Episodes

  • Leveraging Your Characters’ Emotional Complexity

    Leveraging Your Characters’ Emotional Complexity
    Oct 31 2024

    Today Bianca, Carly, and CeCe critique a coming-of-age submission set in the 80s, as well as a speculative literary fiction query.

    They chat about the importance of details in a query, as opposed to big-picture themes; an example of a prologue that induces curiosity; layering emotion to create more realistic interactions with characters; including emotion and interiority during narration/exposition to elevate your work; how the emotional complexity of your characters can heighten your readers’ connection to them; figuring out ways to show what characters want, rather than explicitly telling readers what that is; the risk of writing experimental fiction; and avoiding using narration in your first line.

    Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

    Find us on our socials:

    Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra

    Instagram: 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/TSNOTYAW

    Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com

    Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

    To register for CeCe’s upcoming Hacking Writing on A Line Level course, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xDo7-fz8Q-GrnyE6Nw41qA#/registration

    For more information about the Deep Dive Virtual Retreat, go to https://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/deep-dive-series-2025.html



    Our Sponsors:
    * Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/TSNOTYAW


    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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    33 mins
  • October Comp Title Bonus Episode

    October Comp Title Bonus Episode
    Oct 28 2024

    Join Bianca in our October bonus episode as your favourite book person, Emilie Sommer from East City Book Shop, answers all your comp requests!

    If you’re looking for our usual Q&A segment, that now gets published as part of our end of the month Substack newsletter. Subscribe to get access to that, and so much more: https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com/

    Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

    Find us on our socials

    Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra

    Instagram: 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/TSNOTYAW

    Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and ww.cecilialyra.com

    Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

    To ask us a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAW

    To register for CeCe’s upcoming Hacking Writing on A Line Level course, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xDo7-fz8Q-GrnyE6Nw41qA#/registration

    To sign up for the Beta Reader Match Up, go to https://www.biancamarais.com/beta-reader-match-up.html



    Our Sponsors:
    * Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/TSNOTYAW


    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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    26 mins
  • Dramatizing a Scene so That It Comes to Life on the Page

    Dramatizing a Scene so That It Comes to Life on the Page
    Oct 24 2024

    Today Bianca interviews NYT bestselling nature writer, Leigh Ann Henion. They discuss Leigh Ann's latest work, Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark; the inspiration behind the book; the process of getting a book like this written and published; being able to illustrate how your non-fiction work fills a gap in the market; scene-setting in non-fiction; including relevant and interesting information without overwhelming the narrative; and always paying attention to what a character knows at that particular point in the story.

    Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

    Find us on our socials:

    Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra

    Instagram: 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/TSNOTYAW

    Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com

    Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

    You can find out more information about Leigh Ann on her website at https://leighannhenion.com/

    She's also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/leighannhenion

    and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LeighAnnHenion.Author/

    To register for CeCe’s upcoming Hacking Writing on A Line Level course, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xDo7-fz8Q-GrnyE6Nw41qA#/registration

    Carly's course for writers, The Author's Publishing Playbook, is available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven't grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15



    Our Sponsors:
    * Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/TSNOTYAW
    * Check out Notion: https://notion.com/tsnotyaw


    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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    30 mins
  • Ensuring Your Plot and Climax Match Your Genre

    Ensuring Your Plot and Climax Match Your Genre
    Oct 17 2024

    Today, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe critique a speculative fiction query and a literary fiction one.

    They discuss avoiding confusion in your query letter; using names, rather than pronouns, in queries; ensuring your plot and climax match your genre; writing interiority that reflects your characters' realities; title expectations for literary fiction; avoiding being too vague with your plot; and the challenges of writing in epistolary form.

    Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

    Find us on our socials:

    Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra

    Instagram: 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/TSNOTYAW

    Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com

    Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

    Carly's course for writers, The Author's Publishing Playbook, is available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven't grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15



    Our Sponsors:
    * Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/TSNOTYAW


    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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    31 mins
  • How Character Relationships Can Reveal Vulnerability and Create High Stakes

    How Character Relationships Can Reveal Vulnerability and Create High Stakes
    Oct 10 2024

    In today’s episode, Bianca interviews the Hugo-Award winning and NYT bestselling sci-fi and fantasy author, Alix E. Harrow. They discuss Alix's latest novel, Starling House; her journey to publication and being chosen for Reese's Book Club; novellas and the fantasy/sci-fi genre's flexibility in the length of a work; Alix's process with world-building and her thought-process behind writing a book within a book; using secondary characters to up the stakes and shed light on your main character; the use of footnotes in the novel; maintaining and upping tension; writing beautiful prose in the drafting rather than the editing phase; and balancing the divulging of backstory while maintaining curiosity.

    Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

    Find us on our socials:

    Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra

    Instagram: 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/TSNOTYAW Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com

    Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

    You can find out more information about Alix on her website at https://alixeharrow.wixsite.com/author

    She's also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/alix.e.harrow

    and Substack at https://writtenworld.substack.com/

    To register for CeCe’s upcoming Hacking Writing on A Line Level course, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xDo7-fz8Q-GrnyE6Nw41qA#/registration

    Carly's course for writers, The Author's Publishing Playbook, is available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven't grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15



    Our Sponsors:
    * Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/TSNOTYAW


    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
    Show more Show less
    30 mins
  • Balancing Scene Work and Interiority

    Balancing Scene Work and Interiority
    Oct 3 2024

    Today, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe critique a family saga submission and a psychological thriller.

    They discuss whether there's a need for personalization at the top of your query; the importance of having POV information at the beginning of your letter; being concise with your wording; ensuring you illustrate how your multiple POV characters connect through plot and theme; examples of how to successfully share biographical details of characters; ensuring your metaphors don't take your reader out of the pages; avoiding over-writing in opening pages; the importance of reading your work aloud; ensuring your plot paragraphs speak to each other; an example of great interiority; making sure your character's behaviors are plausible; and balancing scene work and interiority.

    Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.

    Find us on our socials:

    Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra

    Instagram: 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/TSNOTYAW

    Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com

    Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

    Carly's course for writers, The Author's Publishing Playbook, is available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven't grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15



    Our Sponsors:
    * Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/TSNOTYAW
    * Check out Notion: https://notion.com/tsnotyaw


    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
    Show more Show less
    38 mins
  • September Comp Titles Segment

    September Comp Titles Segment
    Oct 2 2024

    In today's second Bonus Episode of the month, Emilie Sommer from East City Bookshop answers all your burning comp title questions!

    To connect with Emilie Sommer go to https://www.instagram.com/emiliegsommer/ and you can find East City Bookshop at https://www.instagram.com/eastcitybookshop/

    To ask for your own comp title recommendations, go to: https://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/submit-a-question.html

    If you get your question in by the 10th of October, we'll try and get it answered for you.



    Our Sponsors:
    * Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/TSNOTYAW
    * Check out Notion: https://notion.com/tsnotyaw


    Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
    Show more Show less
    40 mins
  • Bumper September Bonus Episode

    Bumper September Bonus Episode
    Sep 30 2024
    In this month’s bonus episode, Bianca interviews Reese's book pick and best-selling author Marissa Stapley, to discuss her latest, The Lightning Bottles. They chat about the genesis of the novel; taking your time writing and the beauty that lies in the process of creating; the inspiration behind Marissa's protagonist; why she chose specific characters as POV characters; how Marissa managed to work in a prologue that was from a younger person's perspective without it reading like YA; the challenges of writing a book after experiencing major success; working with multiple editors at the same time; and advice for when a manuscript just isn't working. After which, Bianca chats with Amy Shoenthal, author of the non-fiction work, The Setback Cycle. They discuss the journey to publication as a collection of setbacks; getting a book deal without having a huge platform; persevering despite rejections and learning from them; how to market yourself amidst insecurities; Amy's thought process and research for her work; the process of working with and interviewing experts; how Amy came up with the idea and key ideas for her work; the differences between writing journalistic pieces versus writing a book; being prepared to talk about yourself as an author; and how Amy marketed herself and her book.Bianca then interviews Frances White, author of the adult fantasy novel, Voyage of the Damned. They discuss Frances's journey to publication and the manuscripts that didn't quite make it there; writing for yourself rather than ticking boxes for publishers; the world-building that Frances did for her novel; working with a large cast of characters; the importance of representation and using sensitivity readers; the crossover potential of Frances's novel; and writing the voicey-ness of the main character.If you’re looking for our usual Q&A segment, that now gets published as part of our end of the month Substack newsletter. Subscribe to get access to that, and so much more: https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com/Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.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 ww.cecilialyra.comBookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwritingTo ask us a question, go to: https://sayhi.chat/TSNOTYAWYou can find out more information about Marissa on her website at https://marissastapley.comShe's also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/marissastapley and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MarissaStapleyAuthorYou can find out more information about Amy on her website at https://www.amyshoenthal.com/She's also on Instagram at https://www.amyshoenthal.com/You can find out more information about Frances on her website at https://www.frances-writes.com/She's also on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/franceswhiteauthor and Twitter at https://x.com/Frances_Writes To register for CeCe’s upcoming Hacking Writing on A Line Level course, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xDo7-fz8Q-GrnyE6Nw41qA#/registrationCarly's course for writers, The Author's Publishing Playbook, is available at carlywatters.com/course. If you haven't grabbed it yet, podcast listeners can use discount code POD15To sign up for the Beta Reader Match Up, go to https://www.biancamarais.com/beta-reader-match-up.htmlOur Sponsors:* Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/TSNOTYAWAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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    1 hr and 34 mins