Podcast Summary: The Shit No One Tells You About Writing

Episode: "The Mechanics of Great Storytelling"

Date: January 15, 2026

Host: Bianca Marais, with co-hosts Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra
Guests: Simone St. James (author), Isabel Engel (author)

Episode Overview

This episode centers on the mechanics behind great storytelling. Host Bianca Marais, along with literary agents Carly Watters and CeCe Lyra, dive deep with authors Simone St. James (“A Box Full of Darkness”) and Isabel Engel (“Most Eligible”). Discussions explore intentional storytelling choices, revision processes, balancing humor and darkness, genre-blending, the writer’s publishing journey, and invaluable writing craft tips for emerging writers.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Interview with Simone St. James (00:58–31:02)

Setting, Intentionality, and Craft Choices

• Returning to Fell, New York:
  Simone discusses why she chose to return to the setting of her earlier novel “The Sundown Motel” for “A Box Full of Darkness.”
  • "The town itself just clicked... Everything just snowballed. It added another layer." (03:13)
• Era and Timelines:
  The 1989 setting sits chronologically after murders described in “The Sundown Motel.” Simone prefers writing pre-internet for its narrative constraints.
  • “I don't want to write about people Googling things... I really like going just back far enough into the past." (06:04)
• Use of Single vs. Multi-Timeline:
  Simone intentionally avoided writing direct past timelines to keep events filtered through the memories of traumatized siblings, introducing subjectivity and unreliable narration.
  • "If I put an actual chapter in their past timeline, it would be like telling the reader, here's definitively what happened... I wanted everything to be seen through the lens of these people looking back." (10:29)

Research, Psychic Themes, and Atmospheric Choices

• Infusing Realistic Paranormal Elements:
  Even with UFO conspiracies and ghost phenomena, Simone pursued depth and empathy in her character’s beliefs.
  • “I didn't want to treat it like a joke... Some people do this because they’re trying to solve... deep and painful questions.” (12:09)
• Crafting Claustrophobia:
  The limited point-of-view and generational trauma in the siblings’ dynamic create a psychological intensity.
  • “You took us so close into those POVs... it did feel claustrophobic.” (14:10)

Story Mechanics—Curiosity, Revision, and Inciting Incidents

• Planting Curiosity Seeds vs. Over-Explaining:
  Simone’s approach: Let her own unanswered questions as a writer serve as “story questions” for the reader, and revise for optimal pacing.
  • “My books get revised a lot... You are never reading my first draft... You have my permission to write terrible first drafts.” (15:49)
• Collaborative Revision & Trusting Your Gut:
  Both writers and beta readers play a crucial role; trusting feedback is vital.
  • “Trusting your gut, if you feel insecure about it and feel it’s not working, other people are going to pick up on it as well.” (19:21)
• Escalating Stakes and Multipurpose Scenes:
  Every scene must serve more than one function: character, plot, tension, setting.
  • “Every scene has to have more than one purpose... If I have a scene that really isn’t working, I just cut it.” (27:07, 29:44)

Characterization, Genre, and Tension Balancing

• Humor and Sibling Relationships:
  Humor offsets darkness; sibling banter was both natural and intentional.
  • “That was just part of it... The subject matter is so dark, I want to alleviate some of that darkness with a bit of wit.” (21:39)
• Genre Talk:
  Her books blend supernatural suspense, gothic, and psychological elements, rarely fitting neatly into “horror.”

Memorable Quote:
“You are never reading my first draft. Not even close... You as a writer have my permission to write terrible first drafts.” — Simone St. James (17:18)

2. Interview with Isabel Engel (35:01–62:34)

Publishing Journey: Persistence and Mentorship

• Multiple Manuscripts, Many Rejections:
  Isabel candidly recounts writing several novels, facing “over a hundred” rejections, and learning from each attempt.
  • “I had the experience of sending my work to agents... all my emails were going out into the void.” (39:24)
• Turning Points & Smooch Pit Mentorship:
  Mentorship and contest programs provided constructive feedback and led to major revisions that shaped her debut.
  • “[Smooch Pit] is a wonderful program... I feel so lucky to be a mentor now, which has been really exciting and another fun full circle moment.” (44:42)
• Revising with Feedback:
  Isabel highlights the importance of being open to criticism and not resisting suggested changes.
  • “A lot of writers say they just want feedback, but then explain why you’re wrong... Hats off to you for doing that.” (46:50)

Storytelling, Structure, and Research

• Genre & Narrative Structure:
  “Most Eligible” combines romance tropes with behind-the-scenes reality TV drama, drawing on actual bachelor franchise research and interviews with former contestants.
  • “I listened to a ton of podcasts with former contestants... spoke to a few former contestants... it was just so kind of them.” (50:50)
• Integrating ‘Extras’:
  Isabel included interstitial book-within-a-book quotes and video transcripts to enrich the narrative.
  • “Those are very loosely based on a real book... I had a little document going where if I had an idea for something like that, I would put it down.” (54:26)
• Developing Voice & Side Characters:
  Her earlier “quieter” novels taught her to amp up tension, multiple antagonists, and let her humor shine—ultimately trusting her unique voice.
  • “I think I really found my groove writing this book and… trusted my voice because I felt like I really knew what the book was.” (60:18)

Encouragement, Community, and Final Advice

• Getting Comfortable with Revision:
  Both Simone and Isabel emphasize extensive revision and the importance of community, mentorship, and resilience.
• Community Resources:
  Both guests recommend mentorship programs, beta readers, and embracing “the mess” of early drafts.

Memorable Quote:
“No matter how many amazing and supportive people there are... you’re the one driving your journey forward.” — Isabel Engel (39:24)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “If I put an actual chapter in their past timeline... I wanted everything to be seen through the lens of these people looking back and going, did that happen?” — Simone St. James (10:29)
• “You are never reading my first draft. Not even close... You as a writer have my permission to write terrible first drafts.” — Simone St. James (17:18)
• “That was just part of it... I want to alleviate some of that darkness with a bit of wit... I don't want any of my books to be just an unrelentingly dark experience.” — Simone St. James (21:39)
• “No matter how many amazing and supportive people there are... you’re the one driving your journey forward.” — Isabel Engel (39:24)
• “It has to constantly be evolving... a book comes alive in the constant rewriting.” — Bianca Marais (44:04)
• “Make the producer worse, like make her more evil. And so I did. So she's more evil now than she was before.” — Isabel Engel (58:15)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Simone St. James interview start: 01:24

• Returning to Fell, story genesis: 03:13

• Setting, era discussion: 06:04–09:42

• Intentionality and timeline choices: 09:56–11:35

• Paranormal research and character empathy: 12:09

• Curiosity seeds and revision process: 15:49–19:21

• Scene function and tension escalation: 27:07–29:44

• Simone interview ends: 31:02

• Isabel Engel intro and journey: 35:01

• Querying and Smooch Pit experience: 39:24–44:42

• Mentorship, revision cycles: 44:50–47:24

• Researching reality TV: 49:57–53:54

• Constructing the book-within-a-book: 54:26

• Antagonists, side characters, and humor: 57:30–61:35

• Isabel interview ends: 62:34

Takeaways for Emerging Writers

• Intentional Decisions: Choose your settings, timelines, and structure with clear reasons.
• Revision is Key: Don’t be afraid to “write bad first drafts” and lean into major rewriting.
• Community Matters: Seek out mentorships, critique groups, and beta readers.
• Embrace Your Voice: Let your unique style and strengths come through—don’t mute your humor or wit.
• Persistence Pays Off: Publication is often a story of resilience through rejection and learning.

For listeners who haven’t tuned in, this episode offers a masterclass in the nuts and bolts of potent storytelling, delivered in an honest, encouraging, and practical tone—with plenty of laughs and hard truths along the way.