Hey Writer Person

Hey Writer Person - 🖊️ The Pitch

So much of your story, whether its 10,000 words or a million, so much of whether it finds readers or not, be that on wattpad, through agents or publishers or self pub, is wrapped up in two tiny words: the pitch.

DONT FREAK OUT.

Stop.

Pause.

Breathe.

This is a thing you can do. And you know what, Writer Person? You can do it well. Do i know everything about pitching? No. Am I some kind of story pitching goddess? HECK no. But i've had to write a lot of them, and read and evaluate others. So i have thoughts. And the big thought is: you can totally nail your pitch.

You're already kind of an expert on pitches, whether you realize it or not. How many back cover blurbs have you read before you decide whether or not to read a book? How many netflix summaries have you glanced at before deciding to press play? A bazillion. Those are all more or less, a pitch. A quick explanation of the story, designed to grab your interest.

So, pay attention next time. Look at how the blurb is structured. 

A pitch is NOT a summary. Dont give the reader the whole story. Dont tell them the ending. All you want to do is tease them, give them a glimpse of the awesomeness hidden inside your pages, and then shut it down: "Oh, you want to know more, dear reader? Well I guess you'll just have to read to find out!"

So if its not a summary, what DO you put in the pitch?

Again, analyze every blurb you find yourself reading. You probably read five a day at least. When you read a blurb and you find yourself interested, look at what is written in the blurb. What's written there that makes you want to know more?

There are a lot of ways to write a pitch for your story. You have to write the pitch the way YOU feel it should be written because the pitch is a reflection of the style and tone of the story itself, of what you are trying to say.

I like to break mine down this way - and this is me. Take what you want from it, add what works for you, remove what you hate. Its all about personal style. But to get your ideas flowing, here's how I do it:

Context is EVERYTHING. When I only have a few sentences to sell the story, I feel there needs to be something for the reader to grab onto, to be grounded in. A starting point before I can launch into the big idea. First sentence I try to give the reader who/what/where/when.

Lets use my story UNICORN DEATH DRIVE as an example:

Nat Wick is a seventeen year old girl in suburbia.

.......I mean, ok yes that answers who what where when, I guess. But how many seventeen year olds in suburbia are there in the world? A lot! So the reader needs something more to care about THIS seventeen year old in suburbia. Something to make Nat feel like a living person. What makes her different?

Nat Wick has always had a problem with authority.

Much stronger. This gives us CHARACTER. She's more than a name and an age. She's a person with a personality.

So Nat has a problem with authority. But so what? Why does that matter? Because that's the whole reason she ends up where she ends up! It is the catalyst for the whole story! So Nat has a problem with authority. So what? I have to tell you why that matters. AND I want you to know she's a teenager. So I could say:

Nat Wick has always had a problem with authority. She is 17 years old and goes to a camp for troubled teens. 

Booooooring.

Let's try to make it more dynamic.

Nat Wick has always had a problem with authority. Which is why her parents decide to send her to Second Chance Ranch, a rehabilitation getaway for troubled teens.

Better. Her problem with authority has caused her to go to a rehabilitation camp thing. "Her parents" and "troubled teens" tells us enough to know Nat is a teenager. But it could still use personality. It could still use a sense of Nat's attitude/voice.

Nat Wick has always had a problem with authority. Which is why her folks decide to ship her off to Second Chance Ranch, a rehab getaway for delinquent teens.

Much better. "Folks" "ship off" and "juvenile delinquents" is more Nat's attitude. So we've got who and what and attitude/tone of the story. Clearly she doesn't want to be there.

So she's at a ranch. She doesn't want to be there. How is she going to solve the problem?

She's going to runaway. And she's got one shot. So lets tell the reader about it.

Nat Wick has always had a problem with authority. Which is why her folks decide to ship her off to Second Chance Ranch, a rehab getaway for delinquent teens.

So when the program coordinator plans a cattle drive for the campers, Nat sees her chance to escape.

Ok. So we've got a character, in a place, with a problem that she is pretty sure she knows how to solve.

Here comes the most important part of the pitch. The part where I let the audience in on the story's big secret that's not really a secret at all: Nat is NOT going to solve her problem....because she's about to have a bigger one.

Nat Wick has always had a problem with authority. Which is why her folks decide to ship her off to Second Chance Ranch, a rehab getaway for delinquent teens.

So when the program coordinator plans a cattle drive for the campers, Nat sees her chance to escape. But trust falls, guidance counsellors and angry roommates might not be so bad compared to the dangers that lurk in the hills --

Dangers that shouldn't exist.

Dangers that are hungry.

Dangers with horns.

I dont have to say "unicorns start eating people". The title "Unicorn Death Drive" tells us enough. I just have to suggest it. To tease it.

So, to summarize. I think the important things I try to remember for my pitches is:

Who is this character and what is their state of normalcy? (Nat is a teen with a bad attitude) What is their problem? (She's been sent to a rehab facility because of her bad attitude). And MOST IMPORTANTLY: How is their problem about to get way worse? (Killer unicorns).

Now, its important to remember every story has a different tone, different problem, different character personalities. But I think the formula works for most things.

Lets try applying it to a movie. Frozen? I love Frozen.

Princess Anna is tired of being alone in a castle with only her estranged, reclusive sister (character in a state of normalcy). So when the castle gates are opened for the coronation of the queen, Anna sees her first and only chance to find love. And she thinks she's finally found it, in the handsome Prince Hans. But when her sister, the new queen, refuses to bless the match (problem), Anna decides its time to confront her family's secrets at last. (Thinks shes got a solution)

But the answer to those secrets could threaten her sister's life, could threaten the kingdom of arendelle, and break the sisters apart forever. (Bigger problem)

Now its up to Anna to save her sister before its too late. Before the magic takes hold. Before all of Arendelle is Frozen. 

Is this Shakespear? No. I've whipped this frozen pitch up pretty quick. But because i have a roadmap of HOW to do it, i was able TO do it. Now its just a matter of tweaking and refining and thats it!

Ta da!

I know, i know. That's a lot of info to take in, Writer Person. And I want to say again, this is not the one true way to write a pitch. This is how i break it down and approach it. I hope there's something in here that you find helpful. A jumping off point for you to hone and refine your story pitching skills. I'm rooting for you, Writer Person!