✨Lori Gold Wants You to Get Comfy with Writer's Block; And We've Got Big Riley Sager News!✨
Plus, Do agents care how long you've been working on your manuscript? Tune in to 📕Books with Hooks 🪝for Carly & CeCe's thoughts...
Happy Friday, writing friends!
When we ask authors who participate in our Q&As here at The💩 whether or not they believe in writer’s block, it’s not out of idle curiosity, or even so that we can say “See, Shitlets? Published authors struggle, too!” We ask because their answers often offer perspectives that can help writers get past whatever is at the root of their struggle and get writing again, because there is little scarier than thinking the last word you wrote might be the last one you ever write.
Lori Gold, author of Romantic Friction (out now!), is in our Q&A hotseat today, with some of the most considered responses we’ve ever seen—including her thoughts on the matter of writer’s block. We’ve seen iterations of this notion a few times in recent issues, but in case you haven’t yet been able to fully internalize it, we think it bears repeating that “writing doesn’t just mean words on a page. Writing is actually thinking—thinking all the time. You are constantly evaluating and making choices, and doing that well simply takes time…If we think of “pauses to think” as a block, it makes those pauses feel wrong when they are actually a necessary component of writing.”
Pauses👏🏼Are👏🏼Necessary👏🏼
Lori’s answers are full of similarly helpful insights, including when she describes her decision to pivot genres, and how she went about it (there are definitely echoes here of Carly’s essay from our April 4th issue where she talks about the breakout books, what editors are looking for in them, and how publishers support them). Check it out now!
‼️‼️‼️We’ve also got exciting news about New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager: He’s back on June 10th with a new book (With a Vengeance) and will be answering YOUR questions in our June 10th issue! If you’ve got a burning question about writing craft that you’re dying to get Riley’s insights on, send it to us by May 23rd care of AskAnAuthor.TheShitAboutWriting@gmail.com — the five best questions will be sent to Riley and there may just be a little something extra for the people who submit them (we just hope you’ve got room on your TBRs…😉). ‼️‼️‼️
In other news, it’s 📕Books with Hooks 🪝 week again, and this time our hosts are tackling queries for a YA novel and a children’s picture book. Among the pearls of wisdom you’ll want to tune in for are Carly and CeCe’s thoughts on whether or not it’s a good idea to include, for example, that your manuscript won a prize…eight years ago. Are your dream agent’s spidey senses tingling, wondering (and worrying about) why it hasn’t been published yet? And does that mean you should leave this detail out, even though it clearly says something about the quality of your writing? Tune in to find out…😉
Finally, Bianca is sharing EVEN MORE special guest authors who will be joining her for her launch of A Most Puzzling Murder in just a few weeks. Honestly, it’s starting to feel like the clown car of literary events with so many agents and authors in attendance, but Bianca assures us they’ll all fit in the venue (but will YOU? If you haven’t bought your ticket yet, we really can’t stress enough how important it is get one soon—there’s a real possibility this literary soiree is going to sell out)! 🤩🎫🔥
Also—don’t forget to answer the poll in our A Most Puzzling Murder Facebook group to let us know if you’re interested in attending any of the informal gatherings we’re planning before the launch. The deadline for responding is tomorrow!
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✨🎙️✨
It’s another 📕Books with Hooks🪝week! In this episode, Bianca, Carly, and CeCe dive into a YA fantasy romance query, breaking down what works—and what doesn’t—when it comes to character arcs, high stakes, and spot-on comp titles. The hosts then shift gears to a picture book query, spotlighting the power of a strong hook and truly kid-focused storytelling.
Listen to it here or watch it on YouTube!
“So as a note for all storytellers, when looking at your plot paragraph, it is very common to make the following ‘mistake.’ You begin with a sentence that establishes what the protagonist is going through, and then you have a ‘but’ sentence. ‘But on her 18th birthday, she dies.’ Makes total sense. The ‘but’ is a contrast, right? Like it's saying, but then this thing happened. And then you have another sentence that starts with ‘but.’ [In order for this to work], you need the contrast.”
-CeCe
Author Q&A with Lori Gold 🙌
Lori Gold is the author of an adult historical novel, and four novels for young adults. She currently lives outside of Boston, where she fosters a writing community through her creative writing classes, book coaching, and writing retreats. Romantic Friction is her book club fiction debut.
TSNOTYAW: Do you have a go-to mantra or pep talk for the days when writing feels hard?
Lori Gold: In my roles as a writer and creative writing instructor, I’m quite practical. My Type A personality dictates that I treat my writing as a job whose salary has yet to be paid. It’s how I do it now, and how I did it before I signed with my agent, when I was still working full-time at my day job. I don’t wait for the muse. I make a plan, and I stick to it. That doesn’t mean it’s easy! So when my logical, no-nonsense self begins to go down the self-doubt rabbit hole, I grab a novel I love off my shelf and re-read a few pages. I remind myself not only why I’m doing this, but that this masterpiece in my hands was written by a writer who surely had many days where they felt the same way. I’m part of a community. I want to keep being a part of that community. So I put down that great book and get back to my work.
Were you ever close to giving up on writing and, if so, what stopped you?
I suspect that at one time or another, every writer comes close to giving up. For me, the closest I came was after, despite having four traditionally published novels, I had a hard time selling my next two manuscripts. They checked the boxes of great hooks, quality writing, strong pacing—and these aren’t just things me and my mom felt, these sentiments were repeatedly relayed by editors who considered the book. So what was wrong? We were told on several occasions that the sticking point wasn’t me or the book but those other books. Their sales numbers weren’t high enough for the editors to believe they could successfully get my new books through the acquisitions process. It’s a one-two punch; hurtful on multiple levels. Including that it made me feel like those sales numbers were my fault and my responsibility alone. It should come as no surprise that publishers don’t support all of their books equally in terms of investment (sending authors to ALA and festivals, paid ads, pushes for book club picks, number of ARCs printed and distributed, and a million other behind-the-scenes marketing and publicity efforts). It’s much harder for a book to break out without that investment. And yet, books that don’t receive the in-house support are still judged against the books that do in terms of sales. The issue is layered and complex, and I don’t pretend to have the solution.
I’ll be honest, the reason I kept going isn’t the best look for me, but it’s the truth: revenge. And stubbornness. I evaluated my situation, I made a plan, and I pivoted. I changed genres and poured myself into an education on bestsellers, not to see my name on a bestseller list (though that’d be lovely), but because I wanted to write books that publishers would support, so my career wouldn’t end before I said so.
What would you say you’ve done right to build a strong and supportive writing network?
The best thing I’ve done is to slip into a metallic fringed frock, spin round and round, and channel my inner Taylor Swift. Not literally, at least, not yet. But I have trained myself to be fearless, which, as any Swiftie knows, does not mean the absence of fear but having that fear and pushing through anyway.
Is it terrifying to ask an author you don’t know to blurb your book? Absolutely. Do some say no? One hundred percent. Is it scary to invite another author to do an event with you and fear that they’ll say no, or worse, that they say yes and no one shows? Um, yup. Do I worry with every single class I teach and every single writing retreat I lead, that I will disappoint my students? I do.
And yet, putting yourself out there is the only way to begin to develop a community. My very first “writing friend” read my opening page on a blog in a contest, emailed me to say how much she loved it, and asked if we could swap pages—she was fearless. That was twelve years ago, and we are still going strong. Listen, not everyone says “yes” when you try to make connections. Some may say ‘yes’ and ultimately it turns out to not be a good fit for one or both of you. And everyone should always reach out, and respond, with kindness and appreciation. But if you don’t ask, if you don’t put yourself out there, all you have is the fear. You can’t swap pages or do an event with fear!
What one piece of advice (craft- or publishing industry-related) has always resonated with you?
Finish the thing. Novels become novels in revision. And you can’t revise until you complete the manuscript. Even as a committed plotter, I know that I’m in the best position to evaluate if my story and character arcs are working when the novel is complete. I also think hitting “the end” fuels your motivation to revise. It’s harder to toss the book aside when the revising is hard (which it always is), when you have 300 pages versus 50. And we need all the motivation we can get.
What's one writing "rule" or commonly followed piece of advice that you decidedly break?
Don’t start with a character waking up. Don't start with a prologue. Don’t start with a character describing themselves in a mirror. Rules for ‘how not to begin a novel’ that I’ve broken in Becoming Jinn, Love Theodosia, and my forthcoming Harper Collins 2026 novel. The writing and querying world is full of rules, ones I’m sure I’ll continue to break—not because I’m out to prove something or to be cheeky or a little bit rebellious (as much fun as all that can be). But I ignored those rules because I was doing what was best for those particular novels. Note the use of “ignored” rather than broke. Because in order to break a rule, or better put, to decide if you should, you must understand why the rule exists in the first place. The rules I mentioned about opening pages stem from too many other novels that started in those ways—unsuccessfully started. Those techniques became overused and cliché, leaving agents and editors (I’ll venture more so than readers) fatigued. Once you understand why a rule exists, you are better positioned to make an educated decision on whether you should ignore it. Still, do so at your own peril. Even if breaking that rule best serves your novel, some readers will have a knee-jerk reaction and not get past page one. All writing is risk. The key is deciding which risks you are willing to take.
Writer’s block: myth or unfortunate reality? If you experience it, how do you overcome it?
Writer’s block isn’t something I believe in fully. I think you can get stuck writing absolutely, and it most often stems from not knowing what should happen next or if the path you have chosen to take is the best one. This naturally involves issues of self-doubt, which we all experience. Overcoming self-doubt isn’t easy, but I will say, for me, self-doubt is something that has lessened over time. The more you do anything, the more comfort and confidence you get, be it riding a bike, cooking, or writing. So the more novels you write—and finish—the more you learn about yourself as a writer and the craft of writing that will help when you get stuck. You’ve been here before, you’ve found a way through, you’ll do it again.
But I also believe a component of writer’s block is getting comfortable with the idea that writing doesn’t just mean words on a page. Writing is actually thinking—thinking all the time. You are constantly evaluating and making choices and doing that well simply takes time. We need to give ourselves that time in a way that is filled with positive energy.
A friend once said she writes while standing up and types while sitting down. Because so much of writing is figuring stuff out. If we think of “pauses to think” as a block, it makes those pauses feel wrong when they are actually a necessary component of writing.
What is something you’ve learned about yourself later in your writing career that would have surprised your younger self?
This makes me think of my younger self before I was a writer. I came to writing as a second career, and many of the foundational things I needed (dedication, desire to educate myself, time management) were things I already had. When my historical novel Love, Theodosia released, someone asked me if I was more of a ‘Burr’ or a ‘Hamilton.’ For context, the novel centers on an imagined love story between Theodosia Burr, the daughter of Aaron Burr, and Philip Hamilton, the son of Alexander Hamilton.
With that question of which historical figure’s personality best matched mine, I realized that I’m a former Burr who is now totally a Hamilton! I grew up shy and while I got good grades and wanted to please my teachers and parents, I was very much a sit-back-and-not-make-noise kind of kid. Once I found writing, I changed—out of necessity! Writing demands you fight for your shot from the moment you decide you are pursuing publication. To be traditionally published, you have to be arrogant enough to think that out of the thousands and thousands of great manuscripts being written, yours will find an agent and a publisher. I’m not a competitive person, and yet my writerly ambition and ability to forge ahead despite rejections and disappointments continues to grow. (If only my 4’10” height could do the same.)
You can purchase Romantic Friction 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 📚❤️
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: a video from Mimi Matthews (Rules for Ruin) in which she shares her five tips for writing authentic-feeling historical fiction (without losing yourself—and your reader—at the bottom of a research rabbit hole); a Q&A with writer of “unspeakably hot” (according to Entertainment Weekly) romance, Katee Robert (Rebel in the Deep); and speculative fiction writer Allister Thompson’s thoughts on how to write “idea” books without shoe-horning your point into your story so awkwardly that readers think you’re a crackpot—or worse, a bad writer (and as a long-time book editor, Allister knows what he’s talking about!).
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!
But Wait! There’s More!
No, really. Bianca has EVEN MORE author and literary agent guests joining her (and you?) June 9th! 🌟🤩🌟
In less than a month, join Bianca on the 9th of June from 6-10pm ET as she launches her latest novel, A Most Puzzling Murder, at The Young People’s Theatre in downtown Toronto in this not-to-be-missed literary soiree of the season!
It’s not a party without friends, and Bianca will have a LOT of them there to help her celebrate, including Carly and CeCe for the hosts’ first ever in real life event together!!
In each week’s Friday newsletter, we’ll also be announcing additional special guests, not to mention the incredible contests we’ll be hosting, as well as the awesome prizes up for grabs.
This week, we’re excited to announce that special guests Hannah Mary McKinnon (author of Only One Survives), KJ Aiello (author of The Monster and the Mirror), Sonya Singh (author of Sari, Not Sari), Amy Tector (author of The Honeybee Emeralds) and Eden Boudreau (author of Crying Wolf) will be joining in the fun too!
Check out their exceptional titles on our Bookshop.org page!
Not to mention that Meg Wheeler, a literary agent and the international rights director at Westwood Creative Artists, will be joining in the celebrations as well! Meg lives in Toronto and is open to queries, both fiction and nonfiction. She loves ambitious literary fiction, sweeping historical fiction, character-driven book club novels, and fiction that tackles tough subjects, as well as narrative nonfiction.
Meg is a diehard Toronto Sceptres and Blue Jays fan, human to two dogs, camper, and Great British Bake-Off binger. For more information you can visit wcaltd.com/meg-wheeler/.
We’re also excited about the two contests we’re hosting for those of you who will be joining us on the night:
A flash fiction contest – a story told in 1500 words or less.
A query package contest – your query letter and five opening pages.
The best entry in each category will be invited up on stage on the night to accept their award, and they’ll be welcomed onto the podcast and published in our newsletter.
Entries can be emailed to tsnotyaw.contest@gmail.com Please note, you can only enter these contests if you’ve got a ticket to attend the event. The deadline for that is midnight ET on the 3rd of June.
We’ll also do two draws on the night for two 10 000-word critiques, one done by Bianca and one done by CeCe.
There are prizes you’re going to want to win!
CAD $45+tax gets you an unassigned seat in the theatre, access to all the fun, a signed copy of A Most Puzzling Murder, a goodie bag, and snacks before and after the main event.
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.