When Intrigue Turns Into Confusion
From The Shit No One Tells You About Writing by Bianca Marais, Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra
April 23, 2026 · 31 min · Season 30 · Episode 9
About this episode
The hosts discuss the elements that make a query effective and the pitfalls that can lead to confusion in storytelling.
This week on Books with Hooks, Bianca CeCe and Carly unpack what makes a query actually work—and where things quietly fall apart. From a gripping friends-to-lovers premise with a dark past to a stranded-on-an-island YA romance, they dive into high-stakes storytelling, dual POV risks, and the fine line between intrigue and frustration. They break down why accessible literary might raise eyebrows, how withholding key information can backfire, and why surprise on the page needs context to land. Plus: opening pages that hook, voice that shines, and the ongoing debate between depth vs momentum. Note: CeCe Lyra is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates. If you’d like to query CeCe, please refer to the submission guidelines at www.wsherman.com. Carly Watters is a literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency, but her work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly on this podcast are solely that of her as a podcast co-host and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency. Find us on our socials: Threads: https://www.threads.net/@the_shit_about_writing https://www.threads.net/@biancamarais_author…
People in this episode
Hosts: Bianca Marais, Carly Watters, CeCe Lyra
Topics covered
- query writing
- storytelling
- literary agents
- high-stakes storytelling
- dual POV
- intrigue vs frustration
- opening pages
Keywords
- query
- storytelling
- literary agents
- friends-to-lovers
- YA romance
- dual POV
- opening pages
- intrigue
- frustration
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Wendy Sherman Associates, P.S. Literary Agency
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