#NestPitch is coming!
Yes, another Twitter pitch contest. Another chance to get eyes on your words, possibly the eyes of agents. I have said that I never had good luck with these contests, but many have. So this year, I’m going to come at this adventure at a different angle.
I am going to be a slushie! When they asked, I couldn’t say no. Sounds like fun. A chance to help writers, to be a part of something that could very well launch a new book, bring a new face into the crowd.
And I get to read all the words. That’s my favorite.
I’ll give a quick run-through, but for the full list of rules and the list of all the teams PLEASE visit our fearless leader Nik Vukoja’s site here.
April 1st (submission date).
The submission consists of:
1. 35-word pitch
2. Answer to this question: If your MC was an Easter Egg, what flavour would s/he be? (no more than 15 words please)
3. 1st 300-words of your manuscript*
*1st 300 = if you have a prologue, then your 1st 300 starts from your prologue.
Finish at the end of a sentence. This is 300-word MAX, so your last word is 300-words. If your sentence finishes on 292-words, submit that. If your sentences run into 30 or more words, then rethink the length of your sentence(s). Broken sentences do no one any favours.
So, the first page… Hmmm… You judge a ms on the first 300 words?
I don’t think it’s completely possible.
So what do I look for in a first page?
Character.
I can leave that page knowing whether I want to get to know the main character, to go on whatever journey they are about to take.
I will get a sense of the writing. Is the page full of passive voice? Filter words? Are there little brush strokes of details that bring the opening to life? Or am I confused?
I’m not going to get the big question… what the book is about. That’s a chapter one, not page one, thing. I don’t necessarily want a wham bang opening action scene, unless in that scene you give me character, voice.
I would LOVE to give EVERYONE feedback, but having never done this before, I am not sure how possible that will be.
My critiques are honest and meant to be helpful. I do not want anyone to finish reading a crit and feel terrible. I want them to feel inspired. I want their minds to spin with ideas on how to make their words the best they can be. Critiquing is one of my favorite things to do as a writing and I would do it all the time, except I would never get my own words written and have been told that is unacceptable.
Do you have a finished manuscript? Has it been through the hands of your critique partners and you think it’s ready? Then enter. If you’re thinking of entering, just do it. You may get nothing and that’s okay, because you can still query all those agents on your list. (Seriously, my ms Doors never got into Twitter contests, got no feedback and months later I signed with Reuts Publishing, so… yeah.) And you might get to work WITH ME AND MY FABULOUS TEAM AND WE WILL HAPPY DANCE INTO ETERNITY!
And you can make new friends! Follow me on Twitter. Tweet strange things to me in ALL CAPS with lots of !!!!!!! and gifs (I like gifs, can you tell?) and we’ll be buds. Unless all my rambling here is scaring you, then RUN… I am a bit weird.
Now for my team!
Oh… we’re not scary!
That’s better.
#TeamEggsellent (cause we are)
Stacey Nash – Mentor
Author of YA & NA (HarperCollins), and fellow Aussie, Stacey is also part of the blogging Team at AussieOwnedAndRead. When not writing, Tweeting or Facebook- ing, she can be found spending time with her family.
Kathy Palm – Slushie
It’s ME! Magic-wielding, TARDIS-traveling, stay-at-home mom, and YA fantasy/horror writer Kathy recently signed with REUTS Publications, her debut DOORS to be released in winter of 2016. She loves chocolate and all the weird, creepy, and fantastical words.
Liv Rancourt – Slushie
Liv writes romance: m/f, m/m, and v/h, where the h is for human and the v is for vampire…or sometimes demon. She writes funny, not angst. When not writing Liv takes care of tiny premature babies or teenagers, depending on whether I’m at home or at work. She decribes her husband is a soul of patience and her dog as the cutest thing evah(!)
So… will I see you there? Keep watching for more details.
Kathleen Palm 
Holy crap! A 35-word pitch? Just shoot me. Describing my MC as an Easter Egg? Oh, boy. Blindfold me first. Good luck to all the participants. Loved the v/h romance. Stopped me in my tracks, but tickled my funny bone:) You’re going to be great at this!
The Twitter contests are crazy! But should be fun. 🙂
Thanks for the information! I’ll have to look into it.
Yes! Check it out!
For some reason your ffirst line made me think WINTER IS COMING! But I think we’ve all had enough winter, so YAY NESTPITCH! If Kathy is your slushie trust me, you will have AMAZING FEEDBACK
Aw! Thank you!