Choosing How to Frame Certain Aspects of Your Work

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

Bianca Marais, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra

How To, Books, Education, Fiction, Arts

4.8 • 733 Ratings

🗓️ 30 May 2024

⏱️ 77 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In today's Books with Hooks, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe are joined by listener, Kelly Fuller, as they critique her book club fiction submission. They discuss picking comps that match the genre you're writing in; using your query to discuss the plot of the book rather than backstory about your characters; ensuring your stakes are high enough; pitching the right agent for your book based on its content; the need for plot that showcases causality in your query; writing a book that's as long as it needs to be; balancing plot development and character development; being mindful of intentionally writing an unlikeable character; tips for making a character more relatable; and how readers attach themselves to whoever the opener is in a multiple POV work.

After which, Carly interviews Vanessa Walters, playwright and author of The Lagos Wife. The two discuss the themes in Vanessa's latest novel; what inspired it; Vanessa's ability to comment on specific social and political issues without being heavy handed; the novel's title and cover changes; why Vanessa chose a dual timeline for her work; why she framed motherhood in a specific way; and Vanessa's advice to aspiring writers.

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.

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

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More information about Vanessa can be found at https://www.vanessawalters.net/

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

To sign up for CeCe’s Writing Interiority Course on the 6th of June, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pKP-TqW9SSOlAHqSjKM21Q#/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

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

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	It's a new year and time to get fresh eyes on your work in progress.
0:04.8	Are you looking for beta readers, some of whom might potentially become writing group members
0:09.2	down the line?
0:10.2	Are you wanting to be matched up with those writing in a similar genre and or time
0:15.0	zone so they can critique your work as you critique theirs at the same time?
0:19.5	Your manuscript doesn't have to be complete to sign up
0:22.1	for this 3,000 word evaluation. This matchup will be open to registrations from now until the
0:28.5	2nd of March with the matchup emails going out on the 3rd of March. Always such an exciting day.
0:35.4	For more information and to register, go to Bianca Moray.com and go to
0:39.7	the beta reader matchup tab. And please spread the word, even if you aren't joining the matchup this
0:45.7	time. The more writers we have signed up, the better the matches will be. Hello from CC.
0:52.6	I'm so excited to announce an all new class called Starting It
0:56.4	Right, which is all about how to begin your story in the best place and in the best way. Now,
1:01.6	this is going to be a four-day class, so come prepared to take lots of notes. We'll cover the different
1:06.9	types of beginnings and how to choose the best one for your story, how to frame your
1:11.6	inciting incident in a compelling way, common mistakes writers make when starting a story,
1:17.3	how to balance exposition and mystery, how to make readers connect with your protagonist, and how
1:23.6	to make the reader want to turn to the next chapter and so much more.
1:28.3	And guess what?
1:29.3	For the first time ever, there will be an interactive component to my class.
1:34.3	Everyone who is registered will have the option of sending in the opening scene of their work
1:40.3	for a chance to be critiqued during the webinar.
	...

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