Winding Up for the Pitch!

There are different lengths of pitches, but in any kind, the three key elements of pitching your novel is to be 1) Clear, 2) Concise, and 3) Compelling. 

Verbal vs. Written Pitching

Verbal is great for conventions! BUT can be easy to mess up.

Written is nice to help you be prepared, BUT can have a rehearsed feel to it.

Pitching should be good read aloud, like when you're @ the bookstore talking about it. 

You are going to love your book more than anyone! You will be a great person to tell about your book because your excitement can be contagious. However, if it's not well-pitched, or give too much/little away, you could lose a reader. 

Something an agent or publisher might want is for you to 'tell them why you love your book.'

We all know that when we are pitching, they are also seeing what kind of person we are to know if we are the right fit for them to work with.

It's hard to not take it personally when they say 'no', and it could actually be a blessing! 

THE HARD PART is not thinking about all these things when you actually pitching. 

Take a deep breath and let your personality shine!

It would also do well to remember that the people we pitch to are REAL people. 

(DON'T be STALKERish writers!)

The longer the pitch, the more details it will have. 

Some publishers will even say that they don't necessarily ever need to know names. 

Key things to include:

Character

Conflict

Consequence

(and maybe even a little)

Comparison

(Dr. who meets... market comparisons, for example)

You don't want to have any frills and/or gimmicks, you just want to show that your idea is 'out of the box.'  However, Do Not mistake mystery for clarity. 

With a pitch or tag - your goal is to have an emotional hook; and they're usually verbal. (In person is powerful.) Some publishers will as for you to tell them about your story in one sentence.

A Querry - don't tell the ending, but tell consequences

and then in a Synopsis - you'll tell the ending. 

Having more than one pitch could be a great way to test the waters and to reach different audiences. 

Testing your pitch out is a great way to find out what works. 

I can pretty much guarantee that as soon as you tell someone that you're a writer, they're going to want to know what you're writing about.

"Tell me about your novel!"

... And then do it.

It Was the Best of Books, It Was the Worst of Books...

You become a little bipolar as a writer, I think.

Hello, I'm Jennadee, and I'm Addicted to Writing...

Though we have to write,

we must be aware that there is more to life than writing.

Be cautious

so that there is a time to write

and a time to live.

(aka: not write.)

*having strong flashbacks to the movie Hook with Robin Williams...*

Got Researching-Maddness Much?

Italy, sun flares, jewelry...
We all need it. Research, that is.
I get on the internet for my hour of writing in the morning and before I know it.. it's time for breakfast! (Mom, make us some breakfast!) Argh.

I didn't realize, until recently, the real reason I put my kids in extra curricular activities... so I can write without being distracted by the internet!

I got out my laptop, started writing, and thought, 'Oh, I need to research this.'
Surprise! I awkwardly remembered that there was no internet while I sat on the grass at the building the kids were in. Or in the car that was parked in the lot outside the dance studio.

So, I just wrote. It took a little bit to get started, and then it flowed like a dream.
it's slow a little, then flow a ton.

Sometimes it would flow like Niagara Falls! -- So fast that I'd have to bullet the scene playing over in my head so that I wouldn't forget key details.

I had to remind myself that I could go back and flesh out the paragraphs afterward - when inspiration had slowed down again.

Thank goodness for those slow time! (I never thought I'd hear myself say that. Ever.)

Also, I am constantly asking questions like, 'What's a word that sounds like weary but doesn't mean tired? More like nervous or scared.' To which my dear hubby or friend would reply, 'Oh, you mean leery.' (They don't know I'm secretly preparing them for Jeopardy... wink wink!)

*Sigh.* When I can't come up with the right word, I highlight the word in red. Then when I have time (and others are more willing to help me), I can seek their help.

(Note: a Thesaurus can only do so much, my friends...)

(Me this week)

Soul Music

I am totally channeling some theme music for my novel.

No Air - Jordin Sparks
Battlefield - Jordin Sparks
Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield
Say Something - A Great Big World, Christina Aguilera
Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran
Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
Demons - Imagine Dragons
Love Somebody - Maroon 5
Behind These Hazel Eyes - Kelly Clarkson
Am I Wrong - Nico & Vinz


Sometimes it helps me to get into the mood. And battle scene music can be motivating as well.

If you try 8tracks.com, my favorite is Let the Battle Begin. I used it a lot for D&D nights. "Roll for initiative..."

Find your muse. Just don't let it keep you from your writing.  Remember to write, writer.

-- Jennadee

Powerful Paragraphs.

Maybe I struggle with long paragraphs. Just because I like YA and Juvenile fiction doesn't mean there aren't any long paragraphs in them. What I'm saying is that any paragraph, despite its length, should keep the reader engaged and able to follow the story.

When I read my work or critique others', I check paragraphs when I start to get lost.  Paragraphs can help group thoughts and keep things flowing for the readers.

Comma Coma

I love commas, commas, commas. However, I like to use them correctly.  I might get a little comma happy, but it's just to make sure that my reader knows where I'm pausing in my head as I write.

So, as I write and critique others' work, I try to make sure that commas are correct.
This might help and be a good reference.
(But there was one I didn't see on it...
He grunted, letting the fork clatter on the plate. 
... Just incase you were wondering.

--Jennadee