In today's bumper September Bonus Episode, Emilie Sommer of East City Bookshop kicks us off with suggested comp titles.After which, Bianca interviews Nina Simon, author of Mother-Daughter Murder Night, a debut that was chosen for Reese’s Book Club. They discuss Nina’s nightmare-turned-dream debut experience; the trend of the cozy murder mystery; picking the right agent; the query letter that landed Nina her agent; and how plotting and brainstorming constitute "real" writing.Finally, in the Q&A segment, Carly and CeCe discuss telling potential agents that you've already received a full request; querying so-called 'dead' genres; when to consider a novel historical fiction; some common reasons agents don't pick up a non-fiction proposal; why there's so much hype around supporting women writers; query response rates; changing details in historical events; and publishing excerpts of your novel through contests.Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAWWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.comBookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwritingTo connect with Emilie Sommer go to https://www.instagram.com/emiliegsommer/ and you can find East City Bookshop at https://www.instagram.com/eastcitybookshop/More information about Nina can be found at: https://ninaksimon.com/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In today’s Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe critique three submissions, in the process discussing intentionality with regards to timelines; how novels with certain types of themes need to get 'messy'; the importance of specificity; showing rather than telling; and using active emotions.After which Bianca interviews LaToya Watkins, acclaimed author of the short story anthology Holler, Child. They discuss LaToya's unorthodox road to publication; how changing political and social climates can affect publication; writing 'voicey' stories; using the method writing technique; putting your characters in therapy; viewing your entire literary world through the lens of your characters; and not needing to wrap everything up neatly in endings. Find us on our socials: Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAWWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.comBookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwritingMore information about LaToya can be found at: https://www.latoyawatkins.com/She’s also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/drlwatkins/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In today's episode, Carly and CeCe are joined by Maya Golden, author of The Return Trip. During the episode, they discuss a query that was previously submitted to BWH; the need for balance between bio and plot in a query letter; memoirists writing their query letter plot/body paragraphs in first person rather than third; and cautioning against focusing on questions when writing plot paragraphs. Maya then discusses the structure and inspiration of her memoir; and she outlines the differences between writing fiction and memoir.Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAWWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.comBookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting More information about Maya can be found at: https://www.goodasgolden.com/about/She's also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/goodasgolden/?hl=enAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In today’s Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe critique three submissions and cover topics like having escalating plot in the plot paragraphs; having only one POV character; weaving in setting in historical fiction, interiority; character names in query letters vs synopses; ensuring dual timelines connect; passivity and coincidences; using statements instead of questions in the query; short frame narrative prologues to ground the reader; two arcs for two timelines; major dramatic questions; and a character being self-aware vs dissociative.After which Bianca interviews Kerry Clare, author of Asking for a Friend about the concept of circling the building in relation to deciding on who a novel’s characters will be; using a particular setting to help define character; the layering method of writing; social commentary in fiction; and advice for those writing novels that span decades.Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAWWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.comBookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwritingMore information about Kerry can be found at: https://picklemethis.com/aboutme/She's also on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/kerryreads/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In today's episode, Carly and CeCe are joined by Kelly S. Thompson, author of the memoir Still, I Cannot Save You. The three discuss: POV lending itself to emotionality in pages and the importance of choosing the right POV to fully exemplify that emotionality; the two required elements of a memoir and the importance of a thematic singular thread through it; remembering what your reader knows vs what you know; Kelly’s journey to publication; mapping out the memories and moments in memoirs; and Kelly’s advice for fellow memoirists.Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAWWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.comBookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwritingMore information about Kelly can be found at: https://kellysthompson.com/She's on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/kellysthompsonwriter/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy