Pitching Pointers
It’s writers conference season. That means there’s a whole
lot of angst-filled author wannabes out there, biting their fingernails down to
stubs . . . which makes it super hard to type anything.
Not that it’s scary to go to a conference, mind you. The
real terror sets in when it’s story-pitching time. Sitting across from a
god-like agent or editor who can crush you faster than the bat of an eyelash—or
fast-track you to stardom—is a bit daunting. But never fear, little writers.
I’m here for you, and today we’re going to talk a bit about your pitch, your
one-line, your grabber . . . whatever you want to label it. Here’s the deal: you need to be able to tell your story in
one sentence, and that sentence needs a few elements to reel in that editor.
3 Pitch Perfect Pointers
Snarky
Not as in sarcastic, but as in ironic. The best pitches are
those that incorporate the opposites attract theory because whammo! Imminent
conflict instantly grabs a person’s attention. See if you can find the irony/snark
in the following:
A 17th
century tale of adventure on the Caribbean Sea where a roguish yet charming
pirate captain teams up with a young blacksmith in a gallant attempt to rescue
the Governor of England’s daughter to reclaim his ship.
The irony here is a pirate is going to save a proper lady,
and yes, it’s Pirates of the Caribbean.
Succinct
Every word counts in a pitch, so make the most of them.
Yeah, you’ll sweat buckets of blood while working this out, but in the end,
it’s worth it because you’ll be able to state the soul of your story in one
sentence while other wannabes will babble themselves into oblivion. Example:
A young man and woman
from different social classes fall in love aboard an ill-fated voyage at sea.
There you have Titanic
in 18 words.
Cinematic
Paint a picture in the listener’s mind so that they can
visualize your novel, and I guarantee you, you’ll make an impression. Keep it
simple and use common words that everyone’s had experience with. Example:
A cop comes to L.A. to
visit his estranged wife when her office building is taken over by terrorists.
Can’t you just see the tough-guy cop taking on the masked,
heavily armed bad guys? Shoot, I can even see the wife hiding underneath a
cherrywood desk, and I’ve never even watched Die Hard.
If you incorporate these three tips next time you write a
pitch, you’ll be a step ahead of the rest of the writerly bunch. Sure, you’ll
still have nails gnawed down to the quick, but even so, you just might land
yourself a contract.