My First Pitch Ever

Oooohh, it's been too long since I've blogged.

I could wax poetic about my fabulous time at the 2014 SCBWI Winter Conference in NYC (highlights: Writer's roundtable at the plot intensives with author/editor Jill Santopolo from Philomel; hearing the inspirational, funny, honest Kate Messner speak twice—once at the plot intensives, once as the conference keynote speaker; eating cupcakes w/ fellow Pitch Warriors Laura Shoven and Casey Lyall; laughing til tears rolled down my cheeks listening to the hilarious Jack Gantos speak—esp. his commentary on the photo of his childhood bedroom)... but many other bloggers have already covered that weekend so well.

Instead, I'm going to share a snapshot of the first pitch I ever wrote. For the first novel I ever wrote (well, I completed only twelve chapters, but, hey, that was half the novel!). When I have more time, I will give more details 'cause I KNOW this snippet will whet the collective appetite. So, without further ado:

Comments are welcome, but please be kind—I was eleven years old when I wrote this.
Hopefully, my pitch skills have impoved.

I'm the Featured Speaker at an Upcoming SCBWI Event!

On Wednesday, February 12 at 7 p.m., I'll be leading a conversation on online networking at the IllinoisSCBWI North Suburban Network meeting at The Book Stall in Winnetka.

How fun is that?

Here's the blurb sent to IllinoisSCBWI members:

Greetings, Polar Vortex Chiberians!

I have come to share wonderful news! This winterest of winters looks to be taking a turn and we should actually be thawed out by summer! The extended forecast shows next Wednesday to be a balmy 42 degrees. Woo Hoo! Of course, things are going to be slushy for a while. And, hey that reminds me why I really stopped by in the first place...

February 12 th – Beyond the Slushpile: New Ways to Get Agent Attention

From Twitter to blogs to webinars to the latest trend—sites where writers compete to post their queries and first pages—the internet is bursting with creative opportunities for writers to showcase their work and get publishing questions answered.

A year ago author Wendy Parris entered the online writing community and has since communicated directly with hundreds of agents, editors, and published kids' book authors willing to connect newer writers with agents seeking manuscripts. Wendy will share her experiences and the invaluable insights she's gained, as well as tips on how to build your own relationships with industry professionals and get your work noticed.

Maybe wear your galoshes if you get 'em!

Michael Bricis

Soggy humor Co-Rep

With the crisp-witted Carolyn Crimi


I'm looking forward to it!

Pitch Wars and Prairie Wind

Quick update:
This past week was very exciting—my Pitch Wars entry for GHOST FARM snagged a full request (as well as a ton of positive feedback from mentors and fellow writers), and my op ed was published in the current issue of The Prairie Wind (SCBWI-IL's quarterly newsletter).

Please see my last few blog entries if you're unfamiliar with Pitch Wars. Suffice it to say, I had a great experience meeting and learning from fellow writers, and got invaluable insights on my book from my mentor Shannon Duffy. I'm happy to report GHOST FARM is better than ever.

Here's a link to the winter 2014 edition of The Prairie Wind. My op ed, on page 53, details my experience at the 2013 Annual SCBWI Winter Conference in NYC, and encourages Illinois writers to attend.

Can't WAIT to go back for this year's conference February 21-23... I'll be sure to tweet and blog about it during and after my trip.

Thanks for reading. Off to read a book...and attempt to stay warm!

My Pitch Wars entry is up on Veronica Bartles' fabulous blog:

Click on the link to check it out!

So happy to have been chosen and know my manuscript has improved tremendously with the help of my mentor, Shannon Duffy.

So, I made it into Pitch Wars!
Whoo-hoo!
I'm a proud member of team #DuffysToughies, led by the inimitable Shannon Duffy.

Busy working on edits for GHOST FARM, so I'm ready for the agent round coming up January 22 through 23. I'll let you know which blog will be featuring my entry on those days.

Pretty sure the pictures of me wearing a groundhog costume (see previous blog post) really tipped the scales in my favor...

My PitchWars Warrior Bio

Okay, I'm going to make this short and sweet. There is one very compelling accomplishment in my past that proves I will make a fabulous mentee! But first, some background for those few who aren't hip to PitchWars:

Pitch Wars is a contest where published/agented authors, editors, or interns (mentor list here) choose one writer each, read their entire manuscript, and offer suggestions to shine it up for these agents here . The mentors also critique the writer’s pitch to get it ready for the agent round. Mentors also pick two alternates each in case their writer drops out of the contest. A special alternate showcase is held on some of the mentors’ blogs and the mentors will critique the alternates’ pitches. Writers send applications (query and first 5 pages of manuscript) to the four mentors that best fit their work. The mentors then read all their applications and choose the writer they want to mentor for the next five weeks to be ready for the agent round January 22 through January 23.

I am beyond thrilled to participate this year and have already learned SO MUCH just following the mentors, fellow writers and the fabulous Brenda Drake on Twitter!

To see other mentee bios, please go to Dannie Moran's blogspot

Without further ado:

I'M DEVOTED TO ENTERTAINING YOUNG MINDS

This is a photo of me as Punxsutawney Phil singing "Total Eclipse of the Hog" (yes, this "Eclipse" song is to the same tune as the other "Eclipse" song you're thinking of). I performed this number live six times, in public, for a total of 1800 adults and kids.

For some reason, I channeled Nora Desmond in my portrayal of Phil. Not sure why. Clearly, this confused my fellow actors, as well.

I did this in a variety show fundraiser for an elementary school.

I did this for the children, people. The children.







If chosen for Pitch Wars, I PLEDGE TO BRAVELY AND WITHOUT VANITY CONSIDER AND MAKE (probably) THE EDITS MY MENTOR SUGGESTS.

I hope these photos demonstrate how brave and unvain I am.
(pretty sure "unvain" is a word)
(also, full disclosure: I loved playing Phil. I love writing, too.)

Visual Inspiration

When I sit down to write, often setting comes to me first. I'm a very visual person—just ask my friends about the very elaborate calendar/timeline I see in my head when someone mentions a date and/or year. Or my critique group about how many times I say, "But wait, you need to describe the scene more, I can't picture it."

I've always been like this. As a kid I used to draw maps of made-up towns and sketch crude blueprints for the houses described in the stories I wrote. It annoyed me when I'd read a book and visualize a scene, and then the author would throw in something later that didn't jibe with my image (wait, the front door is to the RIGHT?) and I'd have to go back and re-imagine it. Or, I wouldn't, I'd just go with what I already saw in my mind and blatantly ignore the author, which sometimes led to all kinds of problems as the plot continued.

This still happens to me. Maybe I should be talking to a shrink about this...

ANYWAY, I ended up getting a degree in TV/Film, which further developed my reliance on the visual when telling a story.

One summer day two years ago, I came across an abandoned farm while riding my bike. Luckily I had my camera with me. I wish I'd gone inside, but I was scared of snakes, rotting floors, possible trespassing laws (although there were no signs, people!), that sort of thing.

Below are a few of the many photos I took.

When I got back on my bike, I thought to myself, "I'm going to write a ghost story about this place." And I did.

This setting was the inspiration for GHOST FARM.