Writing With an Intelligent Reader in Mind

Explicit content warning

02/17/22 • 62 min

3 Listeners

In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe kick it back old-school to review the same three query letters. During the segment, they discuss avoiding flowery language, especially in a query; avoiding "reviewing" your own work and letting the pages show what kind of work it is; pitching your story rather than your writing; making sure you have the right category/genre, so that the right people read it and judge it accordingly; and getting creative with your POV when you need to write a character that isn't a main character.
After which, Bookstagrammer Femi Omotade joins us again to interview #1 NYT Bestselling Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing Half. They discuss the writer’s responsibility to their reader; not giving yourself the burden of having to educate the reader; writing with an intelligent reader in mind; imagining that the reader is smarter than you; not trying to be universally appealing; writing as specifically as possible; how reviews are for readers, not writers; finding ways to protect your boundaries; how the book (rather than the author) is the product; and aiming for tonal fluctuations in a book.

Find us on our socials:
Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyra
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Website: www.biancamarais.com
Brit Bennett can be found at www.britbennett.com and on Instagram and Twitter at @britrbennett
Femi Omotade can be found on Instagram at @thebookalert

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Previous 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_

Next Episode

A Masterclass in Writing Multi-POV Novels Across Various Genres

In today’s BONUS Episode, Bianca chats with three awesome authors writing multi-POV stories across various genres. First up is Kim Fay, author of Love & Saffron, who talks about how being a bookseller influenced her writing; how writing is a craft and every sentence matters; letting the words flow when the magic happens; and including a piece of yourself in the story you want to tell.

Next is Kristen Bird, author of The Night She Went Missing, who talks about writing a successful 4-POV debut novel; the challenges of ensuring the reader can connect with each POV character with limited time on the pages; outlining a published novel to see how the author achieved their scene and chapter goals; treating your previous unpublished novels as practice, not failures; and allowing yourself to be content in the season that you’re in.

Lastly is Eliza Jane Brazier, author of Good Rich People, who chats about opening with a strong prologue; writing unlikeable characters that readers are still compelled to keep reading about; knowing what your villain truly wants; infusing social commentary into your writing; and switching hats from novel writing to screenwriting.

Kim Fay - Twitter and Instagram: @kimkfay
Kirsten Bird – Twitter: @kbirdwrites and Instragram: @kirstenbirdwrites
Eliza Jane Brazier – Twitter: EJaneBrazier and Instagram: @Elizajanebrazier