Pitches. "What's your story about?"

Today's dilemma for me is pitches. Those pithy statements you're supposed to have to summarize what your 100,000 word manuscript is about. Yeah, okay. I canexplain this book in 25 words. Right.

These suckers are hard. Really hard. It's probably easier for someone else to write a pitch for your work than for you to do it. See, I know every little detail. Oh, and did I mention that no detail is little? Seriously, it's very hard to strip a story down to its essence and have it sound enthralling, meaningful, fun, gripping, suspenseful or whatever feeling you're trying to evoke.

Reno - RWA National Conference - is a month away and I have to be ready to pitch. In elevators, over lunch, at meetings specifically for this pupose, and to anyone who asks, "What's your story about?"

So, I've been working onmy pitchfor two days now. I think I've finally got it, but now it dawns on me that I not only have to create the pitch, but I have to actually speak it. Say it aloud.Have it roll blithely off my tongue.Turn it into a fascinatingconversation.

Here's the thing, I love writingstories and I love talking about them, but there's a lot of pressure here to get it right. From me. I really want to be able to pitch my story in a compelling, professional and winning way. I want to grab the agent or editor's attention and never let it go. I want her to be drooling by the time I'm finished and rubbingher hands together in anticipation of getting the manuscript.

Yes, I have a rich fantasy life. I'm a writer!

Til next time,

Ardath