What's in your boneyard? This week we're talking about shelf novels, not-ready-for-primetime attempts, and all those beautiful disasters collecting dust in your Scrivener files. Join us as we confess to our abandoned manuscripts (Kirk's got a fantasy novel about Irish legends, Meagan's got EIGHT BOOKS in something called "the Melaverse"), discuss why sometimes quitters CAN be winners, and consider whether some books only exist to teach you how to write the next one. (Hmmmm, maybe??)

PLUS Hot Goss: authors should be allowed to talk about their rejection letters in public as long as they're not being dickish when spilling tea, more on the power dynamics between writers and agents, and why the algorithm on Threads will absolutely make you the main character when you least expect it so, uh, don't be a dick?

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @[email protected].

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BadLitFriends

Website: badlitfriends.com

Show notes:

The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast (yes, yes, we know we bungled the name of an amazing podcast that we both listen to so you think we'd know better but NO): https://www.theshitaboutwriting.com/

In this episode, we read some iconic opening lines, from timeless classics to modern favorites (we got you covered too, indies!), and why those first few words have so much pressure to be brilliant (nbd right?).

We also give some well-deserved attention to epistolary novels and at least try to make the case for reading more broadly, even when it means stepping out of your comfort zone. We’re here to celebrate great writing, side-eye lazy tropes, and remind everyone that books are better when they surprise you.

In hot goss, we talk about why empathy might just be literature’s greatest superpower.

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @[email protected].

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BadLitFriends

Website: badlitfriends.com

Show notes:

Pride and Prejudice: https://bookshop.org/p/books/pride-and-prejudice-jane-austen/d037d070de87e54f
Bleak House: https://bookshop.org/p/books/bleak-house-charles-dickens/0a8f64b370463d43
Maeve Fly: https://bookshop.org/p/books/maeve-fly-cj-leede/96a041c5c9a4bca4
Crazy Rich Asians: https://bookshop.org/p/books/crazy-rich-asians-movie-tie-in-edition-kevin-kwan/f0c74f97854adae8
The Midnight Dolls: https://a.co/d/05U56oDk
Dear Committee Members: https://villagewell.com/item/ERwtpK2h44AEywicI58rtg
READ MORE DIVERSELY!!! https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUJqpOWEvzh/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

After Meagan's car tries to murder her (and she still shows up to record because some people have PRIORITIES), we tackle something actually positive for once: the writing community! Well, we try to stay positive. This week we're exploring what writing communities are, why they matter, and how they keep us from feeling like dysfunctional, self-hating chaos goblins screaming "MUST WRITE MORE" into the deep, dark night. (See? Positive!)

As Kirk tries to enforce the promise that we're going to keep this episode upbeat, we talk about the benefits, practical and otherwise, of communities: feedback, accountability, emotional support, and not feeling so effing alone in a solitary pursuit. Plus we dive into When Communities Go Wrong: toxic positivity, gatekeeping (not again!), jealousy of others who are doing nothing wrong except ummmmm succeeding when we're not, and the particularly vile corners of social media that engender all this grossness. It's mostly cheery! Mostly!

Plus in Hot Goss: More publishers behaving badly! Who'da thunk it?? Red Ogre Review's proudly not backing down from some hellacious submission terms that read like a stick-em-up, and Harper's Bazaar is doing the EXACT SAME THING they got called out for in 2019: making you assign them some rights when you submit that nobody should want to. (But some people will; selling your soul never goes out of style.) Also, just when you thought this podcast was marked safe from contract interpretation, we break down why trusting someone who says "I'm a nice guy who would never enforce this garbage term" maybe isn't such a great idea.

Also Victoria Strauss of Writer Beware is now following Meagan on Bluesky and Meagan's being completely normal about it.

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @[email protected].

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BadLitFriends

Website: badlitfriends.com

Show notes:

Red Ogre Review brouhaha:

https://bsky.app/profile/j-tkelly.bsky.social/post/3me2qrh5odk2t

https://bsky.app/profile/victoriastrauss.com/post/3me2vhydn6223

Harper's Bazaar sucking all over the place: https://writerbeware.blog/2026/02/06/unhappy-returns-harpers-bazaar-short-story-contest-america-star-books/

In this episode, we chat about our own writing journeys: what went wrong, what went right, and what we really wish we’d known back in the day. We talk discipline (no, not that discipline, get your mind out of the gutter--or don't, we're not your boss), luck and timing, and whether writers actually have to be on social media or if we can all just, like, not.

Along the way, we swap stories about building an online presence, finding (and leaning on) a writing community, and riding the emotional roller coaster that comes with putting our work into the world.

On hot gos, we explore everything ever that is wrong with romance. (no, we don't)

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @[email protected].

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BadLitFriends

Website: badlitfriends.com

Show notes:

The video mentioned in our hot gos segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TReLoQAfrYQ

Thank you, Christy, for your delightful comment!

Rejection letters: they suck! But also they're not the end of the world! (Trust us, we've been there. Repeatedly.) Join us for a loosey-goosey conversation about what you can learn from form and personalized rejections from literary agents, the agony of being ghosted, and why your "dream agent" might not actually be your dream agent at all. Kirk shares war stories from 200+ queries, Meagan credits her law degrees for her cold dead heart, and we debate whether the worst icon on QueryTracker is that red frowny face (yes).

PLUS Hot Goss about an agent who accused a writer of using AI and shared their manuscript with colleagues to gossip about it (!!!). Do we have to tap the "unless there's an literal prompt left in the text, maybe don't accuse a writer of using AI if you don't know better" sign again? Because between us we have twenty fingers. We can keep tapping.

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @[email protected].

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BadLitFriends

Website: badlitfriends.com

Show notes:

Rejection letter drama on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/PubTips/comments/1qjhidt/discussion_very_strange_response_from_an_agent/

Reddit post about whether Mia Ballard's Shy Girl was written by AI: https://www.reddit.com/r/horrorlit/comments/1q8so32/shy_girl_by_mia_ballard_does_anyone_else_think/

In this episode, we dive into the oft-dreaded topic of comparison titles, or 'comps,' which are essential for writers looking to query agents. We talk about the importance of comps in understanding market placement and how they can help writers articulate their book's unique qualities. We also discuss finding appropriate comps, the pitfalls of choosing titles that are either too obscure or too popular, and the nuances of crafting a compelling query letter that includes these comparisons.

In Hot Goss, we opine on the very real and true meaning of friendship: buy my book, or you're dead to me.

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @[email protected].

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

Website: badlitfriends.com

We’re back for Season Two, huzzah! And we’re literally starting at the beginning. Also figuratively.

This time around, we dig into why first pages matter so much, and how they so often go sideways. We talk genre expectations, the great prologue debate, and what actually hooks readers (and agents) from page one. Along the way, we share hard-earned lessons, favorite examples from popular books, and practical tips for handling backstory, recycling cut material, and finding solid comp titles.

If you’ve ever stared at your opening chapter and wondered “is this working?”, this one’s for you.

AND! Hot gos! We get into a recent TikTok literary-agent controversy and how very dare them. (Note: The agent in question has since apologized. We recorded this before the apology, but we were happy to see it.)

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @[email protected].

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

Website: badlitfriends.com

SHOW NOTES:

https://www.threads.com/@sam_evans_writer/post/DTLI1zxDr-c?xmt=AQF01R3hOo-jWVjeCoNdYE57ZY0YqfYJVlXulhjiuFvpOFOOxkzc6lCFHmBScGk4hGMtyHo&slof=1

https://www.tiktok.com/@kelly.j.jones19/video/7592298629696670998?_r=1&_t=ZP-92sMcQXqMXP 

https://www.reddit.com/r/PubTips/comments/1q8p74o/discussion_what_are_your_thoughts_on_agents/?share_id=6f_NKJqCbHvGFkEPNeYqD&utm_content=1&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_source=share&utm_term=17

BAD LIT FRIENDS FIRST ANNUAL HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA!!!

We were going to take the week off, but then a publisher was VERY WRONG on the internetz and… well. Surprise! Consider this a late holiday season present from Kirk and Meagan because who doesn’t like a little bit of legal analysis while they eat their weight in Danish butter cookies?

This episode is all Hot Goss, Contract Law Edition as we dig into the Shadowlight Press litRPG contract that’s been circulating online, why it’s so monumentally appalling, why publishers shouldn’t include Rickrolls on their websites, and what this contract can teach you about reading publishing agreements before you sign anything. We also talk litRPG as a genre, Shadowlight’s not-so-great public response to the kerfuffle, and the bigger takeaway: if a contract makes you feel like you’re being seduced into an author’s penal colony, maybe don’t do that.

Listener note: no episode on January 9th so we can have a tiny rest. We’re back on January 16, 2026 with Season Two (wut) of BAD LIT FRIENDS.

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We’re glad you’re here, even if none of us know what we’re doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @badlitfriends.bsky.social

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

Website: badlitfriends.com

SHOW NOTES:

Writer Beware, “Why These Contract Clauses Are Scary”: https://writerbeware.blog/2025/12/19/why-these-contract-clauses-are-scary/

Reddit post in r/ProgressionFantasy, “PSA: Shadow Light Press Contract” (12/16/25): https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgressionFantasy/comments/1poe338/psa_shadow_light_press_contract/

Follow up Reddit post by Shadow Light Press in r/ProgressionFantasy, “Shadow Light Press - Update” (12/19/25): https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgressionFantasy/comments/1pppp7l/shadow_light_press_update/

Editorial Freelancers’ Association’s Editorial Rates: https://www.the-efa.org/rates/

Author’s Guild Contract Review (I know I said Writer’s Guild!): https://authorsguild.org/legal-services/contract-reviews/

EPISODE 20! We made it even though we still barely know what we’re doing. This week we’re roasting literary tropes like chestnuts in the fire. Join us as we rate enemies-to-lovers, chosen ones (spoiler: thank u, next), ticking clocks and much, much more on a scale that’s completely inconsistent! Also, Meagan gets weirdly deep about property law and Kirk insists the romance genre needs more corpses. PLUS Hot Goss about yet another AI feature that literally nobody asked for unless their last name is Bezos.

Content warning (24:25-24:35): passing reference to slash fic involving the 27th and 30th U.S. presidents that seriously the world probably never needed to know about. I mean, hey, maybe it is your bag, so no judgment and you might want to fast forward right to this part. Just listen to the rest of it, okay?

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We're glad you're here, even if none of us know what we're doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @badlitfriends.bsky.social

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

Website: https://www.badlitfriends.com/

In this episode, we’re chatting with indie author Jessica Lunt about her writing journey and her debut novella, The Witch Hunter’s Wife. We talk about what it’s really like to write historical fiction, from research and routines to tackling big themes like marriage, social expectations, and pregnancy loss. Jessica also shares how she balances writing with life as a mom of four, and what the indie publishing world looks like from the inside. We dive into everything from audiobooks and marketing to handling rejection, finding community, and what she’s working on next. Jessica also imparts advice for writers trying to find their way in indie publishing.

Welcome to Bad Lit Friends. We're glad you're here, even if none of us know what we're doing.

Bad Lit Friends was created and is hosted by Meagan Thompson-Mann and Kirk Rafferty.

Show email: [email protected]

Bluesky: @badlitfriends.bsky.social

Threads: @badlitfriends

Instagram: @badlitfriends

Website: https://badlitfriends.com

Show notes:

Content warning: we discuss pregnancy loss between 00:27:00 and 00:31:00.

Jessica's website where you can signup for her newsletter: https://www.jessicalunt.com/

You can buy Jessica's newest novella, The Witch Hunter's Wife at Amazon, your local bookstore, or through your local library.