Scottoline
14 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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; h...
Framing Scenes, Writing a YA Series, and A Bookseller Recommends Comps
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's jam-packed Bonus Episode, Bianca first chats with Grant Ginder, author of Let's Not Do That Again, about “unlikable” characte...
Organically Integrating Backstory and Context
07 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 diff...
Fictional Beginnings and Non-Fictional Story Arcs & a Bookseller Recommends Comps
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 f...
How the Original Pitch Copy and Framing Device Can Change During Edits
31 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 thr...
What Chloe and Olivia Have Learned Along the Way & A Bookseller Offers Comps
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca begins by chatting with Chloe Benjamin, bestselling author of The Immortalists, about handling the perfectionism-...
When You're Not Able to Let Go of a Rejected Manuscript
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe kick it back old school and both discuss the same three submissions. During the chat, they address dia...
How Specificity Brings a Story to Life, Answering Your Questions, and a Bookseller Gives You Comps
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's BONUS EPISODE, Bianca first chats with Rosie Walsh, bestselling author of The Love of My Life, about when a story forces a plotter to b...
How to be Creative During Difficult Times
17 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Bianca is joined by guest agent, Emmy Nordstrom-Higdon from Westwood Creative Artists, who looks at four query letter...
Bonus Episode: Spotlight on Indie Authors and Publishers & We Answer Your Questions
14 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Bonus Episode, we spotlight two awesome indie authors and publishers. Bianca first chats with Maggie Smith, author of Truth and Other L...
How to Ensure Each Scene is Doing the Heavy Lifting
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Books with Hooks, Kelly and Paul join Carly and CeCe to discuss their submissions. During the segment, we discuss the difference betwee...
BONUS EPISODE: Jesse Thistle's Advice to Memoirists & Our First Q&A Session
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today's Bonus Episode, Bianca chats with Jesse Thistle, author of the bestselling and award-winning memoir, From the Ashes, about the differenc...