The Pitch

There have been two things that have been the most difficult for me when it comes to writing, and writing isn't one of them. Writing just happens, that's the easy part (unless I get writers block, which happens to the best of us). It's coming up with a good title and coming up with a good pitch. The pitch is basically what you'd put on the back of the book. It has to be tiny; I'd say no more than 100 words and even that's pushing it.

So how do you sum up six years’ worth of work and 529 pages of story in only 100 words? Well that's the big question, isn't it.

SO not easy.

I had the opportunity to try my hand at a pitch on Saturday with someone special. I walked into Barnes and Noble to get a leather-bound, special edition Jules Vern for Diane for her birthday and sitting behind a table by the door was a gentleman with a bunch of books laid out for display.

Well, I was on a mission. I needed Jules Vern and to order the next Wheel of Time novel by Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson, so I got to it. But while I was ordering the final chapter in one of the greatest fantasy series ever written, I asked the young lady behind the counter who the gentleman up front was and all she could say was that he's a local fantasy writer.

Say no more! Immediately seeing several opportunities bundled into one, I headed up front and put myself in front of his table. I saw a chance to get interested in a new fantasy series, to support a local writer, and to ask a load of questions that I have about my own writing. So I asked who he was and what he wrote.

David Farland was his name. He writes The Nightingale, Of Mice and Magic, Runlords and On My Way to Paradice, and he's a New York Times Bestseller. Well didn't I feel lucky! Mainly because I was the only one at the table so I had him and his friend all to myself (I've been wracking my brains trying to remember who his friend was because he's a writer too but I'm drawing a blank! He even gave me a bookmark with his information on it and for the life of me I can't figure out where I put it. So note to self - Don't lose stuff!). Well I basically got to talk to Mr. Farland for nearly a half hour. It was awesome.

When I told him that I just wrote a book and sent it in for a copywrite, he leaned forward, immediately interested and asked the most difficult question that can be asked, "What's it about?" At which point I pulled a stupid and looked at him blankly for a moment before admitting that I'm still working on a pitch.

Luckily, he was completely understanding and with a disarming smile, said, "Give it a try." So I did. I don't think I did very well. In fact, I'm fairly sure my pitch totally sucked. But he was nice enough to tell me that the story sounded interesting enough, though I definitely needed to work on that pitch. He then asked me if I ever go to any of the writers conferences. Of course, I immediately threw LTU&E out there because going to that this last February was so inspirational to me.

Well, happy days, Mr. Farland is going to be there too and he told me to work on the pitch and find him at the conference so he could introduce me to some people.

I had to fight to keep from twitching right out of my shoes in excitement.

At that point, I bought one of his books - Nightingale - and he signed it. It wasn't until I got home and opened it up did I read what he wrote:

            Leah,

                Dare to Dream

                I'll see you on the bookshelves

                    -David Farland-

I actually teared up, I was so touched. And now I'm looking forward to LTU&E more than ever. In fact, every time I think about it, I get butterflies in my stomach and tickles up my pine.

I spent the next day out in Layton with Diane and her family, celebrating her birthday and since I often have difficulty in loud places, I kind of withdrew and worked on my pitch. Diane and her cousin, Colton Tran helped me the whole way. We asked Colton specifically because he works in the film industry and is exposed to things such as Pitches often. he was a HUGE help. And I believe we came up with something really good.

So, here it is. Please feel free to tell me what you think:

The Black Vale 

            The world of Oreth is still recovering from a devastating mage war that split countries and ravaged the land. A thousand years into this recovery, Thell—mages of chaos—are hunted to near extinction by the Ora—mages of order.

            Now two unlikely companions—Amalee, a highborn lady-in-waiting and Faith, a cannibalistic savage of the desert—find themselves ensnared in a conspiracy that could tip the scales on this ancient conflict.

            As the Ora close in on the last Thell haven, Amalee and Faith are drawn increasingly deeper into a dark world of intrigue and violence that will force them to rely on each other in order to survive.

Well, I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving, I know I'm going to have a great one!

I Am Now Something/Someone

When I was little, I would spend hours alone. Dreaming.

I had entire universes in my head where people, animals, plants, trees and worlds lived and died. I would zero in on specific events and individuals. I would live their stories, their lives. I’d feel their joy and their pain. And what amazing adventures I had!

The only regret I had was that no one could go on these adventures with me. So I was the weird kid that didn’t actually like playing with other children. Who preferred to hang out with imaginary friends in imaginary places.

Then kindergarten happened and I learned how to write.

I’ve had more concussions than a professional boxer is allowed so sometimes my memory is like a chunk of extra holey Swiss cheese. But one thing that I remember clearly is the first time I wrote a complete sentence that came from my own head. Something I didn’t copy.

It occurred to me in that moment that all those stories in my head could actually get out. That I could share them! Sitting in my little desk in that colorful classroom of Mr. Funk’s, the future was absolutely clear. I knew then what I wanted to be when I grew up.

I’ve never wanted to just do something for a living. I’ve always known that I needed to be someone. I knew then that I wanted to be a writer. I knew that I would be a writer.

Since then I’ve filled countless notebooks and floppy disks (back in the day). I learned to type on an old typewriter that I would plug in in my room and stick in the front yard so I could sit under the tree and type stories. I’ve come up with more ideas that I could count. Started more stories than I can even remember…but they never kept my attention. I would be gripped for a while, then it would sizzle out.

I never finished anything. Until tonight.

More than six years ago I played the most exciting D&D game ever. My character was a warmage who was so unique that I one day wondered, “Who was she before she became this?” So I started writing a little back story. It suddenly occurred to me that if I made it into an actual story it might be pretty good so, as I do with all my stories, I started handwriting it out. And I couldn’t stop. This story held on to me and took me for a ride. Sometimes I had no idea what I was going to write before I wrote it. It would just happen and unfold and I surprised myself so many times with what happened. I laughed and I cried. The story changed and as it did, so did I. I realized much about myself and about the world and realized that this story was THE ONE. This is my first, my baby. I had to walk away from friendships (with the hopes of returning one day) because there is little room for other people when you work more than full time and write the rest of the time. I had to be alone. No boyfriends (they only got in the way. So needy and high maintenance…), no weeknight hangouts, no girls-night-outs (not that I didn’t allow myself the occasional outing). Many weekends were spent alone in my apartment with a glass of wine or a cup of tea, just writing. The adventure was worth it. Because it helped make me who I am right now.

Up until about thirty minutes ago I was an aspiring writer. But tonight, sitting beside my best friend Diane (who even when she was on the other side of the world stood by me and believed in me and supported me when it seemed that no one else did) in my living room with Halo 4 paused, we went through the final revisions of my book. We finished it. Then I submitted it to the National Library of Congress for a copywrite. I officially completed my novel.

I may not be published yet and I know that that’s still a ways off. But I am no longer an aspiring writer. I am a writer.

I know I've always been someone. But today I became Something. I have never been so proud of myself.

…I AM A WRITER!