Official Entry Post for the Three Two One Pitch Contest

This contest is now closed. Thank you for all your entries. I will announce the winner as soon as literary agent Marie Lamba makes her decision. Stay tuned!

So you think you can pitch? It's time for aspiring writers everywhere to pitch to awesome literary agent Marie Lamba of the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency. The contest starts today, November 15th, and closes at midnight on the 16th. Just a reminder to those who haven't participated before, a Three-Two-One pitch contest goes like this:

THREE - Pitch your story in only three sentences. No run-ons!

TWO - Two days to enter: November 15th and 16th.

ONE - One agent, Marie Lamba, will judge and pick a winner.

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

• YA
• MG
• Contemporary Fiction
• Women's Fiction
• Some memoir

Books that are moving and/or hilarious are especially welcome. NO picture books, science fiction, or high fantasy (though paranormal elements are acceptable), category romance (though romantic elements are welcome), non-fiction, or books that feature graphic violence.

Each contestant is allowed two entries.

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

Entries should be formulated in the following manner, right here in the comments section:

• Your name
• Your email
• Title of your manuscript
• Genre
• Word count
• Three-sentence pitch

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. On your mark, get set, GO!

Introducing the Judging Agent for November's Three Two One Pitch Contest

Our Three-Two-One Pitch contest will be taking place next week, and I bet you're all dying to know who the judging agent is. Well, I'm pleased to announce that I've lined up an awesome one for you, one I'm sure you'll be excited about.

Our judging agent is:
Marie Lamba of the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency!

Marie Lamba joined JDLA as an Associate Agent in 2011. She is the author of the young adult novel WHAT I MEANT . . . (Random House), and her work appears in the short story anthology LIAR LIAR (Mendacity Press) and the anthology CALL ME OKAASAN: ADVENTURES IN MULTICULTURAL MOTHERING (Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing). Marie's articles appear in more than 100 publications, including national magazines such as Writer's Digest, Garden Design, and RWR. She has worked as an editor, an award-winning public relations writer, and a book publicist, has taught classes on novel writing and author promotion, and is a member of Romance Writers of America and The Liars Club.

Here's what Marie says she's open to for the contest:

Young adult and middle-grade fiction, along with general and women's fiction and some memoir.  Books that are moving and/or hilarious are especially welcome.  I am NOT interested in picture books, science fiction, or high fantasy (though I am open to paranormal elements), category romance (though romantic elements are welcome), non-fiction, or in books that feature graphic violence.


The contest will take place November 15th and 16th. I will make an official entry post, and contestants will leave their three-sentence pitch in the comments section of that post. For more details, click here.

I'm very happy to have Marie judge this round. Be sure to follow the blog, and get those pitches ready, folks!

Details for November's Three Two One Pitch Contest

So you think you can pitch? Once again we'll be giving aspiring writers everywhere a chance to pitch to a literary agent. The next Three-Two-One pitch contest takes place November 15th and 16th. This gives you all about one month to get your manuscripts and pitches ready. Just a reminder to those who haven't participated before, a Three-Two-One pitch contest goes like this:

THREE - Pitch your story in only three sentences.

TWO - Two days to enter: November 15th and 16th.

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 November 15th, and entrants will post their three-sentence pitches (no run on sentences!) in the comments section of that post. At midnight on November 16th, 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:

• YA
• MG
• Contemporary Fiction
• Women's Fiction
• Some memoir

Books that are moving and/or hilarious are especially welcome. NO picture books, science fiction, or high fantasy (though paranormal elements are acceptable), category romance (though romantic elements are welcome), non-fiction, or books that feature graphic violence.

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 15th of November! :)

Interview with Sandra Yuen MacKay

Today we're talking with a talented woman who not only writes memoirs and novellas, but is a brilliant artist as well. I'm sure she has other hidden talents as well, but let's dive into an interview with her and learn about her memoir.

Welcome to We Do Write, Sandra. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm a dreamer who likes variety in what I do. I'm a writer, visual artist and a public speaker on recovery. I have experience as a columnist and editor for Majestic, an online newsletter for Lit.org, a writer's forum.

How long have you been writing?

I did journal a lot when I was young. My first published piece was a letter to the editor in Canadian Architect in 1995. Since 2002, I've been published in various magazines and online since then.

Tell us about My Schizophrenic Life: The Road to Recovery from Mental Illness.

I wrote this book from a personal perspective about what it's like to experience hallucinations, paranoia and delusions and how I dug my way out of schizophrenia to live a purposeful life. Recovery isn't a straight line but has dips and curves. In writing the book, I gained perspective on the balance of positive and negative aspects of my life and was able to let go of some of the pain and losses I had. By sharing my story, I wish to give hope for others.

I also published an e-book titled Hell's Fire, a scifi novella about a father who goes on a mission to save his daughter from alien abduction.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

The hardest part is receiving rejection letters! However, they do motivate me to work on my craft and some give me feedback on what editors are looking for.

Any tips you’ve learned about writing you’d like to share?

Write from your heart. Dig into your emotions. Build conflict and tension into your story. Make sure the characters thoughts and actions fit into the structure of your story and plot, and tangents are minimal.

Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

A cup of coffee, an online dictionary and thesaurus, and a blanket because my computer is in a cool basement. A clock is handy but I usually don't pay attention to it when I'm deep into my writing.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

I'd love to be able to fly. I have dreams where I'm airborne and feel the wind. I look down and see the lights of houses.

And finally, where can people find you and your books online?

You can find me at Letters from Sandra or on Facebook

My Schizophrenic Life is available in print on Amazon, barnesandnoble.com and chapters.indigo.ca or as an e-book at Smashwords or Amazon Kindle

Hell's Fire is available on Smashwords and Amazon Kindle

Thank you for chatting with us, Sandra. Your work sounds amazing.

Thank you, Dorothy, for taking the time to interview me!

Interview with Lisa Dale Norton

Hello, fellow writers! For those of you waiting to hear about the pitch contest, I will be announcing more details next week. Announcing the agent? Hmm, maybe. You'll just have to keep checking to find out.

In the meantime, I've got an interview with a lovely writer. Let's meet Lisa Dale Norton.

Lisa is the author of the wildly popular memoir handbook Shimmering Images: A Handy Little Guide to Writing Memoir and the critically acclaimed memoir Hawk Flies Above: Journey to the Heart of the Sandhills both published by St. Martin’s Press. She teaches memoir writing through her website—http://www.lisadalenorton.com—and works internationally with clients completing book manuscripts. Lisa lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. USA.


Welcome to We Do Write, Lisa. Tell us, how long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing ever since I was a little kid. I adored writing letters and wrote to everyone, long missives filled with events and thoughts and feelings. Little did I know then that I was a narrative nonfiction writer in training.


For years, early in my apprenticeship as a writer, I discounted this practice and passion for writing, thinking that “writing” was only the crafting of stories with characters and scenes, dialogue and adventure across exotic landscapes. And it’s true, that is writing—a form of it. What I came to realize over time was that my passion for writing letters, for the articulation of ideas and experiences embedded in those letters was an equally valid form of writing. That’s when my career as a writer really began moving forward—when I accorded importance to that which I naturally did, and did well.

What is the hardest part about writing memoirs, and what is the easiest?

The hardest part about writing memoir is figuring out what part of my life I want to write about, and how best to structure that portion of experience, given what it is I am trying to say. That sounds circular, I imagine, but it’s a key point.


Because memoir is not autobiography—it is not a written record of one’s whole life—the writer must select the elements of memory that when separated out compose some thoughtful whole unto themselves, that tell a story with meaning, that entertain and engage, and complete some arc of experience. That dance between memory and imposing structure on remembered events, trying to sculpt a larger point for a reader is both the most fascinating, and the hardest part of writing memoir.


For me, the easiest part of writing memoir—if there is such a thing—is the crafting of individual sentences once the larger story is blocked in and quite solid. It’s the fine work of considering each word, the imagery, the rhythm of sentences, and the perfecting of it all, sentence by sentence. That is work many people loathe, but I love it, and for me it is fun, and relatively easy.

What top three tips about writing memoirs can you share with writers?

1. Select some portion that is worthy of exploration. Avoid the pitfall of trying to write about your whole life (and that of your forbears).
2. Craft a voice that captures readers. Learn the power of language itself to shape that voice.
3. Tell your truth. In other words: Be authentic. Anything less will produce a mediocre product.

What are you working on now?

A new work of literary nonfiction that combines two narrative lines—a journey my parents took in Europe right after the end of World War II, and a love affair in my life with a man who lives in Europe.


I am fascinated with the fact that stories shape people’s lives. That sounds like a simple sentence, but truly “getting” the insight that stories—the narratives that occupy our minds and guide our choices—shape our day-to-day realities is anything but simple. The narrator of my new work is opening to that dawning awareness.

Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Peace. Quiet. Beauty. Birds help, and the capacity to make a stiff cup of tea.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

To be a seer—to see events that are coming.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: discombobulated, safety harness, and inch worm.

Edward, the inch worm, felt discombobulated because the safety harness the townsfolk had given him to aid with his trek up the sheer stone face of the looming, ice-capped peak that threw its grim shadow across the town was too big for his mid-section, and he was fighting now—despite his methodical movement, which always calmed him—a creeping notion of panic.

Wow! What a sentence! Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

My thanks always go to the same crowd of people who love me and are always there for me: Gene Dieken, Georganne O’Connor, Karli June Hansen, Kathy Hansen Archibald, Alexia LaFortune.

And finally, where can people find you and your books online?

People can find me at my website: http://www.lisadalenorton.com. They can e-mail me there: lisa@lisadalenorton.com.


Shimmering Images: A Handy Little Guide to Writing Memoir is available from your favorite bookseller—your independent bookstore, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, or from St. Martin’s Press, the publisher.


Hawk Flies Above: Journey to the Heart of the Sandhills can be purchased on line at Amazon.com, or by ordering from me at lisa@lisadalenorton.com. Hardcover and tradepaper copies are available.

Lisa, thank you so much for letting us get to know you and telling us about your books. Be sure to let us know when your next book is out!

Interview with Dan Hays

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend, and I hope everyone who had to change their clocks back remembered to do so. Where I live, we changed them back last week, and I'm just now getting adjusted.

Today I've got an interview with a terrific writer to share with you. We're chatting with the author of FREEDOM'S JUST ANOTHER WORD, Dan Hays.

Welcome, Dan. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I live in Fort Worth, Texas. I've been in the oil and gas and real estate title insurance industries for about 30 years, and writing on the side. I've done project work for most of those years, and I have approached writing and publicity as a work project. I'm very methodical - a spreadsheet guy!


I love running, dancing, watching sports, and visiting with other people - I've especially enjoyed connecting with other writers through social networking.

How long have you been writing?

:) Well, I started my first novel when I was 14 - something about a plot to kidnap the President. Then the movie Seven Days In May came out and stole my plot, so I stopped that project. But I had 5 poems and a short story published in a literary magazine in junior high, so my writing days go back that far.

Tell us about "Freedom's Just Another Word."

It was a memoir I had known for a while I'd have to write. It's a book about healing and hope and forgiveness. It is set in Houston, Texas in 1987. At that time, my world was spinning alarmingly out of control, and I was mystified as to why. I was walking around with many of the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but I didn't have a traumatic event I could point to. I was like the man in the Bourne Identity - having flashbacks to a past I didn't know existed. It was terribly puzzling.


In the middle of that time, my Dad died. In the process of grieving his death, I remembered a violent incident from my teenage years that explained the events in my world and the PTSD, and led me down a path of healing my relationship with my Dad.

Do you find it difficult to pour your emotions into a memoir for the world to read, or do you find it more a way to express your feelings and maybe get closure?

Excellent question, Dorothy! It was very tough to write in ways. Although it had been 17 years since my Dad had died, it was the first time I'd ever gone through and chronicled the events of the week when my Dad died. That was tough to write, but immensely cathartic. And to write about remembering the violence helped make it all more real for me, and brought a closure, for sure. It helped heal my relationship with my Dad - notice that the book is dedicated to him.


I did the book mostly for those reasons, but have been very surprised by how much it impacts other people. The second half of the book is about the things I did to move beyond the abuse, and readers really connect with those parts. I've even had several people call it a "road map" for how to move beyond abuse. A completely unintended consequence of this book, but I'm very grateful that people are benefitting in that way from reading Freedom!

Sounds like you're helping people who need it, which is great. What's the hardest part of writing for you?

LOL! Since the next book I'm writing is about a writer's block that has plagued me for about 25 years, I would say every aspect of writing was tough for a while. Just sitting down to write was sometimes a stretch. Then when publishers were interested in my books, that was fearful, and I didn't know why. I had publishers interested in books I had written twice, and was totally perplexed to find myself walking away from the opportunity.


It is apparent that I've moved beyond that block now. I've had about 5 chapters of the next book flow out very easily over the last month or so, and I'm thrilled by that. I had to do therapy, and it was a second source of PTSD, so this was a writer's block with a very deep and specific origin. Yet with hard work, I've gotten past it! When I publish this next book, it will signal how much I've healed. That I can publish the book will be a big step forward, and the origins of the writer's block will be revealed.

Let's get to know you on a deeper level. What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

I have to have an extra legal pad or a note pad. I may be typing on the computer, or even writing longhand. But sometimes I'll have a thought occur, and if I don't capture it right then, I lose it, so I take notes in the moment. I may be writing chapter 1, and have a scene in chapter 4 present itself, and I want to keep it! The way my creative process works is that I'll have scraps of ideas, thoughts or scenes appear any time or place, so having paper available is invaluable.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

It would have to be flying! When I have flying dreams, those are the most breathtaking dreams I have, and I'd love to be able to do that live! :) My most recent flying dream I was soaring about 40 feet above a road, and it was clear I could fly as long and as far as I wanted. I took that as a very positive sign.

Sound's like a positive sign to me too.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: jumping jacks, hurricane, and pudding.

As the windows of his house blew out from the wind of the horrible hurricane, Jim was astonished to watch his daughter's jumping jacks fly past him and stab into a bowl of pudding that had fallen onto the kitchen floor.

Oh my gosh, I cannot stop laughing. Heehee.


Anyone you'd like to give thanks to?

I'd like to thank my friend Joan, who started me writing in the first place. Thanks to my mentor, Bob Kizer, who taught me so many life lessons. Thank you Dad - you illuminated my path to healing by your example of perseverance in sobriety.

And finally, where can people find you online?

My website is http://www.danlhays.com. It has links to my blog, my Minute to Freedom radio spots, our Dialogues With Dignity radio show. Check out the latest big news - a review of Freedom's Just Another Word by the New York Journal of Books. That one is in big red letters on the front page - I was jazzed about receiving that review! :)

Excellent! Thank you so much for chatting with us, Dan. I look forward to reading your memoirs.