That's right, you read it correctly.
But of course we have details. You didn't think it was going to be that easy did you? ;-)
Because we are a writing blog, we want to help you take your craft to the next level and we are very excited to have our guest, Rachel, do that, not just for one of you, but for all of us!
Now before Rachel hyperventilates at the nightmare of us all flooding her inbox with our 1,000 word excerpts, let me explain just a bit more.
The winner will send 1,000 words (and no more) of their story (a choice of a work in progress that you have) to Rachel, who will do therapy to the section. Once her magic is complete, Rachel will send it back to me...to then be posted here on the blog for all of us to learn from.
(side note: if you are the winner and don't wish to have your name on the section to be posted live on our blog, then please notify me when I email you the winner's details.)
This option does NOT come around very often. In fact, you really don't see this period, so I suggest you take advantage of this amazing opportunity!
**~The contest details~**
An example of a pitch would be: All Jenna Hutch wants is a chance at normal newlywed bliss. But a haunting past and the secret of an unborn child threaten to unravel the fragile hope she has placed in tomorrow.
This was the pitch/ log line for my first contemporary novel , Releasing Yesterday.
We're looking for 1-2 sentences that sums up your story. Good things to include is: main character, story question and the main conflict
Since Rachel is a fiction author, we are going to default to fiction being the stories to be pitched in this contest.
Your pitch will be judged by the Alley Cats and may the best pitch win. :-)
This contest will be open until NEXT TUESDAY, January 24th with the winner announced in that Saturday's weekend edition, so you do have a *little* bit of time to perfect your pitch and get it submitted.
Woo-hoooo! It's an Alley first and we're super excited to have this opportunity to share it with you!
Inspire greatness and let's make this a slam-dunk success!!
38 comments:
Wow, what an opportunity! Rachel has such a gift when it comes to writing and making stories better. I don't know if I'm going to enter the contest yet (I'm knee deep in other writing projects), but I'll definitely be following this one. :)
Question: Is this 1,000 word story to be a complete story in itself or a section of our wips?
Jeanne, no, it's just 1,000 words from your story. I should probably clarify that. It does not have to be a story in and of itself. Sorry about that.
Wow, thank you so much Rachel for offering this. What a great opportunity and I can't wait to learn from it.
This is totally an awesome opportunity (question- can it be nonfiction?). I'll be back either way!
Yes! This is a great opportunity! I know we can all benefit from it. Thanks Rachel for offering to do this!
Oops, I misread it the first time that we should send 1,000 words of our story to be judged, but you just want to pitch line, correct?
I'll be back to enter!
Hi Joanne. I checked on non-fiction for you and I think it will be okay, but one of us will try to let you know soon if it's different. I hope you enter!
Yes, Sarah, just the pitch. Can't wait to read your entry!
How exciting! Thank you Rachel! I can't wait to see what you do.
Thanks, Cindy. I'll work on the NF pitch, and if I hear otherwise will think about fiction.
How long should the pitch be? Is it just a line or similar to back-cover copy?
Thanks for the opportunity!
Lindsay, you want it to be just about 1-2 sentences only. :)
this sounds awesome. Thanks Alley Cats and Rachel. Do we post our pitch here or email it somewhere?
Jodi, you can post it in the comments, or if you are not comfortable doing that, then you can send it to the Alley Cat email: thewritersalleys(@)gmail(.)com
What an awesome contest! Off to work on my pitch. ;)
Pitch should be 50 ish words. Casey's example is perfect!!
Come on y'all, loosen up and throw that pitch! :)
Rachel
What a dream contest! :) Okay, here's mine:
Lanna walks a tightrope between two worlds with little success, unless falling in love counts.
When someone from her past reappears, winning the battle against the web of lies and secrets she has spun is the only way she can hope to embrace love—and save her Prince.
Thank you again for this opportunity!
Great pitch Rachelle! Thanks so much for taking that leap. Woo-hoo! :D
Ooo, I'm intrigued, Rachelle! I agree, Casey, that was a great pitch :)
Ant and Caryn build a friendship on shared pain - they've both had their hearts broken by love. Can they learn to trust the growing love between them and that God can keep them together forever?
Here's mine:
When Seth Waters loses the love of his life, he does everything in his power to win her back. When all fails, he turns to another power and makes a deal with the devil. Unfortunately, he gets a lot more than he bargains for. Not only does he lose his soul, but he begins to lose his humanity, too.
I'll give it shot:
Following a bizarre road trip, Randy and Mae are haunted by a mysterious man composed of blue, shimmering light. Who is this glimmering man and what does he want of them?
Great pitches ladies, so glad you jumped on board!!
Here is my pitch on a Memoir I am currently writing:
A true story of illegal adoption, lost letters and 2 families that wove a tangled web of family secrets, leaving behind a legacy of sacrifice. A tale that will inspire and illustrate the lengths two Mothers will go to for the love of a child.
Yes - this is a great opportunity indeed!
Here is my pitch:
A past tragedy compels seaside police chief Benjamin to protect lives at all costs. When childhood friend Rose unexpectedly returns with a stalker on her heels, can Ben bring the evil-doer to justice when the stalking turns deadly, and before Rose’s newest change of address is to the local graveyard?
Yay, more pitches! These are great. Good job!
I'd love for my summary to be chosen for the therapy!
A 17-year-old stage performer (elocutionist and singer) runs away from her abusive uncle, but she is caught in a perilous web. Could the peddler who constantly appears be a venomous spider in her life or the one to help her untangle her problems?
Here goes...
As Grace prepares to leave for college, she unearths a journal written by her mother’s best friend—a best friend Grace has never heard of. Jessica is desperate to keep her daughter from discovering the story of betrayal and secrecy that’s haunted her for years. Will the truth bring reconciliation or destroy their relationship forever?
Thanks for this opp! Here's mine:
Suzanne, a park interpreter, loses her desired promotion to the new boss, Rick, a Potawatomi Indian with a different vision for Pokagon State Park. Working together to develop the park’s resources, they are forced to evaluate their preconceived notions about other races. Their faith helps them move beyond distrust to respect and even love.
-Kim
Here's mine:
Greer's mother, Ciara had a motto she lived by, "Love looks like something."
After Ciara disappears, Greer lives with her grandparents in Seneca Falls, New York where the Women's Suffrage movement began and learns what love looks like. Love looks like the child growing in her womb, but looked nothing like the man who put it there.
Joie
I'm so glad Casey is choosing. These are GREAT!
Rachel
A great opportunity! Here's my pitch:
When God goes AWOL, righteous demon Liam and angelic lover Mikael become pawns in the battle for Heaven. Victory means losing everything they've built together.
When a confirmed bachelor inherits his sister's four kids, he knows he can't do it all on his own.
But he can't mail order a bride - can he find one on Craigslist?
Thank you Rachel [and Case!] for the opportunity!
Carol
Wow, what a great contest! Thank you for this amazing opportunity.
When a neuroscientist initiates an experiment on unsuspecting students, they begin to exhibit excessive creativity and dangerous side effects. Can two students piece together what is really going on before someone gets seriously hurt?
I was so worried about missing this. I only put my short pitch...so I'll add to it
Tormented by voices, Ebony Grace fears mental illness.
Shane Rue is visited by an angel with a desperate message.
The terrifying truth is the demon responsible for her mothers suicide is now attached to Ebony.
If she defeats the demon will the voices finally stop?
Thank you again for this fabulous chance to work with Rachel.
Cheryl
Almost missed this! Thanks for the opportunity, here's my eleventh hour entry. The working title is Her Father's Eyes:
A reporter strives to live her new Christian life, but she faces obstacles in the form of her semi-abusive dad moving in uninvited, and the proposed relationship with a married man. Throwing in an eighty pound bulldog and her dad’s ex-girlfriend, this reporter must learn what it truly means to see the world through her Father’s eyes.
Here it goes.
Nate Wheeler has tried everything to separate himself from his past - and his name. His wild lifestyle is a distraction to the media but won’t erase his inner struggle. Then he meets Claire; a young woman who has no past. What if he could start over? What would he do with an unwritten page?
Thanks for the opportunity.
Oh, I like that one, Jodi! Sounds intriguing.
Great job, everyone! It was just fun to read everyone's pitches. So much creativity out there!
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