✨Layers of Psychological Processing. Plus, High Hopes but Low Expectations; & The Serious Writer’s Essential Workbook✨
Also, Carly's upcoming webinar: So You Want to be a Literary Agent. And, the Beta Reader Match Up's registration deadline has been extended to Monday!
Happy Friday, writing friends!
Yesterday was a milestone 📕Books with Hooks🪝segment on the podcast! Our 225th BWH episode! In it, CeCe, Carly and Bianca dive into a Western horror, as well as an AI speculative fiction submission. Don’t miss the episode and look out for the written critiques in Tuesday’s newsletter.
Joanna Thurlow, author of Forever is the Sweetest Con, tackles one of our new author Q&As:
When [the self-doubt] gets especially bad, I try to focus on facts, and not feelings. I actually wrote a list of facts in my journal that I look at from time to time to remind myself that there is tangible proof that things are going well! I look at that list a lot!
Forever is the Sweetest Con was chosen by the American Booksellers Association as one of their Indies Introduce picks for Summer/Fall 2026! So you’ll definitely want to hear about Joanna’s controversial craft trick! 👀
Then, for those of you signed up for Jami Attenberg’s #1000Wordsof Summer, we’ve got the perfect workbook for you! It’s got everything you need to be your most productive self while keeping track of every aspect of your novel along the way! Scroll down to watch the video of everything it includes.
Due to gremlins 👹 in the system, Bianca has had to push out the Beta Reader Match Up by a week. The deadline to register is now the 8th of June at midnight ET. Match Up emails will go out on the 9th of June. If you were procrastinating, you can still register here.
Finally, Carly is running a webinar titled So You Want to Be a Literary Agent. Every few years, Carly likes to host a lunch & learn for aspiring agents so she can explain how the business works and to share her 10 rules of the trade to help you get started on your way. This one isn’t for aspiring authors - just for agents! Scroll down for all the deets.
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 milestone 225th Books with Hooks segment , Bianca, Carly and CeCe break down two wildly different submissions to dissect what’s working (and what’s not). First up is a high-concept Western horror with cannibals, ghosts, and immortal outlaws. They discuss a strong premise, which can be made stronger by clearer stakes, as well as the author being aware of a romance that readers won’t necessarily root for. Second up: a killer AI-meets-family-drama concept that hooks instantly—though opening pages could do more heavy lifting. Why? Listen to find out. A lesson on concept vs. craft—and why both need to be firing.
Listen to it here or watch it on YouTube!
“Just remember, there are conventions and there are expectations whenever an agent is reading a query letter.”
-CeCe Lyra
Q&A with Joanna Thurlow!
TSNOTYAW: Did you struggle with (or still struggle with) imposter syndrome? What helped you overcome those feelings or what do you tell yourself on days where self-doubt is particularly bad?
Joanna Thurlow: Every day! I think because I’m unagented (and still in the trenches for my second book!), my brain has been rewired to expect the worst. For example, when my publisher told me Forever Is the Sweetest Con had been selected as a Publishers Marketplace Buzz Book for Spring/Summer 2026, I figured there had been some mistake, and it took me a long time to accept that it was real. Even on the day of the announcement, I braced myself for the possibility that they would change their minds about me!
When it gets especially bad, I try to focus on facts, and not feelings. I actually wrote a list of facts in my journal that I look at from time to time to remind myself that there is tangible proof that things are going well! I look at that list a lot!
If you could have a drink/tea/coffee & chat with ANY writer (living or not), who would it be & what would you ask?
I have written and re-written this one too many times now, as there are so many writers I admire , but I think my final answer is Miranda July. I aspire to be fearless, in my writing and in my life, and she seems to embody that. I’d love to just bask in her general weirdness, and see if I can absorb some of her free and fearless spirit. She’s just incredible.
How does writing your first work as an un-agented writer compare to writing a book on a contract/deadline? What’s the best and worst part of both?
I have always written on a deadline—initially, they were self-imposed deadlines, and now they come from my publisher, but it’s all the same to me. I think being self-employed my entire adult life, I got used to setting deadlines for myself and having to stick with them. And as much as writing is my craft and my art, it is also my business, and I’m a tough boss!
What’s your current favorite craft trick?
This is a controversial one, but when I write my second draft, I literally re-write it from scratch, no copy-and-pasting. It forces me to really consider every scene, every paragraph, every line, every word. This idea comes from Matt Bell’s excellent craft book, Refuse to Be Done, which I highly recommend.
What inspires you to keep writing? Both on an everyday level and an ‘I’m starting a new book’ level?
For all of the hardship involved in writing and publishing, there is also no greater joy than writing and publishing! I get such a thrill when I figure out a plot point, when I write a beautiful line, and when I type “THE END” on a first draft. And when people actually start reading your work, and they connect with it, and feel something from it… it’s a high I will chase forever!
What hopes, goals, or expectations did you have at the start of your career? Have any come true? Have your goals and expectations changed?
My approach has been to have high hopes but low expectations, and so far, it’s working for me. Of course, I dream of bestseller lists and celebrity book clubs and film adaptations, but I know that’s not the reality for the vast majority of authors, and that’s okay... but it’s still fun to dream! The high hopes keep me going, the low expectations keep me grounded.
If you don’t have an MFA or comparable education: how did you develop your craft? Do you feel like an MFA would’ve benefited you?
I think any learning is beneficial, and all writers have to study craft, but I don’t have an MFA. However, my husband does, and he says the most beneficial part was learning from other writers through the process of giving and receiving critiques. My answer to that was to find the most incredible group of beta readers (thanks to Bianca’s Beta Reader Match Up!), who challenge and inspire me all the time. I’ve also read so many craft books, taken courses (including four of CeCe’s, which I highly recommend), attended webinars, read blogs, listened to podcasts, watched YouTube… there are so many resources out there. And maybe an MFA in the future–who knows! What’s for certain is that I’ll never stop learning.
The Serious Writer’s Essential Workbook
The Serious Writer’s Essential Workbook is a comprehensive guide and set of templated worksheets organized into six parts to help writers plan, draft, and track their novel from the concept phase to eventually querying agents.
The workbook is divided into the following key sections:
Ideas & Concept Development: Focuses on brainstorming, high-level premise, core concept, theme identification, and “What If?” prompt questions.
Character Profiles & Development: Provides templates for multiple characters, covering their internal and external profiles, ghost wounds, needs vs. wants, arc planning, and developing dialogue and differentiating voice.
World-building & Setting: Details the core setting, location rules, societal structure, cultural norms, historical timeline, and sensory details.
Plot & Structure: Includes a three-act outline (Setup, Confrontation, Resolution), planning for the inciting incident, plot points, crisis, climax, and plot pacing.
Scenes & Drafting: Features Scene Cards for chapter-level planning and sections for analyzing the starting hook and practicing the “Show, Don’t Tell” technique.
Next Steps: Contains goal trackers, beta reader notes, a query tracker for agency submissions, research/resources logs, and a reading journal.
Love it? Want it? Need to get your hands on one for yourself and twelve of your closest writing besties?
Cost: USD $30
So You Want To Be A Literary Agent
Host: Carly Watters
Webinar Info:
June 8th 12PM ET - 1PM ET
Every few years Carly likes to host a lunch & learn for aspiring agents so she can explain how the business works and share her 10 rules of the trade to help you get started on your way.
For $5 you can tune in live and keep the recording for future reference.
Are you looking to transition into a new career or are you a couple years into the publishing industry? This is for you.
You’ll get a snapshot into the business operations of agenting, including recent market trends and global shifts for agents.
You’ll learn the specific responsibilities of a literary agent, distinguishing the role from other industry positions.
We’ll discuss royalties and contracts.
You’ll learn how to build and manage a diverse list of clients and projects.
We’ll highlight the importance of literary community events, festivals, and conferences for career growth.
I will outline the path from entry-level positions to becoming a senior agent or business owner.
You’ll get my tactical advice on planning for the mental and physical stamina required in a fast-paced environment.
NOTE: this is *not* for writers pursuing a writing career, this IS for aspiring literary agents. I will not be discussing how to break into the market as a writer.
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…
Darby Bozeman, author of Summer’s Never Over pens an awesome essay titled Give Yourself Permission to Make Your Own Rules:
“You often hear about the magic in finding the Perfect Writing Routine and setup. For some people, sitting down at a desk every day at the same time works wonderfully. I used to sigh longingly every time I read a tweet from someone who said they’d written 1000 words during their 5 am power hour. I told myself, if I can just figure out how to write early in the morning like them, I’ll crack the code. It will change everything for me.
Reader, it did not. Because I could not get out of bed at 5 am. I am simply not wired that way.
And I felt bad about it. I thought it meant I wasn’t committed enough.”
If you’re not a morning person and can relate, keep reading for Darby’s features of her writing process!
Tuesday’s Meet Your Dream Agent profiles the fabulous Mary C. Moore of Aevitas Creative Management.
This is what Mary has to say about fun and voicey query letters:
“Honestly, these days I think queries need to be precise as possible. We usually can only spare 30 seconds per letter. So the more you can narrow down your letter to “the point” the better odds it will remain in the “look at further” pile. If you can do that with in a fun voicey, it would probably work on me. But the odds are not in your favor, so being precise and clear is the safer route.”
You’ll want to keep reading for the rest of her excellent insights and her three common reasons for rejecting a submission.
In the video Liza Tully, author of The Forty-Year Grudge, discusses crafting compelling murder mysteries!
Finally, Catherine Kurtz, author of Feast, gives us a lot to mull over in her author Q&A:
“I think that if you need to write, then you must. I would say it is a mistake to write for publication, you must write what you are driven to write for yourself. But of course it is only natural to want to be published, for your work to have readers, to be paid so you can afford to spend as much as possible of your time writing. Those things are part of the drive to do the work. There is no guarantee that you will be published. But there is one guarantee, that if you stop, if you give up, then you won’t be. It is a heartbreaking thing really, you must work because you have to, in hope. Doing it for its own sake.”
You’ll also want to hear what she says about cluster ideas!
Not yet a member? For just $10 USD a month or $120 USD 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 have the paid subscription, but don’t see the queries!