Digest

This episode of "This Shit No One Tells You About Writing" features an interview with Vanessa Walters, author of "The Legos Wife." Walters discusses the Niger wife experience, the title change for her book, and her advice for aspiring authors. She emphasizes the importance of community and encourages writers to find support and connection within the writing world. The episode also includes a commercial for Carly Waters' "Author's Publishing Playbook" course, which offers guidance on preparing, pitching, publishing, and promoting books. The episode concludes with an announcement for Bianca Murray's beta reader matchup program, which connects writers with beta readers in similar genres and time zones.

Outlines

00:00:00

Introduction

This Chapter introduces the podcast "This Shit No One Tells You About Writing" and its hosts: Bjunkameray, Carly Waters, and C.C. Lira. They announce that the episode will feature a query letter critique and an interview with a guest author.

00:02:13

Query Letter Critique: Before He Was President

This Chapter features a query letter critique of Kelly Fuller's novel "Before He Was President." The hosts discuss the novel's structure, plot, and character development, offering feedback on the query letter and the opening pages. They suggest that the novel needs more plot and a secret to elevate the story, and that the character of Josh, the former president, needs more vulnerability and self-awareness.

00:51:05

Rosetta Stone Commercial

This Chapter is a commercial for Rosetta Stone, a language learning program. The hosts discuss the benefits of using Rosetta Stone, including its immersion-based approach, speech recognition technology, and lifetime membership.

00:53:50

CC's Interiority Class Announcement

This Chapter is an announcement for C.C.'s writing interiority class, which will be held in a new two-day format. The class will cover all things interiority, including the difference between interiority and emotions, how interiority is different from telling, and how to leverage interiority into plot points.

00:55:02

Interview with Vanessa Walters, Author of The Legos Wife

This Chapter features an interview with Vanessa Walters, author of "The Legos Wife." Walters discusses the Niger wife experience, the title change for her book, and her advice for aspiring authors.

01:14:43

Vanessa Walters' Advice for Aspiring Authors

This Chapter features Vanessa Walters' advice for aspiring authors. She emphasizes the importance of community and encourages writers to find support and connection within the writing world. She shares her own experiences with the writing community and how it has helped her.

01:17:05

Carly Waters' Author's Publishing Playbook

This Chapter is a commercial for Carly Waters' "Author's Publishing Playbook" course, which offers guidance on preparing, pitching, publishing, and promoting books. The course includes over 40 video lessons, monthly live Q&A sessions, and worksheets, downloads, and templates for editing, querying, and marketing.

01:18:37

Bianca Murray's Beta Reader Matchup Program

This Chapter is an announcement for Bianca Murray's beta reader matchup program, which connects writers with beta readers in similar genres and time zones. The program offers a 3,000-word evaluation and is open to registrations until June 2nd.

Keywords

Q&A

• What is the main plot of Kelly Fuller's novel "Before He Was President"?

  The novel alternates between a fictional first lady's memoir and the former president reading his wife's unpublished book. The former president is behind on his own memoir deadline and is struggling with his identity after leaving office. His wife, Annie, is thriving in her new roles as a foundation member, writer, and mother. When Josh bails on a family vacation to stay home and work on his memoir, Annie reaches her breaking point and leaves him, leaving him to read her memoir and reflect on their relationship.

• What feedback do the hosts give Kelly Fuller on her query letter?

  The hosts suggest that the query letter is too long and that it needs to focus more on the plot and the secret that drives the story. They also suggest that the character of Josh needs more vulnerability and self-awareness.

• What is interiority and why is it important in storytelling?

  Interiority refers to the internal thoughts, feelings, and motivations of characters. It helps to create depth and complexity in characters and drive the plot forward. It's what makes books unique and engaging.

• What is the main plot of Vanessa Walters' novel "The Legos Wife"?

  The novel tells the story of Nicole, a woman who marries a wealthy Nigerian and moves to Lagos, only to disappear. The story is told through Nicole's perspective and the perspective of her aunt, who travels from the UK to try to find her. The novel explores the mystery of Nicole's disappearance, family trauma, and cultural differences.

• What advice does Vanessa Walters give to aspiring authors?

  Walters encourages aspiring authors to trust their instincts and write what they're passionate about. She also emphasizes the importance of taking their work seriously and being proud of what they create. She reminds authors that they can't control whether they get a book deal or an agent, but they can control how they spend their time and what they create.

• What is the Niger wife experience?

  The Niger wife experience refers to the experiences of foreign wives of Nigerian men who live in Nigeria. It can be challenging and complex, involving navigating a new culture and society, dealing with cultural differences, and finding one's place in a new environment.

• Why did Vanessa Walters change the title of her book from "The Niger Wife" to "The Legos Wife"?

  The UK publisher felt that the title "The Legos Wife" would be more familiar to UK readers, as Lagos, Nigeria, was a former British colony. The US publisher then decided to adopt the title and cover of the UK edition.

• What is the significance of the dual timeline and dual POV in "The Legos Wife"?

  The dual timeline and dual POV allow the reader to see the story from multiple perspectives, providing a more complete understanding of the characters and their motivations. It also allows the author to explore the themes of family trauma, cultural differences, and the Niger wife experience in a more nuanced way.

• What is the significance of Nicole's experience of motherhood in "The Legos Wife"?

  Nicole's experience of motherhood highlights the complexities of motherhood in a patriarchal society, where women are often expected to conform to traditional roles and expectations. The novel explores the challenges of finding one's identity as a mother in a new culture and society.

• What is the difference between social climbing and fortune seeking?

  Social climbing is the act of moving up in social status or hierarchy, often through ambition, networking, and strategic relationships. Fortune seeking is the pursuit of wealth and financial success, often in a new or unfamiliar place. The novel "The Legos Wife" explores the dynamics of both social climbing and fortune seeking in Lagos, Nigeria.

• What is the importance of community for writers?

  Vanessa Walters emphasizes the importance of community for writers, stating that writing is solitary but writers don't have to be solitary. She encourages writers to find and enjoy the writing community, which can provide support, feedback, and motivation.

Show Notes