In part one of this week’s double author interview, Carly Watters sits down with debut author Lara Stokes to discuss her novel ‘Midsummer Nights’ — a contemporary, theater-filled spin on William Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Lara opens up about querying during COVID, the memoir and “drawer novel” that came before her debut, and how writing the book “just for fun” ultimately led to her publishing breakthrough. They also dive into balancing literary and commercial fiction, writing humor and romance, Shakespeare’s lasting influence on modern storytelling, and the realities of building a writing career while juggling day jobs, rejection, and uncertainty.

In part two of this week’s double author interview, Bianca chats with author Camille Perri about writing across genres, crafting distinct multi-POV voices, and why voice can make or break a novel. They dive into the layered editing process, balancing humor with emotional depth, the challenge of writing “complex” female characters, and how setting can become an active part of storytelling. Plus, Camille shares how ‘Social Animals’ evolved from a screenplay into a novel packed with mystery, heart, and dog park drama.

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.

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In this week’s episode of Shooting the Shit, Carly and CeCe chat about the ever-expanding role of literary agents—from event support and career coaching to navigating emerging challenges like AI, fact-checking, and author advocacy. They discuss how agents balance evolving responsibilities while staying focused on their core job: making deals and supporting their clients’ careers. Carly and CeCe also talk about author platform-building before publication, unpacking why writers should focus less on marketing an unwritten book and more on sharing their reading life, interests, and perspective. Plus, they answer listener questions about submission statistics, reading the tea leaves on submission, and what agents really think when a book spends months on editors’ desks.

As mentioned on this episode:

https://lunch.publishersmarketplace.com/2026/05/ss-merges-lines-into-a-new-atria-gallery-publishing-group/

https://falonballard.substack.com/p/the-rom-com-subgenre-is-in-trouble?utm_source=multipl[…]ecommendations-email&utm_medium=email&triedRedirect=true

https://www.threads.com/@talesofegan/post/DYiQbUVlDKA?xmt=AQG0teqFipzz4Oan2fN4Aw4nN4RSFGFFAfAhL6-XdDgo7A

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

https://www.threads.net/@carlywatters https://www.threads.net/@cece_lyra_agent

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https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/ https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/

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

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In this milestone 225th Books with Hooks segment , Bianca, Carly and CeCe break down two wildly different submissions to dissect what’s working (and what’s not). First up is a high-concept Western horror with cannibals, ghosts, and immortal outlaws. They discuss a strong premise, which can be made stronger by clearer stakes, as well as the author being aware of a romance that readers won’t necessarily root for. Second up: a killer AI-meets-family-drama concept that hooks instantly—though opening pages could do more heavy lifting. Why? Listen to find out. A lesson on concept vs. craft—and why both need to be firing.

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

https://www.threads.net/@carlywatters https://www.threads.net/@cece_lyra_agent

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

Bookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwriting

To sign up for our Substack newsletter, head to https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.com