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The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

Ending the Year with a Shot of Positivity from Alka Joshi

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

Bianca Marais, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra

How To, Books, Education, Fiction, Arts

4.8733 Ratings

🗓️ 30 December 2021

⏱️ 81 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In today's Books with Hooks, guest agent Veronia Park joins us from Fuse Literary to review four submissions. During the segment, Veronica discusses having the query vibe matching the sample pages vibe; under-promising and over-delivering with the sample; ensuring you have stakes at the end of each POV paragraph in the query; when not to include the prologue in the sample pages; and the three-part rule: what does your MC want more than anything, why can’t they get it, and what will happen if they do/don’t get it?

After which, Bianca chats with Alka Joshi, author of The Henna Artist and The Secret Keeper of Jaipur about how there isn’t a ticking clock for publishing; having and listening to external cheerleaders; tooting your own horn; when an MFA is worth it, and when it’s not; five crucial tips for emerging writers; taking time away to recharge and then coming back to appreciating your story; and the importance of knowing the story behind the story.

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
Veronica Park on Twitter: @veroniKaboom
Fuse Literary on Twitter: @FuseLiterary
www.fuseliterary.com
Alka Joshi on Twitter: @alkajoshi and on Instagram: @thealkajoshi

Our Sponsors: * Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/TSNOTYAW * Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/TSNOTYAW Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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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