In today's Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe are joined by listener, Jessica, while they critique and discuss her query letter and pages. They discuss the need for the level of external plot to match the level of interiority; specificity to create an 'atmosphere' around your novel; how women's fiction readers feel about swearing in a novel; and creating a sense of believability and plausibility in your work.

After which, Carly interviews Becca Freeman, author of The Christmas Orphans Club. During the segment, the two discuss the origins of Becca’s prologue and her reasoning behind having one; she discusses her use of contextual cues in writing a historical setting and explains her choice of an 'A' plot; fitting friendship stories into commercial fiction genres; the integration of cellphones and the internet into a novel; and Becca’s own experience podcasting.

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Websites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.com

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Becca can be found on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/beccamfreeman/ and at

https://badonpaperpodcast.com/about

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