Podcast Summary: The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Episode: All Things Fantasy and Romantasy
Release Date: December 5, 2024
Hosts: Bianca Marais, Carly Watters, CeCe Lyra
Guest: Sarah Hawley

Introduction

In the episode titled "All Things Fantasy and Romantasy," Bianca Marais welcomes Sarah Hawley, a seasoned author known for her works A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon and A Demon's Guide to Wooing a Witch. Sarah brings a rich background in archaeology and a passion for whimsical love stories, making her insights particularly valuable for emerging writers navigating the fantasy and romantasy genres.

Reading and Discussing the Flap Copy ([02:28] - [04:15])

Bianca begins by reading the flap copy of Sarah's latest book, Servant of Earth. The story centers on Kenna Heron, a fierce young woman forced into servitude in a cruel Fae court. With the help of a sentient dagger, Kenna faces six deadly magical trials, each representing a different branch of magic. The narrative promises high stakes, rebellion against a sadistic fairy king, and a blossoming romance with the rebellion's leader.

Bianca's Analysis:
Bianca praises the flap copy for effectively establishing high stakes without delving excessively into world-building, a common pitfall in fantasy queries. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on the main character and what's at stake, stating:

"On the podcast we are always talking about high stakes, high stakes. And you can see in this copy how Sarah has established that." ([02:28])

The Journey of Writing and Query Letters ([04:45] - [08:21])

Sarah reveals that the flap copy closely mirrors her original query letter for Servant of Earth. Contrary to Bianca's assumption that Sarah bypassed the query process due to her previous success, Sarah explains that her initial romantasy manuscript was "trunked" because it wasn't the right time for a new adult Fae romantasy story in the market. This setback led her to pivot towards writing witchy rom coms before revisiting her earlier romantasy work.

Sarah's Insights on Query Letters:
Sarah offers practical advice for crafting effective query letters in the fantasy genre:

"Everything, a query letter has to be character focused. First you have to figure out who is the character, what do they want, what is standing in the way of them getting what they want and what's at stake." ([06:23])

She highlights the necessity of balancing character focus with enough world-building elements to intrigue agents and readers. Sarah also recommends valuable resources for writers:

• Query Shark: Known for its extensive archives and workshopping capabilities.
• Pub Tips Subreddit: A community for query letter feedback and discussion.
• Query Tracker: A tool for managing submissions.

"Yeah, I mean, I love Query Shark... [and] the Pub Tips subreddit where they do query letter workshopping." ([07:52])

Defining Romantasy vs. Paranormal Romance ([08:21] - [14:58])

The conversation shifts to defining the often-confused genres of romantasy and paranormal romance. Bianca seeks clarity on what distinguishes romantasy from traditional paranormal romance.

Sarah's Definition:
Sarah proposes that the key difference lies in the order and emphasis of the genres:

• Romantasy (Romantic Fantasy):

  • Primary Genre: Fantasy
  • Secondary Element: Romance
  • Example: Servant of Earth focuses on the heroine's journey with romance as a subplot.

• Paranormal Romance (or Fantasy Rom Com):

  • Primary Genre: Romance
  • Secondary Element: Fantasy
  • Example: Glimmer Falls is a romance novel first and foremost, with fantasy elements supporting the romantic arc.

"I say that what matters is the word order. So a romantic fantasy, which is what I would think of as a romantasy, the fantasy is the main genre and then the romance would be the subplot or the secondary element." ([09:03])

Publishing Challenges:
Sarah expresses concerns about how publishers categorize books, noting that while Servant of Earth is labeled as romantasy by the publisher, she feels it aligns more with fantasy due to its strong plot focus.

"But some of the other authors thought that to call it a romantasy, the plot cannot stand alone if the romance were removed or changed to another kind of relationship." ([10:30])

Bianca shares her own experiences with genre misclassification, emphasizing the importance of staying true to one’s vision despite external categorizations.

Plotting a Series and Maintaining Momentum ([15:25] - [27:58])

Sarah discusses the challenges of plotting a series, especially after the initial setback with her first romantasy book. She explains that she wrote synopses for subsequent books but hesitated to dive into drafting due to uncertainties about the market and potential editorial changes.

Challenges in Series Writing:

• Balancing character-driven narratives with overarching plot structures.
• Adapting to changes that may arise from editorial feedback.
• Maintaining cohesive world-building across multiple installments.

Developing the Sequel:
Sarah recounts her experience writing the second book in her fantasy series, highlighting the difficulties of continuing the story without a detailed outline.

"Pantsing the second novel of a fantasy series was not great. It was not a good experience." ([17:50])

She stresses the importance of finding a writing process that accommodates discovery while providing enough structure to maintain narrative coherence.

"Everyone's got such a different process. There's some people who write out of order... but just completely random order." ([20:49])

World Building Techniques ([22:36] - [27:58])

The discussion moves to world building, a crucial aspect of fantasy writing. Bianca lauds Sarah's intricate and lush world-building in Servant of Earth, noting the detailed hierarchies, house structures, and magical systems.

Sarah's Approach to World Building:

• Pre-Writing Research:
  Sarah prepares foundational elements before drafting, ensuring balance and consistency among different magical houses.

  "I put a lot of thought into that before I started drafting this one because I didn't want anyone to be overpowered compared to the others." ([22:36])

• Discovery Writing:
  While the broad structure is planned, many details are discovered during the drafting process. This allows for organic growth of the world based on character interactions and plot developments.

  "A lot of it, even in the world building, is discovery. Drafting." ([22:36])

• Avoiding Over-Preparation:
  Sarah cautions against over-preparing every minute detail, as it can impede the drafting process and lead to an overwhelming "encyclopedia" of world facts without a progressing narrative.

  "I don't like losing momentum like that." ([22:36])

Character Development and Skill Integration ([24:12] - [28:45])

Bianca and Sarah delve into how to organically integrate character skills into the narrative without resorting to sudden, implausible talent showcases.

Sarah's Strategy:

• Character-Specific Skills:
  Sarah ensures that characters possess skills relevant to their backstories and experiences. For instance, Kenna Heron's ability to navigate a labyrinth stems from her extensive experience tracing paths through a bog.

  "Her original base skill is that she spent a great deal of time just tracing and retracing paths through this bog." ([25:16])

• Gradual Skill Development:
  Instead of characters being adept at everything from the start, Sarah emphasizes realistic growth and training, preventing characters from becoming overly competent abruptly.

  "She's very scrappy and very tenacious, but it's not going to win all the battles for her." ([25:16])

Character-Driven Plot:
The narrative is propelled by characters making meaningful choices, even when under external pressures or oppressive regimes, ensuring that character agency remains central.

"Their choices still have to propel the plot somehow." ([27:58])

Incorporating Political Themes ([28:45] - [33:43])

Sarah discusses how real-world political climates influence her writing, particularly in the context of tyranny and rebellion within her stories.

Reflecting Real-World Issues:

• Post-Election Context:
  Writing during tumultuous political times, Sarah naturally incorporated themes of oppression and resistance, even if unintentionally, to explore feelings of powerlessness and the desire for change.

  "Fantasy allows you a way to explore the dystopia... it's gratifying seeing a human woman with nothing going for her, try and rise up against impossible odds." ([29:26])

• Processing Political Events:
  Events like the Dobbs decision influenced Sarah’s portrayal of oppressive regimes and the resilience of her characters, blending light-hearted narratives with serious undertones.

  "A Demon's Guide to Wooing a Witch... was me processing a lot of those feelings." ([32:02])

Art as Political Expression:
Sarah asserts that separating politics from art is impossible, as writers inherently infuse their experiences and beliefs into their work.

"I don't think you can separate the political from the art." ([32:02])

Closing Remarks

Bianca encourages listeners who may feel overwhelmed or disheartened by the writing process, emphasizing resilience and passion. She thanks Sarah for her valuable insights and informs listeners about supporting Sarah's books through their affiliate page. The episode concludes with reminders to engage with the podcast's resources and subscribe for more content.

Notable Quotes

• Bianca Marais ([02:28]):
  "On the podcast we are always talking about high stakes, high stakes. And you can see in this copy how Sarah has established that."

• Sarah Hawley ([06:23]):
  "Everything, a query letter has to be character focused... what do they want, what is standing in the way of them getting what they want and what's at stake."

• Sarah Hawley ([09:03]):
  "A romantic fantasy... the fantasy is the main genre and then the romance would be the subplot or the secondary element."

• Bianca Marais ([14:03]):
  "Know your genre, know where it's going to be on the bookshelf. But sometimes your publisher is going to do what your publisher is going to do."

• Sarah Hawley ([25:16]):
  "She spent a great deal of time just tracing and retracing paths through this bog and keeping a map of it in her head."

• Sarah Hawley ([29:26]):
  "Fantasy allows you a way to explore the dystopia... it's gratifying seeing a human woman with nothing going for her, try and rise up against impossible odds."

Conclusion

This episode provides a deep dive into the intricacies of writing within the fantasy and romantasy genres, offering practical advice on query letters, genre definitions, plotting series, world-building, and weaving in political themes. Sarah Hawley's experiences and strategies serve as a valuable guide for emerging writers seeking to navigate and excel in these captivating literary realms.