Will there be fisticuffs? Possibly! (Probably not). But join Bri and Mer anyway as they talk about conflict and how it goes far beyond the seven main categories you were taught in school.

They discuss how to create minor layers of conflict that amplify your book’s theme, how to make your audience care, and how stakes play a role in all of it. Come for the reasons why Bri thinks conflict makes everything easier, and stay for the fight! Fight! Fight!

Hey, agents are humans, too. And to prove that Bri and Mer bring on their brilliant, shared agent, Abby Saul of The Lark Group, to talk all things publishing. Abby spills the tea on queries, comps, the state of publishing, and more. Come for the tips on preventable query mistakes and stay for the burning question: what ever happened to that god-awfully named genre “chick lit”?

Episode Outline

00:00 - 22:00 - Intro

21:57 - 1:23:15 - Our Chat with Abby Saul

1:23:15 - 1:39:20 - Book Recs

Books Mentioned

The Housewife by Natalie Barelli

Buckeye by Patrick Ryan

Dad Had a Bad Day by Ashton Poliantoff

Is it editing or revisions? Either way, it’s really freaking hard. This is where the manuscript becomes a book and where you earn your paycheck. Bri and Mer discuss self-editing and dreaded blindspots, beta readers and feedback from friends, and the emotional stakes of being professionally edited.

Come for tips on how to find the message behind the editing note and stay to find out what 19th century viscounts have to do with anything.

Books mentioned:

She’s a Lamb! by Meredith Hambrock

Obstetrix by Naomi Kritzer

Falling Back in Love With Being Human by Kai Cheng Thom

Found Time by Caroline Goldstein

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Episode Outline

00:00 - 08:35 - Intro

08:36 - 58:46 - Editing discussion

58:46 - 1:10:03 - Book Recs