✨"You don't get to have a quiet novel if..." CeCe Dishes Some Hard (But Helpful!) Truths; and Bestselling Author Alka Joshi is Living Proof That Any Roadblock Can Be Overcome—IF You Put in the Work✨
Plus, registration for Circling the Building of Your Work continues, and we reveal more amazing guests for Bianca's A Most Puzzling Murder launch!
Happy Friday, writing friends!
Hopefully by now you know that bestselling authors aren’t all that different from the rest of us. They experience all the same doubt, depression, frustration etc. that everyone else does. But it’s easy to forget that, when you’re in the querying trenches and out browsing the shelves of your local bookstore for comps, seeing all those face-out featured titles, or the tables devoted entirely to a single author’s work. After all, what wouldn’t you be willing to go through, if the trade-off was that kind of success once you came out the other side?
If this sounds familiar, today’s Q&A with bestselling author Alka Joshi should provide some helpful perspective. In fact, to quote one the 20th century’s most underrated thinkers, David St. Hubbins, possibly even “too much f*cking perspective.” If you think you’re path to publication has been fraught, Alka’s description of the setbacks and tragedies she experienced during the eight years she spent working on her debut (The Henna Artist, for any of you who’ve been living under a rock) should set you straight. No, we’re not saying struggles are a competition and yours aren’t as struggle-y. We’re saying struggles are real, everyone’s got ‘em, and the only way through is forward. But remember, if life is really determined to knock you on your ass, it’s okay to take the time you need to get your head straight. The words will wait. And if you’re willing to put in the work as Alka did (her insights on the piece of writing advice she hates to love are awesome), however large your struggles are, you can overcome them—and find success.
Meanwhile, over on the podcast, it’s 📕Books with Hooks🪝time again, and this week we’ve got something a little different for you—contest winner Debbie Whittall joins your hosts, Bianca, Carly and CeCe for a live discussion of her query and pages for her debut novel, Linda/Linda. The discussion covers a lot of ground, and will be of particular interest to anyone looking to nail their query for a manuscript that falls into that scary category known as the “quiet” book. Just because a story doesn’t have fae factions at war, serial killers on the prowl, impending asteroid collisions and the like doesn’t mean it’s not shot through with drama and stakes—the trick is to know how to present them in your query (and pages!) so that everything you know deep in your bones makes the story compelling is actually visible to those residing on the outside of your skin suit.
Bummed that didn’t win this time around? We’ve got a contest for that—check out the details below for some of the amazing prizes you could win as part of the launch celebration for Bianca’s A Most Puzzling Murder! Also below, we’re revealing the next round of special guests who will be in attendance, including more agents, entertainers and more than one Canadian icon. 😉
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 📕Books with Hooks🪝this week on the podcast (listen to it here or watch it on YouTube!), and this week our hosts Bianca, Carly and CeCe welcome querying author Debbie Whittal to discuss her query letter for her debut novel, Linda/Linda. The discussion highlights the strengths of Debbie's writing while at the same time emphasizing the need for a more engaging presentation of her story's drama. The critique discusses the complexities of character relationships, emotional stakes, and the dynamics of power in their interactions. Carly and CeCe provide constructive feedback on Debbie’s narrative choices, scene structure, and character development, emphasizing the importance of clarity and reader engagement. ps and the need for stronger emotional stakes in the storytelling.
Note: Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra are literary agents at P.S. Literary Agency, but their work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly and CeCe on this podcast are solely that of them as podcast co-hosts and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.
“You don't get to have a quiet novel if it's upmarket. Like, I'm sorry, it's just not how publishing works. And I wish it were because I enjoy a quiet novel, but we need more plot.”
— CeCe
Q&A with Alka Joshi
Alka Joshi is the internationally bestselling author of the Jaipur Trilogy: The Henna Artist, The Secret Keeper of Jaipur and The Perfumist of Paris. Her debut novel, The Henna Artist, immediately became a New York Times Bestseller, a Reese Witherspoon Bookclub Pick, an LA Times Bestseller, a Toronto Star Bestseller, an Indie Bookstores Bestseller, a Cosmopolitan Best Audiobook, and an Amazon and Goodreads favorite. It was Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and has been translated into 29 languages. It’s currently in development as an episodic series. In 2023, Forbes selected Alka as one of 50 Women Over 50 who are shattering age and gender norms. Alka was born in India and came to the U.S. with her family at the age of nine. She has a BA from Stanford University and an MFA from California College of Arts. Her fourth release, Six Days in Bombay, is a sweeping travelogue spanning a young women’s journey from 1937 India to a turbulent Europe as she comes into her own. It’s Alka’s first standalone novel, and will be followed by a fifth in 2026.
TSNOTYAW: Do you have a go-to mantra or pep talk for the days when writing feels hard?
Alka Joshi: You’ve been here before, Alka. You know you always get past it. Take some time away from the keyboard and come back when you’re ready.
Were you ever close to giving up on writing and, if so, what stopped you?
Alka: I stopped writing altogether two times while I was writing my debut, THE HENNA ARTIST. The first what when my mother, my inspiration for my protagonist and who I was writing the novel for, died. I didn’t see the point in continuing, but my MFA mentor spurred me on. The second time was when my agent told me, after 7 years of working on the novel, that THE HENNA ARTIST still wasn’t ready for publication. Upon her suggestion, I hired two independent editors to help me, and they gave me so many notes that I gave up. A year later, I ran across the manuscript in my desk drawer and realized that this alternate life I created for my mother would never see the light of day if I didn’t make the edits the editors had suggested, so I got back to work. It took me another year, while working for advertising/marketing clients simultaneously, to finish the draft that my agent sold.
What one piece of advice (craft- or publishing industry-related) has always resonated with you?
Alka: Writing is rewriting. I hate that that’s the case, but there’s no way around it. Your work can always be better if you keep revising and polishing. And then revising again!
What's one writing "rule" or commonly followed piece of advice that you decidedly break?
Alka: “You must sit down and write every day.” I don’t. Instead, I reframed the definition of writing to include many other actions: thinking about the characters as I shop for groceries or researching a historical tidbit in a book or looking for images of a setting I want to describe. In that sense, I’m writing most of the day; I don’t have to be at a keyboard to do it.
Writer’s block: myth or unfortunate reality? If you experience it, how do you overcome it?
Alka: I think of writer’s block as a place where a writer need to pivot. If I’m not sure where to go next with the story, I get up and go for a walk. Thinking about the characters as I move always gets them moving in a scene as well. Sometimes, I pivot by scouring the internet for images: what were people wearing in that time period? Did the park I’m describing have a pond? Would the pond have had fish in it? Other times, I talk about the story to trusted friends, and find my way to another path as I’m discussing it. I always pivot to employ another part of my brain, and it serves as the grease I need to shift gears.
How important do you think it is for writers to be on social media?
Alka: Unless you were already an established writer before social media, it’s extremely important to connect to your readers in a meaningful way via Instagram or Facebook or TikTok---whatever your preferred method of engagement is. For me, social media is like inviting readers into your process---how you develop story, how you think about your characters, why you make the choices you do---so they feel as if they are on this journey with you. It serves to keep the exercise of writing, which can feel isolating, a lot less lonely. My readers are my tribe, and what better way to know they’ve got my back than to engage with them every day? They cheer me on, give me courage and remind me why I do this work.
You can purchase Six Days in Bombay on our Bookshop.org affiliate page here. 📚❤️
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 Q&A from Sarah Maria Griffin (Eat The Ones You Love), a video from The Book Club for Troublesome Women author Marie Bostwick, and an essay from Kate Posey (Serial Killer Games).
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!
Check Out More Literary Agents and Other VIP Guests Attending Bianca’s Launch!
By now, you know that Bianca is launching her not-so-cozy murder mystery, A Most Puzzling Murder, on the 9th of June from 6-10pm ET at The Young People’s Theatre in downtown Toronto in the 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!!
But that’s not all! This week, we’re celebrating that two additional agents will be joining the festivities!
Kathryn Willms is a literary agent at The Rights Factory. She acquires adult nonfiction and upmarket and literary fiction. In nonfiction, she is looking for ambitious, smart, and transformative voice-driven works that uproot conventional understanding and challenge us to think of ourselves or our world in new ways. In fiction, she’s looking for high-concept premises, women-centred stories, satisfying endings, and unique voices.
Prior to becoming an agent, Kathryn worked as a sports reporter, financial services sales support manager, hybrid publisher, ghostwriter, and editor. Since 2018, she has provided editing services to educational organizations. She might have reached her career peak though manning the drinks cart at a golf course, where she once got paid for reading the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy in one perfect week. She holds an MA in English from the University of Calgary and lives in Greektown in Toronto.
You can find more information about what Kathryn’s looking for here.
Alexandra D’Amico has worked in publishing since 2019. Alex completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto with a specialist in English and a minor in History, after which she attended Humber College’s Creative Book Publishing program. Alex worked as Rights and Contracts Coordinator for Beverley Slopen before coming to the Transatlantic Agency as Literary Assistant for Carolyn Forde, and Marilyn Biderman. Alex has also been the Executive Assistant for PACLA, the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents, since 2022. In early 2023, Alex became Associate Literary Agent for Transatlantic and is now beginning to build her list. She is based in Toronto.
You can find more information about Alexandra here.
We’re also super excited about the evening’s stellar lineup of entertainment! But don’t just take our word for it. Drumroll, please… 🥁
Canadian icon, Erica Ehm, was one of the first MuchMusic VJs. An influencer way before the term was ever coined, she continues to be one of Canada’s most influential women. She spent a decade hosting live music TV, and while reining in rock stars isn't for the faint of heart, the art of interviewing bands became second nature to her.
Today, Erica motivates entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs to adopt a success mindset. By thinking differently and facing fears which limit success, she helps businesses evolve. With years of live television experience, Erica rocks every event she moderates or hosts, and we can’t wait to have her host this one!
You can find more information about Erica here.
Mairlyn Smith is the only professional home economist and food writer in Canada that is also an alumnus of the Second City Comedy Troupe making her a popular TV and media food personality, and the self proclaimed funniest professional home economist in the world.
Which is why we’re thrilled to have her entertain us with standup comedy at our event!
Marilyn has been seen on over 100 television commercials, performed on live stage including the Second City Comedy Troupe, and has been in many TV shows as well as films. Her versatility in acting and cooking with a comedic flair landed her the job as a host of Harrowsmith Country Life and a subsequent Gemini Nomination.
The author of eight best selling cookbooks, Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health and don’t forget the chocolate! which she co-authored with dietician Liz Pearson, won Gold at the Cuisine Canada Cookbook Awards making it the first healthy book to ever win Gold at these prestigious Canadian Culinary Awards.
Peace, Love & Fibre: over 100 fibre-rich recipes for the whole family – is her latest best selling cookbook. Loaded with fibre recipes, tips and stories on how to incorporate peace and love and fibre into your life. Fibre doesn’t have to be boring! Mairlyn’s comedic flair to the rescue. You will laugh and fall in love with this handbook/cookbook.
Mairlyn had been a regular guest expert on CityLine and Breakfast TV in Toronto and is the self-proclaimed Queen of Fibre and #fartwalk.
She’s also a stellar member of the literary community. Come and enjoy a few laughs together. Can’t say we don’t desperately need them! ❤️
You can find more information about Mairlyn here.
Sandra Margolese is an Ontario-based playwright, novelist, singer, songwriter, voice actor, and vocal coach. Her career in musical theatre includes over five years in the Toronto production of The Phantom of the Opera.
While living in Dubai, she sang with jazz ensembles for corporate events and voiced radio and TV ads ranging from BMW to Bloomingdale’s. Sandra’s one-act jukebox musicals, produced by Smile Theatre, have toured senior’s facilities and long-term care homes across the province. Her latest play, Good Fortune, was shortlisted for the Norm Foster “Fostered Playwrights Festival,” and she is currently developing her romantic comedy, Jack of All Trades, as a musical.
As an emerging author, Sandra writes uplifting, witty, and warm stories with characters served up like her martinis—lightly shaken with a twist!
She’s written an original song based on Bianca’s novel which she’ll be performing on the night!
You can find out more about Sandra here.
Don’t forget 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 1,500 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 will 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.
We’ll also do two draws on the night for two 10,000-word critiques, one done by Bianca and one done by CeCe! 🤩
These 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, and snacks before and after the main event.
Circling the Building of Your Work
You've heard Bianca say all the time on the podcast that you need to circle the building of your work to find the best entry point into it. 🏢🚶♀️
But this process doesn't just ensure strong opening pages, it allows you to navigate the whole building with confidence—knowing which doors to throw wide open and which ones to keep locked, which walls to smash down and which ones to reinforce—as you create a space you'd like to live inside.
In this webinar, Bianca will guide you through the transformation of her own latest WIP, showing you examples of her constantly evolving pages in her quest to find the best way into a story she’s always wanted to tell.
In doing so, she’ll highlight:
the intentionality that you need to bring to your decision-making every step of the way.
how to play around with point of view, structure, timeline, voice, and other essential elements of craft.
how to frame a narrative and choose the lens through which you’d like to view it.
the questions you’ll need to ask yourself throughout the process.
how to circle back from false starts, and learn from them, as you begin again.
how rewarding the entire process can be.
You’ll also be assigned to other delegates to work with after the webinar to gain objectivity, input, and fresh perspectives as you circle the building of your own WIP.
Expect real examples you can learn from, as well as practical ways of implementing the theory. The webinar will end with a Q and A.
Recording and resources will be mailed to all registered delegates the next day.
May 13, 7-10pm ET
Cost: $69.00
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.