✨Amie Schaumberg Shares How to Invite Your Reader In; & Paula Saunders Will Change How You Think About Writing Success✨
Plus: CeCe shares her "compassionate to critical spectrum" of interiority on this week's episode of 📕Books with Hooks🪝; and courses, contests, and services to help you meet your writing goals!
Happy Friday, writing friends!
We love a good bit of irreverence here at The Shit (obvy), but we’re also massive fans of thoughtful sincerity, and today’s Q&A with Paula Saunders (whose Starting From Here was blurbed by both Meg Wolitzer and Miranda July and is out next week!) offers some truly inspiring insights. This one, for example, a gorgeous bit of encouragement to kick off your writing weekend, pretty much demanded it be shared here in its entirety:
“Though they may go underground for a while, our talents and the power to pursue them will still be available to us when the time is right. It takes patience and bravery to wait, but seeds that have been planted will always have the potential to blossom.”
-Paula Saunders
Isn’t that lovely? Paula also shares her thoughts on what it means to be successful in the book world, and anyone who’s feeling discouraged would be well-advised to read them—she absolutely flips the script on how we measure success, and we GUARANTEE that if you, too, can internalize this way of thinking, you’ll be a much less stressed (and therefore likely better) writer.
We’ve also got an awesome bonus feature for you today in the form of a video about the referential literature sub-genre. Can we actually call it a sub-genre? Not sure, given that the term seems to be applied to anything from full-on retellings to novels containing thematic allusions (Michael Cunningham’s The Hours is an obvious and excellent example that manages to tick a bunch of referential boxes, with its implicit and explicit references to Virgina Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway), but, in any case, Amie Schaumberg knows what she’s talking about. Amie shares what inspired her referential contemporary mystery, Murder by the Book (out now!), as well as her thoughts on what draws readers to books like these, making them so perennially compelling. (She also shares a quite funny anecdote about striking the balance between writing for yourself and writing for your reader, and how this relates to her thoughts on an early review she made the mistake of peeking at). Tune in now!
Meanwhile, over on the podcast, it’s 📕Books with Hooks🪝week, and our hosts Bianca, Carly, and CeCe are back with more of their always-on-point insights for making both your query letter and your pages more compelling. (Editor’s note: I am going to keep banging on about how everyone should be listening to BwH until I hear from at least one person saying I’ve converted them. Seriously, #TeamAuthorInterview people, you are missing out on some amazing writing craft insights you won’t find anywhere else when you skip BwH weeks. It defies logic. WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO YOURSELVES???)
And while we’re on the subject of amazing writing insights…CeCe’s fantastic course on Writing Tension is back and better than ever with new features (including a little something called the Query Letter Studio!). See below for more details! You’ll also find Bianca’s LITERALLY life-changing Great Beta Reader Match-Up, and your chance to enter editor Stephanie Wilson’s critique giveaway.
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✨🎙️✨
In this episode of Books with Hooks, hosts Bianca, Carly, and CeCe dive into a query for the historical mystery A Body at Rest, exploring the impact of its title, the clarity of its plot threads, and how well the characters’ interiority comes through. They also assess the effectiveness of the prologue and discuss how to strengthen character development. Later, CeCe introduces a second query—this time for an epic fantasy—which sparks a conversation about what makes a strong pitch and where writers often stumble.
Listen to it here or watch it on YouTube!
“There's something that I like to call the compassionate to critical spectrum. It's an interiority technique by which the protagonist reveals whether they are thinking about someone compassionately or critically. And it's a spectrum. No one is ever on the far extremes of the spectrum unless they're a truly heinous villain all the time.”
-CeCe
Q&A with Paula Saunders!
TSNOTYAW: Were you ever close to giving up on writing and, if so, what stopped you?
Paula Saunders: I did stop writing. For close to 20 years. Then, when my children were grown and gone, my thoughts again turned to the work I'd wanted to do, and the urge to delve back into the material I'd hoped for so long to explore returned. I began to think it might be worthwhile to try again. And soon I found myself at my desk, trying to write. It was like riding a bike —wobbly at first, then more and more steady, with greater familiarity and ease. It seems that sometimes there are things in life that become more important than following our passions. People have to support their families, and if there are children to raise, that generally takes precedence over everything else. For women, this has more often than not been the norm, as the demands of raising children tend to supersede the development of oneself and ones' artistic path. Or at least they did for me. But my belief is that we don't ever lose the passions we devote our time and sincere energies to developing. Though they may go underground for a while our talents and the power to pursue them will still be available to us when the time is right. It takes patience and bravery to wait, but seeds that have been planted will always have the potential to blossom.
What one piece of advice (craft- or publishing industry-related) has always resonated with you?
"Though a lot of people can write, not everyone has something to say." One of my mentors said this to me a number of years ago. She was saying that there's something more important than being a good writer, that through your writing you have to be able to contribute in some way to humanity. I try to hold this as a guiding light in my work. If I'm going to write something, I want it to speak to people. I want to have something useful to say about the life we all share. For me, that's the main reason I've pursued writing. I hope to find what I need to learn by doing my work, and I hope to share what I discover with others.
How do you ensure you have enough time to write amidst so many obligations competing for your time?
I think the best support for writing is an established routine. Routine is very grounding for me. So I try to keep my writing schedule to the same few hours every day. That being said, I think it's important to know when you're finished writing for the day. When I'm trying to push beyond my limits, I can feel myself messing things up. So, even within my routine, I have to be patient. Also, when I'm not working on a project, I generally don't write for a while. Especially after finishing a longer work, I need some time off to recuperate and start thinking about what I might want to do next.
What is the most challenging part of being a successful author? And how do you mitigate its effects?
The interesting question that raises for me is: What's the definition of a "successful" author? That would be a tough one to answer. What's the definition of "success," in general? My feeling is that today people are finally turning away from that kind of binary thinking. And thank god. I wasn't, societally speaking, a "successful" dancer, though by the time I was 20 I'd dedicated all of my life to it, including every privation one could imagine to try to become "successful" at it. So, given my experience with that "failure" and the dichotomy between what I'd experienced (which was a lifetime of benefit because of those years of thoughtful dedication to my craft) and what others tended to see (that I'd failed at reaching my ultimate goal), I balk at the thought of people being divided in "successful" and "unsuccessful. " It's our hurtful, inhuman, corporately- structured systems that mold us into thinking in this way. You have to be willing to try. Which means you have to be willing to fail. Either way, you're winning. And I guess that's one way to mitigate the effects-- by simply rejecting the implications of the definition. It's a deeply held belief with me.
Writer’s block: myth or unfortunate reality? If you experience it, how do you overcome it?
I don't believe in writer's block. But sometimes — often times — you just need time. A good friend, Michael Herr (author of Dispatches, the brilliant book on Herr's experience in Vietnam), once told my daughter that even when a writer's just looking out the window, he's working. That's my belief about it. And I think what we sometimes call "writer's block" is just taking the time we need to reflect — deeply, subconsciously, sometimes for much longer periods of time than we like — to figure out what it is we might have to say and how we might begin to approach the material we're hoping to work through. To me, yes, it's uncomfortable. But it's necessary and important time.
What question do you wish an interviewer would ask you? (And what’s the answer to that question!)
I would love the chance to talk more about the experience of publishing as an older woman, because despite what some might expect me to say, I think it's wonderful. It's truly been one of the most liberating and empowering experiences of my life. Something I think we've neglected to acknowledge in this culture, at least in my time growing up, is the wisdom held by our elders. But I think we're getting back to understanding that people who've lived before us might have something to tell us. I've so often been inspired and deeply impacted by my mentors and others, who've been willing to share their experiences and offer their insights on the world. So it feels like an honor to share my experiences with those who may come after. It's motivating and inspiring. And as an older woman writer, I feel very grateful to have this place to offer whatever I can.
Amie Schaumberg Kills It (When it Comes to Referential Literature)
Amie Schaumberg joins us to discuss her novel Murder by the Book, reflecting on her inspiration drawn from referential literature, and how these types of books succeed (at least in part) by inviting the reader to be a part of a conversation, making them feel engaged with the text. Amie emphasizes the importance of writing for your audience (but not too much!), in this video exploring the significance of communication and connection in storytelling.
It’s Beta Reader Match-Up Time Again!
It’s Beta Reader Match Up time again, where you can be matched up with those writing in a similar genre and/or time zone, so they can critique your work as you critique theirs!
Your manuscript doesn't have to be complete to sign up for this 3000-word evaluation.
This particular match up will be open to registrations from now until the 31st of August, with the match up emails going out on the 1st of September.
Please spread the word even if you aren’t signing up this time! The more writers we have registered, the better the matches will be, which means you’ll be paying it forward to your fellow authors.
For more information and to register, click below:
CeCe’s popular Writing Tension: Creating Tension, Conflict, and Stakes in a Story course is back and better than ever with fun new features! In addition to the course fundamentals, participants will now have the option of submitting their query letters for a chance to have them critiqued in writing by CeCe (she plans to review at least 50)! And the more students who register, the more she’ll review!
In addition to the new Query Letter Studio, where you’ll learn how to perfect the plot paragraph in your query letter (using examples from selected attendees' query letters!), this 4-day workshop will cover:
sources of tension and conflict;
how to establish tension and conflict that translates into stakes;
formulas for tension, conflict, and stakes
curiosity seeds
how to escalate conflict through a story’s plot points;
the most common mistakes;
how to tell if you have enough tension, conflict, and stakes (including for quiet novels); and
the role of conflict in various genres
Course Timing:
Three sessions on October 13, 16, and 20, 2025 at 7pm EST
There will be a live, cozy Q&A session on October 27 at 7pm EST (link will be emailed to you by Oct 21st).
For just $199 USD this is a LOT of bang for your buck—sign up today!
Giveaway Time! Enter to Win a Professional Edit of Your MS!
Stephanie Wilson is a freelance fiction editor, interested in helping emerging Canadian writers polish their work and make it the best it can be by providing high-quality editing support.
After 30 years of professional editing experience in the public sector, Stephanie, a member of Editors Canada, has transitioned to stylistic editing and copyediting fiction manuscripts, receiving praise from the authors she’s worked with for her strong analytical, editing, and review skills.
For this giveaway, Stephanie is offering one lucky winner:
A partial (10,000 words) edit of a manuscript in the contemporary fiction, romantasy, or thriller genres
Editing that includes feedback in comment boxes directly in your manuscript
A phone of video meeting to discuss the feedback once you've had a chance to review
Entering is simple: Just follow this link and share your contact information. That‘s it! The contest closes August 31st and the winner will be contacted by email.
Tuesday Teaser 😉
Paid members will find Carly and CeCe’s written critiques of the 📕Books with Hooks🪝 queries discussed on this week’s podcast in next Tuesday’s newsletter, along with an essay by Stephenie Reents (We Loved to Run), that anyone wanting to get a better handle on causality won’t want to miss; a video by What She Left Behind author Brianne Sommerville which tackles the ins and outs of the tricky epistolary form; and a Q&A with Amanda Chapman (Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library), which manages to pack in so much amazing writing advice we couldn’t decide which tidbit to highlight! (That said, her thoughts on “Write what you know” are pretty hilarious. What with her writing murder mysteries and all. 😂)
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
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!
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.
Cece Lyra is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates. If you’d like to query CeCe, please refer to the submission guidelines at www.wsherman.com. Carly Watters is a literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency, but her work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly on this podcast are solely that of her as a podcast co-host and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.
I teared up over the Q&A with Paula Saunders. So good. My husband and I have eight children, and raising them took precedence for me, as Paula describes. I started writing as they got older, and reached the point where I could do it full-time. But we've had a family tragedy, and we're raising our three young grandchildren now. I'm trying to figure out a schedule that works for me. Do I get up in the middle of the night? Still figuring it out.
I love this Q&A with Paula Saunders! So many nuggets of wisdom for a writer like myself, who is raising three children and started chasing my writing dream in my 40s. Thank you.