When Reality TV Meets Cli-Fi: Hooks, Depth, and the Dreaded Coincidence

In this episode of Books with Hooks, Carly and CeCe hold down the fort while Bianca is away—and things get delightfully silly. The duo dig into two very different query letters.

First up, a reality-TV-inspired contemporary romance about a bisexual woman who falls for siblings on a dating show. Carly and CeCe discuss the strength of the hook, the pitfalls of coincidences, and why adding depth and critique of celebrity culture can make these stories stand out. Lastly a cli-fi mystery set in the high-stakes world of Alaskan firefighting. The hosts explore why climate fiction can be a tough sell, how to strengthen a query’s climax, and why specificity in language matters. From critiques on narrative depth to playful tangents about football analogies and reality TV sadism, this episode is packed with both sharp insights and plenty of laughs.

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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