Pitches, Blogs & Microphones

I went to the pitch sessions I’d signed up for at the David R. Collins Writers’ Conference and a funny thing happened—I did okay.

Yes, I gave each one my best shot. I answered questions and made my points about character arcs, conflicts, and themes; filled my allotted ten minutes with thoughtful conversation about my novel; and came away amazed.

I don’t think I could have done that even a few months ago. If asked the simplest question: What’s it about? I would have been hard pressed to say anything coherent.

So what’s changed?

For one thing—this blog.

I’ve been working on these weekly articles about the novel since April and I believe they’ve made me become better acquainted with my own work, in part and in whole.

It wasn’t an intended goal. I just felt I was far enough along with the process that I could write about it for awhile. It seemed like a good idea.

The second thing that’s changed—I’ve done more public readings.

Most recently, I went to the conference gathering at Rozz-Tox in Rock Island. Following the faculty readings, the mic was open to conference attendees, so I signed up. I chose to read some poems. A brave thing to do, since I’m NOT a poet. I figured with one good free verse poem and three short limericks I could get up, practice speaking, and get out of the way fairly quickly.

Microphones are wonderful things, especially that one—once I got it into position. I stepped up, spoke into it, and could be heard. And by the comments I received afterward, appreciated.

Strange things happen all the time. A simple cat poem can become a confidence builder.

A Cat’s Ode to the Left-Over Pot Roast

By Mary Davidsaver

Eat a cow?

Eat it now?

It may be cold.

It may be old.

...eat it anyhow.

(You had to have been there.)

So, my pitches weren’t perfect, but I did well enough for an agent to request fifty pages. At this stage of the game, that’s a win.

Pretty cool stuff for a shy person.