Three Two One Pitch Contest

Attention writers! Have you been working hard on the next great novel? Is your manuscript ready to pitch to an agent? Well, you're in luck, because I'm holding a pitch contest right here on the blog June 7th! What exactly does this contest entail? Well, it's a Three-Two-One pitch contest.

THREE - Pitch your story in only three sentences. 


TWO - Two days to enter: June 7th and 8th.


ONE - One agent will judge and pick a winner.

Doesn't that sound great? Well then get those pitches ready!


Do not enter your pitch on this post. I will make an official contest entry post on June 7th, and entrants will post their three-sentence pitches (no run on sentences - this agent is a stickler for grammar!) in the comments section of that post. At midnight on June 8th, I will turn off comments and no other entries will be accepted. The winner will get a full manuscript request!

I will announce our spectacular judging agent sometime prior to the contest, so keep an eye out!

This contest is open to unagented, completed and polished manuscripts in the genres of:

• MG
• YA
• Contemporary, Paranormal, or Historical Romance
• Upmarket Women's Fiction
• Sci-Fi and Fantasy
• Thrillers and Darker Contemporary Fiction

To be eligible, you must:

• Follow this blog - go ahead and click "Join this Site" on the right if you haven't already
• Follow me on Twitter
• Spread the word! Tweet, Blog, or mention on Facebook about the contest linking back to this post

Not necessary, but in the spirit of paying it forward:

• Friend me on Goodreads
• Like my Facebook Author Page

So, don't forget: Three sentences, two days to enter, one agent will judge. Good luck, everyone. Can't wait to read all your pitches. See you back here on the 7th of June!

In Between Days

Most aspiring writers I've come into contact with have many coals on the fire. I'm talking about manuscripts and WIP's, of course. Either they have multiple works-in-progress, or a finished manuscript and one or more WIP's, or more than one finished manuscript and a WIP or two to boot. This is, as far as I'm concerned, normal writer behavior.

But how do you get into the right mind-set when you've got multiple projects?

What do I mean by mind-set? When I work on a story, I try to really get to know the characters. I get involved with what's happening to them. I invest myself in their lives. And when I'm finished with that story, although it's still with me, I have to let it go a little in order to move on to the next story. Not completely, of course, but enough that I can concentrate on my next batch of characters and situations.

So let's say, for example, you're querying your finished manuscript and working on one of your WIP's. Now what happens when you get agent feedback for that finished manuscript and you decide to make appropriate changes. How do you switch mind-sets from one story to the other?

You tell me. Do you find it easy to keep all your characters in check? Do you stop working on a new project for a while when you're faced with feedback on a project you're currently pitching? Or are you an expert at juggling these things in your mind? And most importantly, how do you keep from going crazy in the process?

Interview with Jordan Tohline

Happy Monday, everyone! Today we're talking with a very interesting aspiring writer by the name of Jordan.

Welcome, Jordan. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Ah, let's see. My name is JM (or Jordan, if you prefer), and my last name is Tohline (Tuh-lean). I've been writing for ten years. That's pretty much what I do. I write a lot. I read a lot.


It's funny, that very first time you pick up a pen or sit down at a computer and decide you're "going to write something," you don't realize how far that one decision will take you. Kind of exhilarating, no? Uh...yeah, of course, you also don't realize how rocky the road really is. You reach some scenic overlooks from time to time - places where you can stop and enjoy the view and appreciate your journey before kicking back into gear - but mostly it's a lot of work, a lot of effort, a lot of moving forward. I think part of becoming a "successful writer" is learning to appreciate all the steps necessary to get to where you want to be.


Maybe that's what I'll start telling people when they ask about me: "I'm learning to appreciate all the necessary steps." That might not make sense in most contexts, huh? Well...Oh well.

Sounds good. It makes sense to us fellow writers. What is the name and genre of your manuscript?

My current manuscript is called The Great Lenore. One would categorize it as mainstream literary fiction, but some would also categorize it as pure and utter awesomeness.


Of course, others would categorize it as a pure and utter waste of time. This is a good thing.


My goal right now (as I'm having to make some final adjustments to the manuscript) is to eliminate the middle ground who would read this manuscript and feel entirely lukewarm. I feel like, right now, there's probably 20% of readers who would love this story, 20% who would hate it, and a middle 60% who would finish reading the book and would simply move on with their life. The goal is to get that "lukewarm middle" down to about 20%, with 40% on either side feeling passionately one way or the other.

Reasonable goals. Here’s the part where you pitch it. What’s your story about?

The Great Lenore is the story of Lenore Montana, whose plane from London to Boston crashed into the Atlantic, killing every person on board.


Lenore's husband and family gathered on Nantucket Island off the coast of Massachusetts to collect the pieces of their broken lives and to mourn Lenore. A couple days later, Lenore arrived on Nantucket Island also. Very much alive.


She had left her flight just before it took off, and now she was dead on paper. And she had a chance to start over.


Before she began her new life, however, she wanted to attend her funeral. She needed to see how her two-timing husband reacted to having lost her. She needed to see how the family reacted. She needed to see how the world...

Wow, sounds intriguing. I'm sure many people have thought about spying on their own funerals. How did the idea of the story come to you?

Who knows how ideas come. Right?


For ten years, I have "wanted to be a writer." And so, for ten years, I've been constantly stumbling across story ideas.


It was funny, though - I was about halfway through the first draft of this manuscript when my dad told me about an article he had seen: A husband and wife, who had been presumed dead, were found living their dream life down in South America. My dad said, "There's a story in there somewhere, don't you think?" Uh, yeah, I told him - in fact, that's pretty much the story I'm working on right now.


It's cool, though - it's a cool concept - because it's something most people would love to explore. Attend your own funeral; start a new life; make your new life absolutely whatever you want it to be.

I understand you're between agents. Is this a difficult transition to make?

Yeah, last summer I landed a really great agent who was entirely enthusiastic about my work. She and I tweaked the manuscript a bit, and then she subbed a couple editors at major publishing houses.


Both editors had some really good things to say, but ultimately they both passed. Okay, no big deal. My agent and I made a couple more changes, and we were ready to go out to editors again. And then. She sort of. Disappeared.


After several months of disjointed correspondence, she finally apologized and let me know she was having to pull back on much of her agenting work due to some personal issues. And thus: I became an agent orphan.


About a month ago I started querying agents again, and since then I've had 15 agents request the partial or the full. But one thing you learn through this process is: This business, truly and honestly, is entirely subjective. It's also a lot of waiting. The only thing you can do in the meantime is: Keep writing. Keep writing.

You're so write ... I mean right. ; ) Do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, or do you self-edit?

One thing that scares me is: Groupthink. Groupthink always puts one in danger of doing the same thing that everyone else is doing - and since I believe that doing something *unique* and *different* should be a writer's ultimate goal, I've always avoided writer's groups and the like.


Of course (or rather, "Of course #1"), every writer is different. I know a brilliant writer up in New York who joined the MFA program at Goddard College, and it was the best thing he had ever done for his writing career - being around other writers, getting their input, feeding off their passion. And he is one of the most unique writers I know. I think there is a balance, and everyone needs to find it.


Of course and also ("Of Course #2"), no writer is infallible. Every writer needs something/someone(s) to read their early drafts and be brutally honest with them. Someone who takes no prisoners, and who (optimally) revels in hurting your feelings.

Very good points. So, what’s the hardest part of writing for you?

The hardest part of writing, for me, is remembering that a first draft is only a first draft. I'm a perfectionist, so it's sometimes difficult for me to say, "Hey, this is the first draft. Get this story down, and stop obsessing over imperfections. Just fly! Just write. You can adjust it all later."

I struggle with that too. I think I'm getting better at it though. Any tips you’ve learned about writing you’d like to share?

Tips for writers:


Write. A lot.


Read. A lot.

Can't get any clearer than that. Tell us who your inspirations are.

On the wall beside my writing desk, I have pictures of these people: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Steinbeck, Vonnegut, Plath, Salinger, Joyce, Kerouac, and Thompson. These are the writers whose lives and works inspire me the most (although, are not necessarily the writers who have influenced me the most).

Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. Tell us something special about yourself.

I have a cat whose name is The Old Man And The Sea. I call her Tomats for short. A couple years ago, my housemate and I were taking care of a pregnant stray, and she had her babies (Tomats among them) about 15 minutes after I finished writing the last sentence of the first draft of The Great Lenore. Ever since then, Tomats has helped me write (usually by sitting on my notebook or by playing with my pen while I write - not really much help at all, actually, but it's nice that she tries).

Sweet! Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Who would you like to give a shout out to?

To everyone who writes, and to everyone who reads, I love you. Without you there's no me, and without me there's no you. It's nice how that works.

Aw, how very yin-yang! And finally, where can people find you online?

I'm on Twitter @JMTohline
I also have an internet home here: www.JMTohline.com - on here, you can download and sample the first four pages of The Great Lenore.
I also write a Very Short Story every weekday right here: www.JMTohline.tumblr.com

You're a busy person! Thank you so much, Jordan, for chatting with us. It's been fun.

Dorothy, thank you for this - what a great page you have here!

Thank you! And please keep us informed of your publication progress.

Lastly, Dear Reader, thank you for this - what a great face you have(?). Thanks for sharing your time with us. Hopefully I'll see you around.

Interview with Anne Riley

Hello, everyone! As you can see, We Do Write has a brand new look, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

Today we're chatting with 26-year-old Anne Riley from Birmingham, Alabama. Anne is a high school Spanish teacher and, to use her own words, a wrangler of teenagers and unofficial adolescent counselor—comes with the job! She's married and has a cat that, according to her,  might as well be a child.

Welcome, Anne! So tell us, what is the name and genre of your manuscript?

The Clearing is a YA paranormal novel.

Let's hear your pitch.

When Natalie Watson's parents die in what appears to be a bizarre double-suicide, she is shipped from her home in Georgia to a boarding school in Maine. Her aunt is the headmistress and provides Natalie with a certain degree of comfort, but the other students are a different story. In the midst of fending off bullies and overly-charming jocks, Natalie meets Liam - in a super embarrassing way - and decides to solve the mystery of whether or not he murdered his sister the year before, like the rumors say. One night, she sees him sneaking off into the woods - and that's when she gets pulled deep into a world she never knew existed. A world that spans hundreds of years and dozens of dimensions. A world that might hold the key to solving her parents' mysterious deaths....

Ooh, intriguing! I feel like following Natalie into those woods and finding out what happens. How did the idea of the story come to you?

I've had this story in my head for years. I always thought the old "write what you know" thing was kind of boring, so instead I write what I want to read. I've always been intrigued by boarding schools and the possibilities they hold.

And you've got an agent! That's great. For those of us who don't have one yet, can you tell us if there's a way to know if an agent is the right fit?

Finding an agent is hard work! Somehow, it happened pretty quickly for me, but that was definitely a fluke. It takes a lot of research and a pretty large Excel spreadsheet to keep you from going insane. The best website out there for finding an agent is www.agentquery.com. This is the site I used. It lets you narrow down agents by the genres they represent, and it also gives you links to their websites. From there, you can see what they have sold and who they represent, and find someone who would be a good fit for you.

You've done a lot of revision for your book. Do you feel you've done all you can do to it at this point?

At this point, yes. But if a publisher buys it? Oh, I'm sure there will be more revision then. And once it's bound and on the shelves, I'll probably read through it and find things I could improve. A writer's work is never done!

Besides your agent, and suggestions for revisions by editors at publishing houses, do you have a critique partner or beta readers?

Strangely, no. I mean, not officially. Several versions of the manuscript ago, I let a couple of friends read through it and tell me their thoughts - but that was only a one time thing. The only other people who have read it are my husband, my parents, and my agent (who is the ULTIMATE critique partner!). I tend to work solo for the most part, only asking for help if I'm really stuck.

What’s the hardest part of writing that you've struggled through?

Keeping up with the changes I've made throughout the various rounds of editing. It's hard for me to remember what I said about this character ten chapters ago, and whether or not I ever resolved that one thing I said in Chapter 2... things like that. Outlines are pretty much priceless for me because my memory is useless.

My memory is useless too, so I understand how an outline can be priceless, lol. Any tips you’ve learned about writing you’d like to share?

Just practice. Start a blog, write short stories, whatever you can do. You don't get better unless you write constantly.

I totally agree. So, do you have an ideal book cover?

Fairy rings are a central part of my story (those circles of mushrooms that crop up randomly) so I think I would like to see one of those on the cover.

That sounds perfect! Tell us, who are your inspirations?

Like the rest of the world, I'm obsessed with J.K. Rowling. I also love Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games), Kate Morton (The Forgotten Garden) and Kathryn Stockett (The Help). Also, David Gray's music totally gets me in the mood. *ahem* The writing mood, I should specify.

Hehe, I'm sure we all knew what you meant. Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. Can you name three things about yourself people may not know (or maybe they do know but they are special traits/hobbies/quirks)?

1.  I love to make lists. Like this one. It's part of my organization-obsessed personality.
2.  I lived in Spain as an exchange student for six months when I was in college.
3. I often carry my passport in my purse, just in case I need to quickly leave the country. (One time, I used it for exactly that purpose. See? I'm not crazy.)

Don't worry, I think crazy is a good trait anyway. *wink* Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Who would you like to give a shout out to?

My husband, for putting up with my crazy writer self on a daily basis. My parents, for raising me in a household filled with books (and love, or whatever... j/k). My friends who have read all of, or a portion of, the manuscript and didn't tell me to burn it. And my agent, Alanna Ramirez, for being totally awesome.

And finally, where can people find you online?

Blog: www.annecapitellriley.blogspot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AnneRiley
And coming soon, a real website! www.annerileybooks.com. It's not there yet - but it won't be long!

Ooh, I'll keep an eye out for your new website! Thank you so much, Anne, for letting me interview you. I know you're in the midst of another round of submissions to publishers, so I wish you all the luck in the world. We're all crossing our fingers for you!

In The Beginning ...

Hello!

Here's the deal. I'm looking for aspiring writers who wouldn't mind being interviewed about what they're working on and how far along in the getting-published process they are. If you think this is something you'd be interested in, drop me an email at dorothyanndreyer [at] gmail [dot] com.

I look forward to hearing from you!