May Bonus Episode
The Shit No One Tells You About Writing
Bianca Marais, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra
4.8 • 842 Ratings
🗓️ 26 May 2025
⏱️ 162 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In the first part of this month’s bonus episode, Carly Watters interviews Anna Mitchael, an accomplished author and copywriter. Anna discusses her writing journey, experiences in magazine publishing, and the art of storytelling through vignettes. They discuss the importance of building relationships in the writing community, the unique format of vignettes in Anna's latest book, and the nuances of ghostwriting. Anna shares her insights on creativity, overcoming fear, and the challenges of the publishing process, offering valuable advice for aspiring writers. Carly and Anna explore the complexities of personal triggers, the challenges of storytelling, and the realities of the publishing industry. They discuss the emotional toll of writing, the importance of self-reflection, and the nuances of crafting a compelling query letter. Anna shares her experiences as a writer and the pressures that come with publishing, while Carly provides insights as a literary agent, emphasizing the need for authenticity and clarity in writing. The discussion culminates in valuable advice for aspiring writers, focusing on the importance of knowing one's goals and the significance of reading work aloud.
In part two of May’s bonus episode, Bianca embraces a full circle moment with podcast listener and former Books with Hooks author Noreen Nanja where they discuss her debut novel, 'The Summers Between Us,'. The novel explores themes of identity, belonging, and the complexities of love. She shares her journey from writing a query letter to securing an agent and navigating the publishing process, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and feedback. Noreen reflects on the challenges of writing a dual timeline narrative, the significance of trigger warnings, and the evolution of her characters. The conversation also touches on the pressures of writing a second book and the exploration of romance tropes, providing valuable insights for aspiring authors.
In part three of May’s bonus episode, CeCe Lyra interviews Laura Leffler. Laura discusses her journey as a writer, exploring her origins, the creation of her debut novel 'Tell Them You Lied', and the challenges she faced, particularly regarding the sensitive topic of 9/11. CeCe and Laura discuss the intricacies of the publishing process, including querying agents, the evolution of her manuscript, and the importance of feedback in shaping her work. Laura shares her personal experiences with rejection and the eventual thrill of receiving a book offer, while CeCe emphasizes the importance of emotional investment in the work. They also touch on the complexities of the publishing process, including the transition from offer to release, and the daunting task of publicity for introverted authors.
Finally, Emilie Sommer from East City Bookshop answers all your burning comp title questions.
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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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Beta reader matchup time is happening again. It's been so gratifying over the summer to be tagged in so many posts about beta readers who've become writing besties and who are still going strong many years after they were first matched. Some even travel to meet up and do writing weekends together, which sounds incredible. I can't guarantee |
| 0:23.0 | any of that. That's entirely up to you, but what I can guarantee is that you'll be matched with a |
| 0:28.6 | group of people working in your genre and or time zone who will critique 3,000 words of your work |
| 0:35.0 | as you critique theirs in return. You can sign up from now until the 31st of |
| 0:40.2 | August with the matchup emails going out on the 1st of September. Head to my website, Bianca Moray.com, |
| 0:47.6 | and look for the beta reader matchup tab. What's up, everyone? This is Cece. If you're a writer, then chances are you've wondered if your story is good enough. Maybe you're wondering that right now. I get it. Here's what I can tell you. As long as your story is making the reader curious, you're good. Now, I'm not saying you won't have to make edits when working with an agent or publisher. Sure,its are a part of the game, but I am saying that you will get ahead in your career if you know how to make the reader curious. |
| 1:17.6 | The best way to do that, infuse your story with plenty of tension, conflict, and stakes. |
| 1:22.6 | Which is why I'm so excited to invite you to join my four-day course, writing tension, |
| 1:28.7 | creating tension, conflict, and stakes in your story. |
| 1:31.9 | It starts on October 13. |
| 1:34.2 | My favorite part about this class is that there are formulas, yes, formulas, for tension, |
| 1:40.9 | for conflict, for stakes. |
| 1:42.8 | And for the first time ever, we're having two optional interactive components, |
| 1:47.0 | including a query letter studio and live critiques of select first pages. |
| 1:53.0 | I'm super excited about this new format because I've seen it yield results in writers' works. |
| 1:59.0 | And it works for writers of any genre as long as you're |
| 2:02.4 | serious about improving your work. So if you're ready to take your writing to the next level, |
| 2:08.2 | join me for this four-day course. Don't worry if you can't attend live. The sessions will be |
| 2:15.0 | recorded. For more information, check out my bio on Instagram or the podcast's website. |
| 2:21.2 | I'm looking forward to seeing you there. |
| 2:29.8 | Hi there and welcome to our show. |
| 2:32.7 | The shit no one tells you about writing. I'm Bianca Maray and I'm joined by Carly |
... |
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