Thanks HapiSofi, Momento Moir, et al.
I'm still here. It's like passing a car accident on the highway, cursing the rubber-neckers and then slowing down yourself as you get close (except multiple times a day).
Sorry if I'm not as coherent as other people who recently posted
or if I slur my words, but I just got a filling at the dentist and my mouth is numb.
I've been elsewhere on the site, posted three revisions of my opening chapter (YA SYW), posted seeking a beta (or mentor) and sent off the first three chapters to an agent on Monday, more about that in a bit.
I've actually wanted to post something for a few days, but held myself back.
I wanted to clarify that people think learning to pitch is largely useless. Is that correct? I'm not making a judgement, just wanted to clarify.
I realize that people query agents or publishers via email or post much more often than actually bumping into one and pitching, but I think that having a pitch helps you do the aforementioned things, also. This seems to be played out via the conferences either upcoming or that I have attended where they offer classes on crafting a pitch. (Not Algonkian where that is a large part, but Writers Day or Muse and the Marketplace (Grub Street))
So, back to the agent. I had signed up to pitch an agent at Writers Day through the NH writers project (A really fun event, BTW.) I had hoped my revisions would be completed before then (I signed up months ago), but thanks very much to the feedback I had gotten in SYW, I decided that I needed another re-write.
Waiting in line for the pitch, I listened to one older gentleman who had just discovered that he only had five minutes to convey his story and he said it wasn't enough time.
When I got in, I pitched in one minute and it gave me four minutes of back and forth with the agent who then requested the first three chapters that I was comfortable with sending. She understood I was a little further behind than I had wanted to be before I had met her. It also taught me a lesson to make sure that I am actually where I want to be BEFORE I set something like this up; patience isn't a strong suit of mine.
Anyways, one thing she said, which I had understood upfront, but has also been said here (and cannot be stressed enough) was that although the story was compelling, it all hinged on the writing.
Personally, the thing I've learned the most since joining AW is that I need more craft lessons. I bought the books and read them, listened to Podcasts, but I need something like Viable Paradise. Clarion is out since I cannot afford 6 weeks at this point in my life. Hopefully someday, but not now. I just need to find the time to write up the first section of my next book so I can apply. It's my understanding that VP doesn't accept submissions if they are already being submitted to agents or publishers.
I'm still lurking, just really busy putting together a synopsis and finishing my revisions in the hoped the agent likes what she saw or to submit to more when I'm actually done. (this time)
I really like the AW community even though I started my experience in the most contentious forum here.