The Shit No One Tells You About Writing How to Make Agents Curious While Also Impressing Them With Your Line Level Writing
Feb 12, 2026
Sarah Miller-Adams, a playwright-turned-novelist from Alabama, brings her upmarket literary manuscript Bilateral Breathing. The conversation covers her striking voice, multi-POV challenges, title and market positioning, and how to sharpen plot clarity, stakes, and openings. Practical critique on query and opening pages keeps the focus on making agents curious while showcasing line-level craft.
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Psychological Acuity Explains Why Stories Stick
- CeCe defines psychological acuity as interiority that explains why plot matters and gives a book staying power.
- She argues breakout books couple plot with deep interior processing to create meaning and longevity.
Make Multi‑POV Queries Show One Unifying Thread
- Carly advises queries for multi-POV novels must show why the POVs belong together rather than listing separate backstories.
- She recommends opening with the event or reason that unites the characters to increase curiosity.
Label Precisely And Show, Don't Describe Your Prose
- CeCe tells authors to pick one market label (literary or upmarket) and avoid promising writing style in the query.
- She urges queries to use specific present-tense plot details tied to protagonists, not broad internal descriptions.
