✨An Inspiring Q&A with Anita Kopacz; and the Query CeCe Loved So Much She Swiped it from Carly!✨
Plus, the Great Beta Reader Match-Up continues; and the clock is ticking on Deep Dive registration!
Happy Friday, writing friends!
And Happy Deep Dive Kick-Off Weekend to all who celebrate (tomorrow is the first of our two Virtual Retreat breakout sessions and there’s still time to register and attend if you haven’t already)!! 🎉🎉🎉
Meanwhile, over on the podcast…It’s 📕Books with Hooks🪝time again. and we’ve got a juicy one for you this week! CeCe not only gets so caught up in a query that she steals it from Carly, she also says the pages are so polished she would have kept reading had it been a full manuscript in her inbox! Who doesn’t wish those were their pages in her hands??? So what’s this query’s secret? Guess you’ll have to tune in to find out! 😉
But wait, there’s more! Anyone writing historical fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, or any other genre that involves massive amounts of world building, will want to tune in to learn the technique CeCe swears by for making sure your story starts not just in the right place, but in the right way. (Not sure what that means? You know what to do…) 🤓
Our Q&A this week is with psychologist and fantasy writer Anita Kopacz, author of the “spellbinding” (Harper’s Bazaar) Shallow Waters, and her latest, The Wind on Her Tongue (out now!). Anita shares the writing advice a respected agent once gave her that helps keep her going, as well as the advice she gives her own clients to help ensure “we nurture what truly matters amidst life’s endless demands.” Anyone feeling a bit overwhelmed (and who isn’t these days?) will benefit from following Anita’s advice to set three small daily goals—one for the spirit, one for the mind, and one for the body (because a writer cannot live by words alone). ❤️🧠🦾
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 (in addition to Carly and CeCe’s written critiques of this week’s queries) you’re missing!
This Week’s Podcast✨🎙️✨
This week on the podcast (listen to it here or watch it on YouTube) Bianca, Carly and CeCe delve into two query letters from aspiring authors. (Don’t forget: Paid members can find Carly and CeCe’s written feedback on these queries in next Tuesday’s newsletter!📝 )
Our hosts discuss how negotiation can leak tension in storytelling; why character relationships should drive the narrative; how world-building should enhance character development; why queries for retellings need to focus on unique story angles; and avoiding namesplaining in character introductions.
“Her interiority right now is focused on conveying information to the reader, which is what authors think their job is. It is not. Your job is not to convey information.
Your job is to entertain and seduce”
— CeCe
Agents and Editors and Authors, Oh My!
The Clock is Ticking on the Deep Dive Virtual Retreat — Hurry Up and Register While There’s Still Time! 🎉🎉🎉
2 Days of Learning. 2 Breakout Networking Sessions. 12 Incredible Prizes. 12 Expert Speakers (including 9 agents and editors!).
What are you waiting for?
An Inspiring Q&A with Anita Kopacz ❤️
Anita Kopacz is an award-winning writer and spiritual advisor. She is the former editor in chief of Heart & Soul Magazine and managing editor of BeautyCents Magazine. When she is not writing, you can find her on the dance floor or traveling the world with her children. Anita lives in New York City with her family. She is the author of Shallow Waters and The Wind on Her Tongue.
TSNOTYAW: Do you have a go-to mantra or pep talk for the days when writing feels hard?
Anita Kopacz: It might sound a bit cliché, but it speaks to my soul every time I hear it: Toni Morrison once said, “If you find a book you really want to read but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” That reminder always rekindles my motivation—it’s like a personal call to action to bring my unique vision into the world.
Were you ever close to giving up on writing and, if so, what stopped you?
Oh, I’ve given up countless times! I even stopped writing altogether for about two years. But my stories and characters wouldn’t leave me alone. They haunted me—in the middle of the night, in my daydreams, and even in conversations with strangers, their voices would slip through. It might sound a little wild, but it’s true. My characters refused to let me rest until I picked up my pen again.
What would you say you’ve done right to build a strong and supportive writing network?
I’ve been lucky to have a few friends who are also writers, and we’ve created our own little collective. We meet over tea to share chapters we’re working on and offer each other support. One of the best things about our group is that while we’re in the early stages of writing—the messy, vulnerable first drafts—we only give positive feedback. It’s an unspoken rule that protects our creativity when it’s at its most delicate. As Erykah Badu so beautifully said, “I’m an artist, and I’m sensitive about my shit.”
What one piece of advice (craft- or publishing industry-related) has always resonated with you?
When I was writing my first novel, Shallow Waters, a literary agent I admired told me this: “If you ever feel blocked, close your computer and go outside.” He reminded me that sometimes, the story needs time to catch up with life, and I might need to live a little more to know what happens next. That advice has stayed with me and helped me countless times. Writing can be isolating, but stepping back into the world often brings the inspiration we didn’t know we needed.
How do you ensure you have enough time to write amidst so many obligations competing for your time?
This is such an important question for anyone passionate about their craft. My dad used to say, “You have to make time for your genius.” He’d remind me that to-do lists and obligations will always be there, but I need to carve out time for my passion intentionally. As a Spiritual Psychologist, I share a similar principle with my clients: set three small daily goals—one for the spirit, one for the mind, and one for the body. This practice creates balance and ensures we nurture what truly matters amidst life’s endless demands.
What is something you’ve learned about yourself later in your writing career that would have surprised your younger self?
The fact that I’m a writer at all would shock my younger, engineering-obsessed self! I have a very scientific and mathematical mind and studied Civil Engineering at UC Berkeley. In my senior year, my guidance counselor called me into her office and said, “If you don’t take freshman English, you won’t graduate.” I had avoided writing classes like the plague—I was undiagnosed dyslexic and didn’t understand the rules of the English game. Reluctantly, I signed up for that first English course, and it completely changed my life. I fell in love with storytelling. My professor saw the poet buried inside me, drew her out, and gave me the tools to navigate the world of words.
You can purchase The Wind on Her Tongue 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 Great Beta Reader Match-Up is Back…and Better Than Ever! 🐉🧚🏼♂️💘
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 time zone, so they can critique your work as you critique theirs at the same time? (And is your genre by any chance romantasy? If yes, you’re in luck—due to popular demand, Bianca’s added it as a genre to the match up!)
Your manuscript doesn't have to be complete to sign up for this 3000 word evaluation.
Registration for this particular match up is open from now until March 2nd, with the match up emails going out March 3rd .
For more information and to register, click below!
And spread the word! The more writers we have signed up, the better the matches will be!
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 from Julie Buxbaum and Adele Griffin (aka Taylor Hutton) on how to create a successful writing partnership (with tips and insights that will serve solo writers equally well!), and
A Q&A with debut author of “books about kissing,” Heather McBreen, whose go-to mantra for days when the writing feels hard is one we would all do well to adopt as our own.
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
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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.
Hello! I'm a new paid subscriber to this substack! I'm curious to know if there's a way to connect with the authors who submit queries. I loved learning from Shannon of THE YES GALS!
Thanks for being a paid subscriber! We appreciate the support.
In September 2024, our hosts announced that moving forward they would be doing the Books With Hooks segment on the podcast bi-weekly rather than weekly.
The podcast episode is released on Thursdays and the following Tuesday is when our paid newsletter goes out.
You should be able to see the Books With Hooks section of the newsletter either in email or in the Substack app. Both provide downloadable PDF files of the query critiques.
When you scroll down the newsletter, the downloadable critiques are under the heading, "Books With Hooks." You should have access either through your email or in the SubStack app itself. The next one you will see will be this Tuesday. Hope this helps!