When Writing is Both Therapeutic and Profitable
Explicit content warning
02/10/22 • 67 min
3 Listeners
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are joined by Kathy and Leila who have submitted their queries for critique. During the segment, they discuss why it’s important to frame a memoir as ‘why does this book have to be out there for others?’; why it’s okay to not have your hook fully fleshed out in a memoir query because agents are there to help you finish the job; how, in non-fiction, the hook is what you’re delivering to the reader and so it’s something you dig to find, unlike in fiction; how your story can start in multiple places, depending on taste; how starting in story is always the best place to start, even in memoir; using first person to help yourself write third person close; watching out for characters that are too generic/cookie-cutter/cliche; and how to make readers connect with characters in dark stories by making them very human.
After which, Bianca chats with Ashley Audrain, author of The Push, and bookstagrammer, Femi Omotade, about inserting non-typical themes into a thriller; writing about things that could be triggering for an author; writing being a cathartic experience—not therapy, but therapeutic; and the process of having a book get optioned for film or TV.
Find us on our socials:
Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra
Instagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writing
Facebook: @tsnotyaw
Website: www.biancamarais.com
Ashley Audrain can be found at www.ashelyaudrain.com and on Instagram at @ashleyaudrain and Twitter at @audrain
Femi Omotade can be found on Instagram at @thebookalert
Our Sponsors:
* Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/TSNOTYAW
* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are joined by Kathy and Leila who have submitted their queries for critique. During the segment, they discuss why it’s important to frame a memoir as ‘why does this book have to be out there for others?’; why it’s okay to not have your hook fully fleshed out in a memoir query because agents are there to help you finish the job; how, in non-fiction, the hook is what you’re delivering to the reader and so it’s something you dig to find, unlike in fiction; how your story can start in multiple places, depending on taste; how starting in story is always the best place to start, even in memoir; using first person to help yourself write third person close; watching out for characters that are too generic/cookie-cutter/cliche; and how to make readers connect with characters in dark stories by making them very human.
After which, Bianca chats with Ashley Audrain, author of The Push, and bookstagrammer, Femi Omotade, about inserting non-typical themes into a thriller; writing about things that could be triggering for an author; writing being a cathartic experience—not therapy, but therapeutic; and the process of having a book get optioned for film or TV.
Find us on our socials:
Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra
Instagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writing
Facebook: @tsnotyaw
Website: www.biancamarais.com
Ashley Audrain can be found at www.ashelyaudrain.com and on Instagram at @ashleyaudrain and Twitter at @audrain
Femi Omotade can be found on Instagram at @thebookalert
Our Sponsors:
* Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/TSNOTYAW
* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Previous Episode
BONUS Episode: Discussing Action and Humor with Mark Greaney and Josie Silver
In today's BONUS EPISODE Bianca first chats with Mark Greaney, author of Sierra Six, about writing espionage mysteries, putting your manuscript aside to work on something different so you can come back to it with fresh eyes; using every project as a learning experience; immersing yourself in your research; writing a series; listing your characters if you have a lot of them; and how to manage the scene arc in shorter chapters.
After which, Bianca chats with Josie Silver, author of One Night on the Island, about writing rom-coms; publishing without an agent; infusing humor into your writing; writing in first person; giving characters a lot of emotional baggage, and using a plot mechanism to create humor; having internal and external conflict in the first few pages; and assigning each POV character to someone from your life or an actor to keep them separate and differentiated on the page.
Find us on our socials:
Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra
Instagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writing
Facebook: @tsnotyaw
Website: www.biancamarais.com
Mark Greaney can be found at https://markgreaneybooks.com and on Instagram at @Mark GreaneyBooks and Twitter at @MarkGreaneyBook
Josie Silver can be found at www.josiesilver.com and on Instagram at @josiesilverauthor and on Twitter at @JosieSilver_
Our Sponsors:
* Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/TSNOTYAW
* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Next Episode
What It's Like to Be Out On Submission & Circling the Building in Your Opening
In today's BONUS Episode, Carly chats with Andrea Dunlop, author of We Came Here To Forget, about comps and why they’re so important; what it feels like to be out on submission; writers not getting what they need in terms of knowing how to market themselves and their books; a day in the life of; and NaNoWriMo goals.
After which, Bianca chats with Nick Petrie, author of The Peter Ash Series, about backstory; being a pantser; internal and external conflict in the opening chapters; circling the building as you find your way into your opening; and how to structure chapters to keep readers turning pages.
Find us on our socials:
Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra
Instagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writing
Facebook: @tsnotyaw
Website: www.biancamarais.com
Andrea Dunlop can be found at www.andreadunlop.net and on Instagram at @andreadunlop
Nick Petrie can be found at www.nickpetrie.com and on Instagram and Twitter at @_nickpetrie_
Our Sponsors:
* Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/TSNOTYAW
* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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