Abigail Wild on Authenticity in YA and Black Buck Author Mateo Askaripour Shares His Writing Routine
Plus, more great course offerings and a best-friends-to-lovers story gets The Query Lab treatment
Happy Friday, writing friends!
We hope you all had another great week and are heading into the weekend happy with your WIP (and all the P you managed to make on it)!
But if by chance you didn’t quite accomplish all you’d hoped to, we think you’ll find some inspiration in today’s Q&A with bestselling author Mateo Askaripour, who praises the value of routine in enabling a productive writing practice, shares his mantra for writing when it’s hard, and gives hope to anyone in the querying trenches starting to feel like it might not happen for them (think Black Buck was the first manuscript he’d ever queried? Think again. And then again).
On the podcast this week, Bianca interviews author, editor, head of Writing Ink Publishing, and creative writing teacher Abigail Wild (Editor’s note: When does she sleep?!), who has some sound advice for building a reader base for that novel you absolutely ARE going to finish. For all you introverts out there (which is likely a lot of you) her suggestion that the time to start doing this is now rather than waiting until you have a book deal may feel daunting, but, fortunately for you, both she and Mateo have some ideas for how to do it that don’t involve social media and all the excess people-ing that goes along with it (and if socials are your jam, now you’ve got another tool to add to your kit).
We also got another edition of The Query Lab for you this week, with a letter that includes an attention-getter of a line we suspect has never before appeared in the history of query letters, plus course offerings and a reminder that the deadline for the latest round of Bianca’s Great Beta Reader Match-Up is fast approaching.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading! ❤️
The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Team
P.S. Still not sure about upgrading to paid? Check out our Tuesday Teaser below to see what you’re missing!
This Week’s Podcast✨🎙️✨
This week on the podcast (listen to it here!) we’re throwing it back to an early backlist segment of 📕Books with Hooks🪝, after which, Bianca interviews author, editor, head of Writing Ink Publishing, and creative writing teacher, Abigail Wild. They discuss:
Abigail's latest novel, More Than One Way To Breathe;
The extent to which younger readers can handle difficult topics;
Abigail's advice to YA writers who want to write issue-driven fiction for teens;
Writing characters with disabilities authentically and sensitively;
Wild Ink Publishing and Abigail's inspiration for starting the company; and
Building an author brand platform.
“The moment when I knew that I had made the right decision in writing the novels that I'm writing is when a teenager came up to me in a signing and said, you know, this is the first time that I have ever felt seen. And that was everything to me. It made everything worth it.”
— Abigail
More information about Abigail can be found on her website here. She's also on X (formerly Twitter). You can find Wild Ink Publishing on Instagram.
You can purchase More Than One Way To Breathe on our Bookshop.org affiliate page here. Buying books through this link supports a local indie bookstore, as well as The Shit No One Tells You About Writing 📚❤️
Author Q&A: Mateo Askaripour
Mateo Askaripour wants people to feel seen. His first novel, Black Buck, takes on racism in corporate America with humor and wit. It was an instant New York Times bestseller and a Read with Jenna Today show book club pick. Askaripour was chosen as one of Entertainment Weekly’s “10 rising stars to make waves” and was named as a recipient of the National Book Foundation’s “5 Under 35” prize. His second novel, This Great Hemisphere, was just published July 9th, 2024. He lives in Brooklyn.
TSNOTYAW: Do you have a go-to mantra or pep talk for the days when writing feels hard?
Mateo Askaripour: “Just write.” It’s a simple one, but when I remind myself that that’s all I have to do, it removes a lot of the pressure and anxiety. Those words open up a space within myself where I remember that play is one of the most essential aspects of my writing practice, and that everything else—editing, how a work is received, how I’ll even talk about it—will come later, but for now, all I need to do is write. “Don’t judge yourself in the act of creation,” is something I once read, I think in James Scott Bell’s “Plot and Structure,” and I’ve internalized it to where it’s a part of my writerly DNA.
TSNOTYAW: Were you ever close to giving up on writing and, if so, what stopped you?
Definitely. I remember it clearly: November 2017. I’d written two manuscripts that had gone nowhere, no offer of representation from an agent or book deal, and I felt that my writing career wasn’t going to happen. Friends from the industry I’d left said, “Hey, man, you tried it, now come back to us and do what you’re good at.” What stopped me was having a conversation with myself, really asking why I was writing in the first place, and if it was in alignment with my life’s purpose. When I answered those questions, I came away with an unwavering commitment to see my literary dreams through. I was no longer going to pander to the industry, but do it my way.
TSNOTYAW: What would you say you’ve done right to build a strong and supportive writing network?
Not forcing it, but remaining open to forming new bonds and relationships. When I first started to write, I tried getting cool with the who’s who on Twitter. I’d email folks, ask them to meet up, try to get advice, etc. I’d also go to a ton of readings. Sometimes it worked, most of the time it didn’t. What’s been most important to me is fostering friendships with people who I’d be friends with even if we didn’t write, while also showing up for them, in person and on social media, in support of them and their work. Building community without any expectation of reciprocation. And just not faking the funk to get folks to like you. I also don’t withhold love. If I like someone’s work, even if I don’t know them, I let them know. Life’s too short to be a hater.
TSNOTYAW: What is the most challenging part of being a successful author? And how do you mitigate its effects?
This is a tough one, especially because “success” is so relative. I felt successful in the first few weeks of my book’s publishing, because I began to receive emails from people who had read it, and felt seen, some of them not having felt that in a very long time. But buzz continued to build, and suddenly I had people coming to me, asking for advice, time, and support, and offering incredible opportunities. I love it all, but the challenging part is sometimes having to say no and feeling as if you’re in a perpetual state of disappointing others, which can send you down a rabbit hole of feeling inadequate, which can then make it harder to write. But I work through these feelings by doing what I can for people as often as I can, while prioritizing being there for those who loved me before I ever published a book, as well as continuing to focus on creating new work, which is really when I feel the freest and most alive.
TSNOTYAW: Writer’s block: myth or unfortunate reality? If you experience it, how do you overcome it?
Some are going to hate this answer, but for me, it’s not a reality. The only times I can’t write are when I’m extremely fatigued and feel as though writing could harm the work and creative process. The way that I avoid writer’s block is through a tried and true routine. My routine is designed to make me feel inspired, awake, loose, and turns down the external noise and increases the volume of my internal voice and imagination. I meditate, have a solid breakfast, prepare my drink of choice, Yerba Mate, watch some videos to get inspired, and don’t look at my phone or email while writing. It also takes a lot of guesswork out of the act of creation, so that I can focus on what matters most: getting the words down.
TSNOTYAW: How important do you think it is for writers to be on social media?
Not that important. Honestly, if you’re not into it, don’t capitulate to your publicists or marketers. People will be able to tell if you’re forcing it, and it likely won’t yield the results you and your team want. In fact, being on social media is often detrimental to creativity and the actual execution of writing. You’re inundated with hundreds of opinions and random stimuli that have nothing to do with you (e.g. watch this chef make a gigantic pot of rice for the whole town!), that sends your mind into a frenzy where it seeks more and more stimuli rather than calm, peace, and openness. We become reactive to everything instead of proactive, which seeps into our work. With that said, if you’re able to wield the tool of social media and not be wielded by it, then it’s an unparalleled vehicle of building community and connecting with readers. There’s so much joy and fun that can be derived from it, so long as our relationships to it are kept in check. But if you’re allergic to it, just focus on your work and let your team handle it for you. Peace of mind and peak creativity are priceless.
TSNOTYAW: How did you get your literary agent? What was the querying process like for you?
Slush pile, baby! My debut novel, “Black Buck,” was the third novel I’d written and queried. With the first, I had no idea what I was doing. With the second, I had more of an idea of what I was doing, but that novel was too sterile and lifeless. “Black Buck” was finally a novel I had written after hitting “eff it” mode, and that same vibrant, voicey energy was transferred to the querying process. I’d honed my list of agents based on books they sold or books I saw that they liked, using #MSWL, Publishers Marketplace, agency websites, Query Tracker, and manuscriptwishlist.com. I’d also published a bunch of essays the year I wrote “Black Buck,” 2018, which put me on some agents’ radars. But the one I ultimately went with picked my novel out of the pure slush pile, the manuscript muck. I’d found her via Publishers Marketplace, queried, and got an offer from another agent, which prompted her to read very quickly. Soon, we were on the phone, and she just got my vision in a way no one else did. I told her I’d get back to her in 10-14 days, after giving other agents time to read, and then I eventually went with her. We worked together for a few years, during which my life as a writer dramatically changed, before she made a career switch. We’re still in touch and she’ll always have a special place in my heart. Now I have another agent who reps a lot of my friends and whose reputation precedes him. It was just a no-brainer.
You can purchase This Great Hemisphere on our Bookshop.org affiliate page here. Buying books through this link supports a local indie bookstore, as well as The Shit No One Tells You About Writing 📚❤️
The Query Lab 📝🖊
Welcome to The Query Lab where each Friday for the next few months we’ll be
sharing a successful query letter that got an author their agent AND their book deal.
Today we’ve got a query from Lauren Ford author of Liv Is Not A Loser 😍:
Dear Megan,
My romantic comedy manuscript, LIV IS NOT A LOSER, is a best-friends-to-lovers story and is complete at 86,000 words.
I noted you are looking for high-concept love stories. I would humbly compare the tone of my manuscript to You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle or Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall.
Liv Granger has been flailing ever since a life-altering day when she was fourteen, which included school-wide humiliation, her dad moving out and her eighty-five-year-old neighbour inadvertently peeing on her.
Now twenty-nine, Liv has never committed to anything - a career, houseplants, or a relationship past the honeymoon phase. When her brother Joe Granger announces his engagement to his long-term boyfriend, Liv realises she’s missing out on life and may, in fact, be a loser.
With the help of her oldest friend, Henry Baker, Liv makes a list of ten things she must complete to change her life. The most challenging task is to commit to three dates with the same person.
On her first date with Patrick Fowler, a salesman in the plastics industry, Liv eats a rancid seafood curry from a food truck and goes to a cemetery to do grave-rubbing.
After each horrendous date, Henry is always there to eat Thai food and watch movies on the couch. With a mini-pinch of courage, Liv and Henry cross over into fuzzy friendship land, where there’s kissing, rounding second-base and hiding their developing relationship.
However, when Liv learns Henry is leaving on an overseas adventure, the revelation triggers all of her relationship fears of being abandoned.
With the aid of her list, Liv is on a journey to learn how to trust, commit, and gain the love of the only man who has ever had her heart.
My previous writing experience is in the film industry. I was an Acquisition Manager for a theatrical distribution company, purchasing films from script, focusing on romantic comedies.
I also wrote a short film about penises and somehow won the Best Dark Comedy Award at the Austin Comedy Short Film Festival.
Liv is Not a Loser is my first novel.
Thank you for taking the time to consider representing my work.
Kind Regards,
Lauren Ford
You can learn more about Lauren Ford here. ❤️
Liv Is Not A Loser is out now. 🥰
Click below for the downloadable version of Lauren’s successful query!
Tuesday Teaser 😉
Anyone who’s smarting from the sting of rejection, or who worries it’s “too late” for them to launch a writing career will enjoy the author Q&A in next week’s newsletter exclusively for our paid members—Jenny Lecoat, whose debut The Girl From the Channel Islands was a New York Times bestseller, shares how close she came to giving up, and what she tells herself in order to keep going. We’ve also got Eliza Jane Brazier, author of the upcoming It Had To Be You, sharing a video where she talks about the concept of, well, concept. Did you happen to catch that Lauren Ford referred to her book as “high concept” in her query? ⬆️ Well now’s your chance to find out how the term originated, what it means, how to tell if the premise of your novel fits the criteria, and why it matters.
Not yet a member? For just $8USD a month or $80USD a year you get:
an exclusive newsletter on Tuesdays featuring bonus author Q&As and other exclusive content from industry experts
weekly access to Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra’s written notes on queries from the podcast’s Books With Hooks feature
monthly bonus podcast episodes, AND
regular Ask Me Anythings / Q&As with Carly, CeCe, and Bianca Marais.
If that doesn’t kickstart your writing journey, we don’t know what will!
It’s Time to Get Emotional with CeCe
What do all great stories have in common? They make us feel. Which is why the ability to weave emotion into a story is so important. Indeed, no matter the genre, being able to effectively convey a range of emotion will draw your readers in from the very start and compel them to read on.
The 3+ hour class covers various aspects of weaving emotions into your story, including:
Active vs. passive emotions;
How to effectively convey emotion (showing vs. telling);
Most common mistakes in writing emotion (and how to get it right);
Common challenges in writing emotions (and how to turn them into successes);
How to include emotion in your outline and synopsis;
Tips and tricks to effectively convey emotion;
The role of emotion in the query letter; and
The importance of emotional context the first 10 pages (or: How soon should I introduce emotion?).
PLUS we'll have a live, cozy Q&A session on Monday, August 12th at 8pm ET in which attendees will be able to turn on their camera (optional) and ask questions to CeCe.
If you cannot attend the live Q&A session, you are welcome to submit your questions during webinar on August 8th.
Writers of all categories and genres are invited to attend.
If you cannot attend live but wish to watch the webinar, please sign up as the recording will be emailed to you 24hr later. Recordings will be available to the viewer for one month.
Be Part of Carly’s Masterclass 😍📝
Carly’s class includes 10+ hours of writing and publishing video lessons you have lifetime access to, monthly Q&A sessions, and fresh content every quarter.
Did we mention there’s an app, too? You can keep learning on the go. Don’t miss a minute of Carly’s top career advice for aspiring, emerging and published writers. Get the writing career you’ve always dreamed of.
Bianca’s Great Beta Reader Match Up!
Are you looking for beta readers, some of whom might potentially become writing group members down the line?
Are you wanting to be matched up with those writing in a similar genre and/or time zone, so they can critique your work as you critique theirs at the same time?
Your manuscript doesn't have to be complete to sign up for this 3000-word review!
Registrations are open from now until July 31, with the match emails going out on August 1.
For more information and to register, click below!
That’s all for this week’s news! If you enjoyed it, why not share the love? 🥰
Tune in again next week for more invaluable wisdom from our wonderful hosts! Until then, happy writing! 😍
❤️ The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Team
Our work takes place on land now known as Toronto and Ottawa and we acknowledge that these are the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat Peoples as well as the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation. Toronto is covered under Treaty 13 and the Williams Treaties. We respect and affirm the inherent and Treaty Rights of all Indigenous Peoples across this land and acknowledge the historical oppression of lands, cultures, languages, and the original Peoples in what we now know as Canada. We invite you to learn more about the land you inhabit, the history of that land, and how to actively be part of a better future going forward together at Native Land or Whose Land.
Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work in this newsletter is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe in this newsletter are solely that of themselves and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.
Hey why doesn't a beta-reading outfit serve as a pipeline to agents? Only the five star manuscript gets forwarded. What agent wouldn't like that?