Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Secrets to Writing the Powerful Pitch by Molly Jebber



UPDATEHi, Molly's fans! The hostesses at Seriously Write love having you visit. However, it's our policy that we do not host a giveaway or take comments as entries. I'm sure Molly would be happy to direct you to another site to enter her drawing. Thanks for reading her post and for understanding!

It's a new year and maybe, for you, the beginning of a new story or proposal. If you have difficulty creating that pitch sentence or paragraph, author Molly Jebber has some advice to make it easier. -- Sandy

Molly: Having trouble writing your “elevator” pitch?

Determine your external and internal conflict for your heroine and hero. What has happened in their past to cause them not to trust or maybe they are afraid of commitment. Why? What will keep them from having their happily ever after? 

In Two Suitors for Anna, adventurous Noah proposes marriage to Anna and insists they leave their community to experience living in another Amish location. She loves her family, friends, and job in the quilt shop. He takes her hesitation as rejection and leaves. Daniel arrives and offers friendship to Anna. She’s falling in love with him, when Noah returns and asks for forgiveness and another chance. She’s torn. Who will she choose?

Anna, Noah, and Daniel face family, trust, and many other issues and problems to make things worse before they get better to show you their fears, weaknesses, and strengths molded by their pasts. When you have your external and internal conflicts for your hero and heroine, use them to write a two paragraph pitch you would give to an agent or editor or bookstore manager. If you struggle with it, you don’t have a strong enough conflict for your main characters. Deepen the impact of their past event causing them to have a trust issue. Now what will keep them apart? A job? Location? Children or no children? These are just a few examples.

I wrote my pitch for Two Suitors for Anna right after I’d determined my external and internal conflicts. I worked with the paragraphs to strengthen them for about an hour, and then I left it alone for a day or two. I rewrote it again, saved it, and created my outline. When my pitch is strong, I don’t experience writer’s block while writing my outline and story.  

It took me time to get to this place in my writing journey! I hope this helps you. My goal is to share with you what has worked for me in eliminating frustration and discouragement while writing my story. Wishing you an exciting writing journey and much success!    

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

How do you go about creating your elevator pitch? What do you find most difficult about it?


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Molly Jebber writes Amish Historical Romances. Her books have been featured in USA Today’s HEA
column, and “Change of Heart” made Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Ten List in spring of 2015, and her books have received 4.5 star ratings from Romantic Times. She’s on Romance Writers of America’s Honor Roll and she receives rave reviews in numerous magazines and media across the country.
She’s a touring speaker for Women’s Christian Connection, and she speaks to many other groups about Amish history and their traditions, writing, marketing, publishing, and about her books.
Her keepsake pocket quilt series, “Change of Heart”, “Grace’s Forgiveness” and “The Amish Christmas Sleigh” are available in print in stores and in ebook formats. “Two Suitors for Anna” releases January 31, 2017, and “Amish Brides” releases May 31, 2017 in stores and ebook. She’s just signed a new contract for four new books! Visit www.mollyjebber.com for a complete list of her books and speaking events.