As another part of the excellent Alkongian NY Pitch Conference, our mentor encouraged all in our small group to participate in #PitchWars, on Twitter.
This part of the country really doesn't have much use for Twitter, but I love it. Its easy for news and for connecting to other readers.
So, I have seen #PitchWars for years. In fact, I watched it with my mind very much a bit boggled at all the activity. But, our mentor clearly knows her game, so I took her advice and plunged in.
As a precursor this year, there just happen to be some of the fun #PWPoePrompts which, from what I can tell, are a warm up, and awesome community meet and greet (and follow). It can take as little or as much time as you give it. I'm still not sure I'll have time for #PitchWars, as we are just coming back from a trip to Paris, France right before, but regardless, I've already gotten so much out of this. And I'm finding that, like D'Artagnan, I'm very much the "One for All and All for One," kind of #PitchWar mentee hopeful. Yes, I would LOVE a mentor. But honestly, I don't see someone else's success at getting a mentor cutting me out of my chance to have I AM HOUSTON published, so I guess I'm a bit chill, in that regard. Also, I love a steady stream of books to read, so I'm happy for anyone who gets published.
And I absolutely believe in I AM HOUSTON. Just look at the young Sam Houston's story as told here:
So exciting.
I wasn't prepared for the smarts behind the #PWPoePrompts though, and that is why I am writing this blog. It's ingenious! Here is why: these little tweet prompters, one each day with a clear purpose, are helping me tell and sell my story. They are making me pull together things I've seen used on blogging book review tours, and even teaching me some new tricks. What a boon.
Here are a few tricks, or pitches, I now have up my sleeve:
For starters, I know that I AM HOUSTON has certain color auras, and those are Black, Orange and Tan. This is as it should be. I also now know that historical fiction can play this rather YA, Fantasy, Romance driven aesthetics game. Pictures can tell both the hero journey, and that of the antagonist, even if it is mainly your hero doing his own antagonizing.
(I didn't use that worst enemy collage, too much going on for Twitter, but I think it works here, do you?).
Even better, I know what kind of playlist old Sam has. Stayin' Alive is definitely his theme song.
So expect to see more fun in the days to come. And if you feel so inclined, I'd love for you to cheer me on with Twitter's #Pitchwars and #PWPoePrompts.
Here's a sneak peek for tomorrow's tweet on Cover inspiration. The first picture shows how I was inspired with the name, because Sam Houston signed his name in a way that looked like "I Am Houston"
And because I see this story as Houston's young life on fire, I've long dreamed of the title on a black cover with the letters on fire, such as the H below. If the corners were burning off, showing some old maps, such as of Cherokee Territory, Tennessee, and Texas, that would be pretty awesome, too.
