Excellent, Christa. Going to a conference is just an interesting experience to have. There are a few I've been to that I won't go back again -- as faculty--but would probably be super fun to attend as a writer. So choose a good one and plan it well.
I’ve been leaning more towards pitching at a conference. Even though I talk to people for a living, the idea of pitching in person is intimidating! Having a template of what to say and an inside look into what a pitch actually looks like is helpful. Thank you!
You're very welcome. I can understand how it feels intimidating. You can always practice on an on-line Zoom pitch. It's sort of in-person without the travel ;)
Great stuff! Other things that have helped me: rehearsing ad nauseam in front of other people, preferably people who will stop to ask questions and force you to lose the thread and find it again; telling the story forwards and backwards (literally) -- heard a detective once say this was how he determined if someone was lying about a suspect's story; record yourself to eliminate um, uhs, ya knows, likes, and other filler; learn how to use negative space, i.e. pauses and silences for dramatic effect; try to imagine the pitch as an opportunity to make a new friend, which keeps it more human and relatable; and try to remember that an audience is generally always on your side--a great story/pitch is always preferable to the alternative. :)
Reminds me of the days when I was pitching a screenplay. So similar. Here’s a story I heard about Shonda Rhimes when she first pitched Grey’s Anatomy. She read the whole thing and did not look up once because she was so nervous.
Great information, Renee! I've been hesitant to invest in conferences until I had a solid game plan. This helps immensely! Thank you!
Excellent, Christa. Going to a conference is just an interesting experience to have. There are a few I've been to that I won't go back again -- as faculty--but would probably be super fun to attend as a writer. So choose a good one and plan it well.
I’ve been leaning more towards pitching at a conference. Even though I talk to people for a living, the idea of pitching in person is intimidating! Having a template of what to say and an inside look into what a pitch actually looks like is helpful. Thank you!
You're very welcome. I can understand how it feels intimidating. You can always practice on an on-line Zoom pitch. It's sort of in-person without the travel ;)
Great stuff! Other things that have helped me: rehearsing ad nauseam in front of other people, preferably people who will stop to ask questions and force you to lose the thread and find it again; telling the story forwards and backwards (literally) -- heard a detective once say this was how he determined if someone was lying about a suspect's story; record yourself to eliminate um, uhs, ya knows, likes, and other filler; learn how to use negative space, i.e. pauses and silences for dramatic effect; try to imagine the pitch as an opportunity to make a new friend, which keeps it more human and relatable; and try to remember that an audience is generally always on your side--a great story/pitch is always preferable to the alternative. :)
Great advice, Norman 😊
Thank you Renee! Very helpful :)
Glad you liked it 😊
Reminds me of the days when I was pitching a screenplay. So similar. Here’s a story I heard about Shonda Rhimes when she first pitched Grey’s Anatomy. She read the whole thing and did not look up once because she was so nervous.
I’ve had a woman sit down with a 9” thick binder (no joke) and open it to page one, like we were going through it page by page.
Time was well up, and she wasn’t stopping for anything. 🤦🏻♀️
Oh no. Haha. You probably interrupted by saying something really funny and charming.
I honestly don’t remember what I said, I just know that binder haunts my dreams.
Thank you for taking time to give us newbies such thorough advice! I’m saving these tips to practice and prepare for an upcoming conference.
Good luck, Alexis :)
As always, Renee, your insights are invaluable! Thanks for this.
You're very welcome, Marc.