In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are joined by two authors, Melissa and Elizabeth, whose work they critique. In the process, they discuss ensuring each that timeline in a dual timeline is its own story; keeping scenes condensed to keep propelling the story forward; mentioning the pandemic in contemporary fiction; baking in subtle references to things instead of explaining them to the reader; finding ways for a character to interact with other characters, especially when we’ll be spending a lot of time in their head; making small cuts to decrease word count; how not naming dramatic moments that change everything could mean losing agent request opportunities; telling the reader what’s going to happen vs letting them theorize; and ensuring you surprise the reader with something in the first chapter.After which, Bianca chats with Jennifer Hillier, bestselling author of Things We Do in the Dark, about writing away real-world fears and anxieties; how she writes and includes/doesn't include backstory; how she structures her novels without the use of an outline; having no ego when receiving critiques; and the importance of planting curiosity seeds.

Find us on our socials:Twitter: @TSNOTYAW @BiancaM_author @carlywatters @ceciliaclyraInstagram: @biancamarais_author @carlywatters @cece_lyra_agent @ the_shit_about_writingFacebook: @tsnotyawWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting, www.biancamarais.com and www.carlywatters.com Jennifer can be found at www.jenniferhillierbooks.com and on Instagram at @jenniferhillierbooks