The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Comp Titles That Make Agents Go...Hmm
11 snips
Mar 26, 2026 They tear into two query letters: a jaw‑dropping horror hook involving cannibalism and a missing sister, and a dual‑timeline women’s fiction pitch. They debate trigger warnings, comp title strategy, genre labeling, and when queries spoil too much. The conversation digs into opening pages, believable character choices, voice, and how comps should include author names to build market links.
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Polished Prose Fails If Character Reasoning Is Missing
- Strong sentence-level writing isn't enough without believable character thinking and behavior.
- CeCe admired the polished prose but flagged that Billie rarely theorizes or acts like a real person, which breaks plausibility and weakens storytelling.
Make Characters Run Through Real Theories
- Do show a protagonist's internal theories and messy emotions when a big mystery is unfolding.
- CeCe recommended letting Billie run through plausible explanations (cheating, illness, etc.) to reveal character and plant curiosity seeds.
Fix Scene Timing By Adding Motivational Interiority
- Avoid placing a protagonist in scenes whose actions don't make sense without explanatory interiority.
- CeCe pointed out questions asked at odd moments (why ask in the car now?) and recommended adding context or starting elsewhere.
