Pitch with Katherine Fausset of Curtis Brown

I drove over to the Atlanta Writer's Conference on Sat and pitched "Ways to Fall" to Katherine Fausset. She's as beautiful in person as on her twitter page, and one of those lovely women who glows during pregnancy. I was her last pitch of the day, so I watched person after person come out of the room smiling and gushing about how nice she is. Then it was my turn. The good news is I wasn't nearly as nervous as I'd been the previous year. Bad news is Katherine Fausset doesn't rep my genre. Ouch.

I'd googled "represented by Katherine Fausset" and found Cynthia Hand, who wrote "Unearthly," which I thought was a decent comparison to my book (although I haven't read it yet, and I realize now it's YA. I requested it from the library, but it came in too late for me to read it pre-pitch. It sounds awesome, though, and I love Cynthia's blog.) I wish I'd had my wits about me and mentioned the book, but I was having trouble thinking of the title, so I didn't. Anyway, if she says she doesn't rep paranormal romance, then she doesn't, and it would be silly to argue with her, right? She did say that the genre is hot right now, stronger than either paranormal or romance alone. 

Regardless, Ms. Fausset was very nice and listened to my pitch. I hate talking about my book because of all the world building and no matter how long I practice, the 3 minute version comes out jumbled and long, and people invariably ask "why" questions, and then I have to go back to some worldbuilding that I'd tried to gloss over. Sigh.

Whatever the shortcomings of my spiel, Ms. Fausset seemed to follow it okay and said it sounded very original. Then she suggested that I contact another agent at Curtis Brown, which she said she hardly ever does (Thanks for that encouragement, Ms.Fausset!) and that she would tell her to expect my query, then paused, and I assured her that I had been waiting to query anyone else at CB until after my pitch. At least I did something right!

I was joking with another writer before my pitch that it would be funny to come out of the pitch sobbing just to freak out the people after me, but as I said, I was last in line. Maybe next year:)

Any tips for how I can do this better? I made up some talking points to help me get through the pitch, but I can't seem to stay on track, even after talking to myself in the car for hours.

Happy Writing!
Glutton for Punishment?

Craft Time

27 days until I go to Dave Farland's professional (that's me! lol) writer's camp. I'm hoping we do some macrame, or take some popsicle sticks and cast off yarn, and voila! We'll have "gods' eyes." (You guys are familiar w that craft project, right? Here's a picture for those of you who never went to summer camp, poor souls.)

Perhaps that's not what is meant by "honing your craft?"

Anyhow, I'm starting to get nervous. Camp runs the 6-11th of June, but because of differences in air fare and a little side trip to see my sister, I'll be gone the 4-14th. Ten days away from my kids and husband. I'm really looking forward to all that writing, but I wonder if I'm capable of standing alone anymore, ya know? Maybe capable isn't the right word, maybe comfortable?

I'd hoped to be done with my rough draft of Book of Breathings before I leave, but that's not going to happen. Well, it might if I get up every morning at 5, but that hasn't been going so well. And I'm okay with that. Because sleep is my friend that helps me not to yell at my kids, who I love dearly:)

Re: querying, I've decided to wait until I get back from camp to send out any more queries. A round of rejections right before I leave would be a bit of a downer. (Not that I've become a pessimist.) I've still got about fifteen queries out there, and one full request. After a few rejections on requests, I've learned not to hold my breath. (Well, maybe I'm a little pessimistic. But not defeated! Never defeated!) And the Atlanta Writer's Conference is next weekend, and I have a pitch with Katherine Fausset of Curtis Brown. I'll let you know how it goes--hopefully not as awkward as last year's pitch:)

Oh, and guess what one of the required reading books prior to camp is? "Story" by Robert McKee.

Done. I told you it was an amazing book that everybody should read;) (The other book is the one on characterization by Orson Scott Card.)

Any happy summer camp memories to share? Tips for making the most of a writing retreat? Whatever!
Happy Writing!
Glutton for Punishment?

You, Too, Can Win Friends and Influence People

Special Announcement- Interview with author of The Mark, M.R. Bunderson, next Wednesday. We're going to talk about how she chose her publisher, if authors have a responsibility for how they portray romance (lots of that in the blogosphere, (e.g. Kiersten White) this week.) and more!

I now feel qualified to write about pitches since I have now done one. Wait, I mean, I am just barely not unqualified and such a newbie at this, but I have some experiences/thoughts to share.

I am one of those writers who writes because I am not the world's most gifted gabber. I stumble. I am bad at a party. At meeting people. At thinking of approriate questions to ask people. But if you want to talk to me about a Big Idea, I have a million things to say.

Take this info and put me in a writer's conference meet-n-greet. It took me a few minutes, but I got used to talking to the other authors. Tip- Just ask, "What do you write? Tell me about your book," and you're set!

Once I listen to someone else talk for a while, then I'm a little more comfortable and can give a semi-intelligent description of my book. Except I couldn't talk in a coherent manner at the meet-n-greet, probably because I was short on sleep and a bit (haha!) nervous about my pitch. I was surprised none of their brains fell out trying to follow my practice pitches.

Enter Mr. Agent, standing alone. I decided to just get over myself and meet him. Actual simulated transcript of our conversation:

Me: Oh, snakes. What do I say?  Uh, hi. I'm Kelly Bryson. I have a pitch with you tomorrow. Do Not Giggle. Don't do it!

Mr. Agent: *nods*

Me: Uhhhh, Uhhhh, Uhhhh. Uhhhh. Wow. My mind just went blank. Did I just say that? Oh, man, say something smart, quick. How do you like Atlanta?

Mr. Agent: Well, I've only been to the airport and here. *glances out the window where we can see the planes landing, maybe 300 yards away.*

Me: Riiiight. So, where do you live?

Mr. Agent: New York. I can walk to most of the major publishers in less than 5 minutes. *said with excitment, like he can't believe his good fortune, not in a snotty way at all.*

Me: That's great. We went to New York once... *proceed to tell really brief yet non-scintillating tale of our 20 hour visit to NY*

Mr. Agent: Umm, I think I hear someone calling me, excuse me... (Not his words. My extrapolation based on deepest fears. He didn't say much at this point.)

Okay, we also talked about some books he listed as favorites that I also love, and briefly about him running marathons, but I considered this conversation a DISASTER. I lay in bed that night thinking. I don't think I can do this anymore. Maybe writing is not for me.

So here's how The Pitch went. For those of you who don't like thrillers, it had a happy ending.

Me: You're not going to bite are you?

Mr. Agent: Haha. *not very amused. Not grim either, just waiting.*

Me: So, did you get a run in today?

Mr. Agent: Oh, yeah, I did. But the treadmill wouldn't go fast enough.

Me: Holy crap. He's fast! Wow, you must be really good.

Mr. Agent: Oh, no. It only goes up to four and a half miles an hour.

Me: Haha. Are we done with small talk? Can I move on? Yes, he's ready to move on. So, are you familiar with the mythology of Lilith? He's nodding, good. In my book, Lilith is still living in the Garden of Eden, stealing girls out of the modern world and raising them as her own children. She erases their memories of their pasts for two reasons: one, to protect them from the abuse they suffered and two, so that they will be pure enough to nurture the emotionally sensitive geroth trees, whose fruit gives them eternal life. He's nodding. Okay, just don't screw this up. But the brainwashing and mind control... Dang. I only meant to say one or the other there. Oh well... don't last forever.

Eventually, the girls know that they will remember their pasts. When they do, Mother forces them into an eternal Sleep, since they can't die anymore and can't stand to live with their perfect recall of the past. Mother takes the bodies and dumps them back in the modern world and steals a new child, and the cycle continues. Lara, my main character, is tired of losing her sisters, and travels through a portal in the caves to the modern world, where she hopes to discover a way to truly heal her sisters. He's engaged, got eye contact, nodding along, all good. In this world, the FBI realizes that something is going on because...

Mr. Agent: The kidnappings.

Me: And the bodies that Mother is dumping. He nods, as if to say of course, the BODIES. The FBI agent assigned to interrogate her, agent David Hatton, is an expert in nonverbal communication. He realizes that the suspicion and hostility of the other agents are physically harmful to Lara and that she is incredibly sensitive to emotions. So, to both protect her and to gain her trust, he "rescues" her from the field office and takes her to a secluded area. They end up falling in love and Lara has to choose between the worlds, between staying with the man she loves but who has betrayed her, or to return to the garden and the safety that Mother offers.

Mr. Agent: That's great, but you lost the conflict with Mother.

Me: Wow. He was really following my story. No, no, it's in there. That's the big climax.

Mr. Agent: Do you have a writing sample?

Me: Y-y-y-y-es. Stares out window while Mr. Agent reads the first few pages. Way worse than getting a shot. I always look when I'm getting a shot, but I couldn't watch this. 

Mr. Agent: Why don't you mail me 50 pages? Hands me his card.  

*Thump* (That's me, hitting the floor.)

So, that's pretty much it. I did ask a follow-up question and then I high-tailed it out of there before he could change his mind.

The next few minutes are really hazy, but I made it downstairs to where my hubby waited in the hotel lobby. After he realized I was serious, his question: Can you buy me a car?

Hmmm. I'm not sure if he understands how lengthy this process can be!

So, even socially awkward people can get up there and explain their book and get good results. And I didn't turn red, so that was a bonus. I hope you don't freak out like I did before, but it can be done!
Glutton for Punishment?

Atlanta Writer's Conference

First up- Wheeeee! My pitch has been pitched, and it went as well as I had hoped it might in my dearest, happiest dreams.

I explained my premise, answered a few questions, handed over a writing sample and said, "Heck yeah! I'll mail you 50 pages!"

I told my husband that this might be enough to help me overcome my fear of the post office. I hate the post office. Maybe it's from some bad experiences taking the kids with me to mail Christmas presents.

I met some very nice writers, handed out my little cards and was given a children's book about how not to get abducted by aliens.

Happy Writing!

Me with my sample pages and
an agent's business card!
Glutton for Punishment?

Wind up to the Pitch

My friend Teresa sent me this great link to Rachelle Gardener's blog yesterday about how to pitch. It was the clearest set of instructions I've seen yet, so definately check it out if you are pitching anytime soon.

I get diarhhea...of the mouth when I try to pitch. It happened last night when I was practicing the pitch with my husband. But it might be that I was a little flustered because, playing the part of an agent, he said something like, "What are you willing to do to get a book deal?" and put his hand on my knee. Or something like that;)

Today, I've practiced my pitch on two long-suffering friends. Bringing my pitch down to two or three minutes seemed impossible yesterday, but I wrote down some talking points, practiced my presentation, and got feedback. I'm down to 3.5 minutes. Then I did it again and again. I feel silly, but I'm doing the whole scenario, shaking hands and introducing myself.

I do this terrible thing where I blush BRIGHT red when I'm embarassed, but it's kind of random, even happening with people that I thought I was comfortable with occassionally. So I'm going to go a bit heavy with the makeup, say a few prayers and hope I don't turn red.

I can stand up in front of my whole church and not worry about speaking too much, so I don't think it's the talking in front of an audience that scares me. It's the pressure. I've been writing this for a year and a half, but I also feel like selling this book will validate all the time and energy that I've diverted away from other things- like my kids- and tell me that it was worth it.

It's not that I will be disappointed a ton if the first agent I pitch doesn't want to marry my book. But I will be disappointed if I show up with the proverbial spinach in my teeth. I just want to know that I explained clearly and in an entertaining way what my book is about. That will be enough.

Of course, I would attempt a back flip if pages are requested. But I'm trying not to set my sights so high that I will end up disappointed unless something totally miraculous happens. Let's hope practice makes perfect!
Glutton for Punishment?

Why not to finish your book after everyone else is asleep

Last night I finished up my edits on PULSE at 11:30 and then, like a dummy, I hung out in the blogoshpere since I haven't been doing much of anything except rewording perfectly good sentences for the last week or so. I think I wanted someone to throw me a party right then, for a hundred of my closest friends to knock on the door and give me high fives. Even Nathan was asleep (spin claas at 5:30 this morning for him, so I guess I understand. No, wait. I will never understand getting up that early. Even when I was going to spin class with him, I was continually asking myself WHY I was doing it.)

Sample book cover. Notice the clever double titling designed to thwart

sticker attacks. I hate it when I can't see the whole cover

because of a 'Summer Reading' sticker.

I told my kids this morning and they were excited until I explained that I still have to get beta reader response and query and make additional edits that the agent, editor copyeditor, line editor, etc. all want. I wonder why they looked at me funny. (Done? Is she kidding herself? She's just halfway there! they thought)

I said over breakfast that I was going to take a week off soon, but that I have two full manuscripts to review first. We're going to the beach in two weeks and maybe I'll be ready for a break by then. OR I have this really great idea that I want to develop. Maybe do some character sketches, an outline... Who am I kidding? I want to write the full rough draft!

But for now it feels so good to have the story done in time to go to the Atlanta Writer's Club Conference next weekend and to have this burst of confidence. Maybe it will be good that I won't get my beta readers' comments in time for the conference. I'm not sure I want reality to set in yet. *wink*

I've had some amazing friends help me with my preschooler for several days the last week and a half so I could meet my goal and all I can say is, I'm in their debt and they've got their spot in my acknowledgements when I get published! (Hey, we're thinking positive here. I have no rejections on this project! Haha!) And while I'm at it, there are several of you who have looked at queries or the opening chapters, and it really helped me to see what I needed to focus on, so thank you, too. And I have been taking a break from the Online Writer's Workshop of Sciance Fiction, Fantasy and Horror while I did my line edits in PULSE, but I really appreciate my writing buddies over there, especially my good friend Teresa, who I have learned so much from.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I'm thinking up some questions to ask the Super Agent in my pitch session, mostly having to deal with YA versus adult fantast and the fabled existance of a 'New Adult' or 'College age' group. I've found a few agents - okay one -who is interested in borderline or crossover YA/adult fiction. (Catherine Drayton, if you're interested.) Anyone know of anybody else? Any amazing questions that will mark me as a sophisticated, market-savvy author?

Thanks for the encouragement and Happy Writing to you!
Glutton for Punishment?

Checking In- the last 10%

In reviewing my manuscript, I find a lot of conversations that are okay, but on rereading, don't 'pop'. That's what I'm fixing right now. Adding bits of humor, deleting the jokes that don't work, adding little details and motivations for minor characters. Pulling all the threads together, answering all the questions.

I find myself getting really excited as I take details that I'd already written in and understand why there were there. There's a specific character who's chewing gum all the time, and I realized it's because she's just quit smoking, and when she lapses, it explains her intense reaction to something else. Piecing that together made me so happy and it really helped that scene to shine.

I've gotten most of my grammar bugs/plot issues worked out and am surprised to find that this stage is fun. I am shocked at how giddy I feel. It's almost as much fun as the first draft when I thought I would be done in a few months. Don't laugh. I really thought I would do some light edits and it would be ready. Thank goodness I didn't start querying then.

I'm about 25 pages shy of being half-way done with my last major edit. I've called in some babysitting favors for my preschooler so I can work through some entire school days and then I will be sending it out to beta readers, hopefully by Friday.

I'm a bit anxious about my pitch session in 13 days, and haven't been sleeping as well as I'd like, but every chunk I get done makes me less anxious. I think I could sit down with said agent and say that I've written a story that he will be interested in. And believe it. That feels good.

Happy Writing!
 
Glutton for Punishment?

Again! With Focus.

Or what I've learned from writing a query

Some authors write the book blurb or their elevator pitch first, before they even start their book, but not a pantser like me. My planning stages involved several false starts, a first draft that that has almost entirely been written over, and some early attempts at an outline. Currently, I've outlined up to Ch.11 (out of 30), but I did finish my 3 pg. synopsis, so I'm congradulating myself, even if noone else is.

As for my query, I started working on it maybe eight months ago and have gone through 10+ revisions, and still haven't got it right. I highly recommend writing your query as you write your book for three reasons.

Reasons to work on your query now instead of waiting until you finish your manuscript:

1. You will have something to say when someone asks what your book is about.

2. Your query needs time to develop through rewriting just as your book does.

3. It helps you to focus on the main points as you revise. 

In trying to pull out the major conflict that causes my MC to leave her perfect world and come to our fallen world, I realized that my opening chapters are diffuse. (Anybody watch that Medium episode? I was writing, but my husband told me about it. Joe gets asked by his boss to read the  boss's epic Sci-fi novel and keeps hounding Joe to give his impressions. So Joe finally says 'It was diffuse.' Which is not a word that I'd like applied to my writing, and this guy didn't like it either. So in Joe's performance review, everything was 'diffuse'. Communication skills? Diffuse. Organization skills? Diffuse. The moral- do not EVER tell your boss what you think of their writing. Just say you can't wait to buy it when it gets published and leave the heavy hitting for agents. Is this how people get delusional? Absolutely. Do it anyway. Save yourself!)

In real life, Allison Dubois is a psychic medium who works with the police and husband Joe is an aerospace engineer, which makes their viewpoints very different. This clip was posted by CBS, so there's a 0.5 second commercial (really, it's that short, so don't give up), but I thought it was worth the wait. And it is interesting that the producer says here that it was the husband/wife relationship that made him want to do the show. Not the cool cases she solves, not the pyschic dreams. But their unique relationship. That's what I'm trying to show in my query!

Anyhow, diffuse. As in, there are too many motivations for my MC to leave her world and come to ours, but none of them stands out. There's no moment of decison, no leading the reader to see that OF COURSE she has to make this terrible decision. It's hard, and scary, but she has to do it. I realized this when I was trying to explain her motivations succintly in the query plus I have some crit partners who have made some comments that led me to start thinking about it.

I've stopped believing that there is only one way to write this story. There will be versions that feel more mysterious, versions that feel more grounded and explain the world more quickly, and it's up to me to judge which serves the story best. Because the story is there. I just have to let it out. So thank you, query. I'm working on it.

Has your query/synopsis/blurb writing helped you?
Glutton for Punishment?

*Checks Watch*

Time has stopped.
My good friend and crit partner Teresa has my entire manuscript and is reading it mainly for plot issues.
I have a pitch session with a real live agent at the Atlanta Writer's Conference in May, and suddenly I have a deadline. I can't be content to edit some here, take a week mulling over this scene, or try a new ending again.
I must have my manuscript ready so that this situation is possible:

I hand my query letter to Agent 001 and he glances over it. A small smile plays across his lips. "So, tell me more about how Lara is vulnerable from her empath abilities." He gets out a pen and underlines my name. He jots down something next to my contact info.
"I'm glad you asked that because that's the basis of her inner conflict. For example, when Lara is arrested, the agents are very aggressive, so she feels the same way. She has to talk herself out of attacking them and at the same time she's horrified because she's a very gentle person," I say. Was that okay?
And Agent 001 will ask me, looking deep into my eyes, if the manuscript is complete.
Back off, dude. I'm married. "Yes," I say. "Here it is. I have 20 pages, 50 pages and the full manuscript available. Limited time offer. Act now.. "It is."
"Hmmm." More notes on my query. "So, send me twenty pages. It sounds interesting. I see you went to the University of Florida. How about Billy Donovan getting another championship? Go Gators."
"Um. Yeah. Go Gators." Why are we talking about the Gators? Who cares? Talk about my book! Books! I've spent a year and a half of my life writing this pile of wood shavings! Ask me a question! "I mean, you still miss guys like Bonner and Haslem and Miller, but life goes on."

So, there's a lot to prepare for since I won't be able to google any sports names during the pitch. Just being able to talk coherently about my book will be a big accomplishment. I mean, there's a reason I'm a writer! And, Teresa, if you're reading this, thanks for the interest in my blog, but get back to work. Kidding. Of course I'm kidding. Totally kidding.
Glutton for Punishment?