✨Sarah Hawley Helps Define Romantasy; and Rachel Howzell Hall Defends the Prologue✨
Plus, there's still room for you in the Deep Dive Virtual Retreat, and we're doing something new with the podcast!
Happy Friday!
In case you missed it on our socials yesterday, we’ve got some exciting news for you, writing friends! We’ve been working behind the scenes on something new for you and are thrilled to announce that we’ve started sharing the full videos of each episode of the podcast on our YouTube channel! For now, you can now watch the videos of Bianca, Carly, and CeCe’s📕Books with Hooks🪝discussions and author interviews, but we’re never not thinking about ways to bring you even more insights, so stay tuned for what we come up with next…😉🥳
And speaking of the podcast…On this week’s episode, Bianca interviews fantasy author Sarah Hawley (whose latest, Servant of Earth, is out now). Sarah shares a wealth of insights, including her thoughts on the specific challenges of balancing character and world-building in fantasy queries, but this one isn’t just for all the fantasy writers out there—anyone who’s ever suffered through the hell that is being out on submission should find some comfort in Sarah’s experience. And we would all do well to follow her example: if at first your book dies on sub, write, write again…and definitely hang onto that first manuscript because it may well turn out to have been ahead of its time. If it happened to Sarah, it can happen to you! 📕✍🏼🙌🏼
This week’s Author Q&A is with New York Times bestselling thriller writer, Rachel Howzell Hall (you can grab her latest, The Last One, now!). We love it when someone is willing to put themselves out there on a potentially controversial topic, and Rachel’s case for the prologue is pretty persuasive. We also all-caps LOVE her “win jar” idea. Having a constant visual reminder of the times you’ve been successful could be just the boost you need on days when it’s a struggle to remember why you keep putting yourself through this (which we assume is all of us at one time or another). 🏆🫙
Thank you to everyone who’s signed up for the 2025 Deep Dive Virtual Retreat so far! All of our early bird spots flew off the shelves (as it were), but we still have spaces available and—honestly—it’s a bargain at twice the price. Don’t believe us? Our line-up includes famous names like Jenny Jackson, Jami Attenberg, and Annabel Monaghan, as well as some more behind-the-scenes types you might not be as familiar with but who DEFINITELY have a thing or two to teach you (people like agents and editors. You know, the ones who will one day actually get your words out into the world). Check it out below, then click through to the site to register before it’s too late!
That’s all for now. Have a great weekend! ❤️
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!), Bianca chats with Sarah Hawley about her journey as a fantasy author, focusing on her latest book Servant of Earth. Sarah shares insights into her writing process, the importance of character-driven narratives, and the nuances of defining genres like romantasy. The discussion also delves into world-building, the challenges of plotting a series, and the intersection of political themes within fantasy writing.
“Everyone's got such a different process. There are some people who write out of order, which I don't do, but just completely random order. There are people who draft by hand. Like, it is absolute chaos out there. And somehow all of us end up with a book-shaped thing and a functional story, which is cool.”
– Sarah Hawley
More information about Sarah can be found on her website. You can also find her on Instagram 💕
You can purchase Servant of Earth 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 📚❤️
Q&A with Rachel Howzell Hall
Rachel Howzell Hall is the critically acclaimed author of the bestselling thrillers, What Fire Brings, What Never Happened, These Toxic Things, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize-nominated, Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestseller We Lie Here. She’s been nominated for a number of mystery awards, including the Anthony, Strand and International Thriller Award, the Lefty, Barry and Shamus. She is also the author of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize-nominated And Now She’s Gone, and the author of the Audible Originals bestseller See How They Run, and the Thriller Award- and Audie Awards-nominated How It Ends.
TSNOTYAW: What would you say you’ve done right to build a strong and supportive writing network?
Rachel Howzell Hall: I listen to people and genuinely value who they are, their talents, and our shared passion for uncovering the "why." Often, we find ourselves both fascinated and outraged by the answers we discover. I strive to be authentic, to keep my word, and to be as honest as possible. And when I have nothing kind to say, I choose to say nothing at all.
How do you ensure you have enough time to write amidst so many obligations competing for your time?
I wake up at four every morning and I write. Good or bad, it doesn’t matter—I put myself in the seat and write. I know I’ll get the chance to go back and make it better later, but just showing up at my desk is part of the victory. Throughout the day, I find small moments to squeeze in more writing. Sometimes it’s just jotting down ideas, mapping out a plan for tomorrow, or doing some rough pre-writing. Wherever I can fit writing in, I do.
What's one writing "rule" or commonly followed piece of advice that you decidedly break?
I love prologues. All of my thrillers have them, despite the advice that they’re best avoided. I find them intriguing—not only as a writer but also as a reader. Prologues appeal to me because, in so many ways, they offer a glimpse into the answer to the mystery, drawing you in from the very start.
What is the most challenging part of being a successful author? And how do you mitigate its effects?
The most challenging part of being a successful author is actually believing you’re successful. I look forward to the day when I truly feel I’ve achieved that. Publishing 12 or 13 books—that’s certainly success. But as a lifelong student of the craft, I tend to view success as a final point where I've learned everything there is to know, where I don’t make mistakes anymore. I'm not there yet, so claiming “success” feels elusive.
However, I do allow myself moments of acknowledgment. I keep a "win jar" on my desk, and whenever something special happens, I jot it down on a sticky note and add it to the jar. It’s a visual reminder: Yes, this is success. Yes, I’ve learned and grown. And yes, I’ve written books that have reached and resonated with readers.
Writer’s block: myth or unfortunate reality? If you experience it, how do you overcome it?
Writer's block. Part of me thinks it’s a myth; part of me thinks it’s rooted in fear—fear of failing, fear of not getting it right, fear of what happens once your work reaches readers. Writing is scary because it’s personal and putting yourself out there means being judged. Sometimes that fear can make you hesitate to pick up the pen.
I overcome it by just writing, reminding myself it doesn’t need to be perfect the first time. I can go back and revise draft after draft. There are days when stress, health, or even world events leave you drained, unable to produce your best work. Accepting that you’re human—and that sometimes your brain just doesn’t cooperate—is part of overcoming it.
How did you get your literary agent? What was the querying process like for you?
I found my current agent, Jill, by searching on a site called Writer’s Net. I’m not sure if it’s still around, but it was a website with a database of literary agents and their specific interests. Jill and I connected in 2013, but my first agent, years before, I found through those thick guidebooks listing all the agents—they updated them every couple of years, so it was pretty old-fashioned. With Jill, I sent a query email, she asked for some pages, then requested the full manuscript, and everything moved pretty quickly from there. She accepted me as a client, and we’ve been working together ever since.
What is something you’ve learned about yourself later in your writing career that would have surprised your younger self?
I love being organized and refining processes to get things done. More than most, I feel a greater sense of freedom when there’s a clear map or some structure in place. It acts as a lifeline, allowing my mind to relax and say, “It’s all good—go for it.” And if things go off track, I know I can pull back to a safe starting point.
If you could travel back in time and meet your past self in the year after the publication of your debut, what words of encouragement and/or warning would you give yourself?
I would encourage my younger self to keep writing, to channel pain and experience into even more honest work. I’d remind myself that I’m not alone in feeling this way—but that I have a gift for putting those fears and anxieties into words.
Do you have any regrets about your journey so far? Do you wish you had done anything differently?
I don’t have any real regrets—probably because I use my disappointments, challenges, and setbacks as ingredients in my writing. If I didn’t experience fear or disappointment, I wouldn’t be writing the stories that resonate with people.
What question do you wish an interviewer would ask you? (And what’s the answer to that question!)
What would I do if I weren’t a writer?
Hmm. If there were no restrictions—and if I were good at math—I’d say an astronaut. Space fascinates me. Sure, there’s the risk of danger, but I’d rather explore the cosmos than go deep, deep into the ocean. I’d also consider being a detective, though I’d want to jump right into solving cases, meeting interesting people, and helping to right wrongs—not work my way up from patrol.
You can purchase The Last One on our Bookshop.org affiliate page here. 📚❤️
Deep Dive Virtual Retreat
‘Tis the season to drop hints for what you really, really want. Especially if Santa knows you’ve been extra good this year. 😇🎅🏽And if the people in your life can’t take a good old-fashioned hint, go ahead and get a little something for yourself, like a pass to the 2025 Deep Dive Virtual Retreat, aka “the gift that keeps on giving”.
Don’t believe us? Why not ask USA Today bestselling author Annabel Monaghan what she thinks? Annabel started off as a Deep Dive attendee back in 2022, and is now one of our featured speakers—and isn’t that a gift you’d like to give your future self? 😉🎁
Find Us on YouTube!🤩
If you’ve ever wondered what our hosts mean when they say Bianca’s face comes with subtitles, you’ll now have ample opportunity to see it for yourself—starting this week, we’re bringing you the podcast content you know and love, but now in video form! Subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch the full videos of each episode!
Bianca’s facial expressions aside, we think this is great for a whole host of reasons, including (but not limited to) making the show more accessible with the addition of closed captioning. 🥳
The Ultimate Planner for Writers is the Ultimate Christmas Gift!
Have you been frustrated with the limitations of your daily planner which, while allowing for hour-to-hour scheduling of your usual appointments, doesn't allow you to include all the myriad activities associated with your rich writing life?
This planner allows you to:
Keep track of your daily word count, as well as assign and monitor time spent on brainstorming, researching, drafting, editing, etc.
Log and track your agent queries
Brainstorm and make editorial notes
Outline your WIP
Create character profiles
Outline your plot/scenes
Complete scene cards
Keep all your ideas in one place
Keep a record of your research and material sources
Make notes of inspiration
Track the books you've read
The Ultimate Planner for Writers has all the monthly, weekly and daily functionalities of a usual planner, but with added features designed specifically for writers. It’s available for purchase either as a hardcopy or as an e-planner that's been designed for use on an iPad or similar touch screen tablet, and makes the ultimate gift for the writer in your life.
Tuesday Teaser 😉
Next week’s newsletter exclusively for our paid members is another good one! If Sarah Hawley’s interview on the podcast this week wasn’t enough to convince you to keep going in spite of your setbacks, then Tuesday’s Author Q&A with Suzanne Allain might just seal the deal—but to hear her extraordinary success story, you’ll have to subscribe. We’ve also got a great essay from Meg Tady on the subject of secondary characters that’s wall-to-wall solid advice. Once you’ve read it you’ll definitely have more tools to help you wrangle these unruly types into doing your bidding.
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!
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.
I wrote a prologue to my memoir quite intentionally and was unsure about it but both my publisher and editor loved it and it has gotten great reader feedback.
Thank you for sharing this interview with Ms. Rachel Howzell Hall! Her work sounds brilliant and she a lovely person! (I also personally share her love of prologues.)