Is this a mystery?

Is this a mystery?

June 5, 2026 · 43 min · Season 18 · Episode 1805

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges of genre mismatch in storytelling, particularly when a story pitched as a mystery does not align with its opening pages.

What happens when a story is pitched in the query letter as a mystery, but doesn't read like one in the opening pages? Where did the confusion creep in and how can you avoid a genre mismatch? We discuss this and much more (including writing unnamed protagonists and passive characters) in today's Hook Your Reader episode. Enjoy! -V.

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Hosts: Melanie Hill, Valerie Francis

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