Big night tonight, and not just because we housed an entire package of Twizzlers. Laura came over to flesh out a few of our book ideas. As evidenced by the picture above, we brainstorm best with Twizzlers and Crystal Light. It just works. Oh, and you can't tell, but my notebook is really adorable. It helps to have cute notebooks too.
We now have 3 solid outlines of potential projects that we're going to pitch to May-jah Agent (phonetic spelling for those of you who've forgotten that the "Major" is to be said with your best V. Bex accent) later this week. I'm feeling pretty good about 2 of the 3 projects. The third project would be challenging, but also might be the most marketable. It will be interesting to get Major Agent's perspective on all of the concepts.
Honestly, we might end up back at the drawing board, and we'd be completely ok with that too. At this stage in the game we want to write something that's going to be easy to market to publishers. Does that make us a couple of sell out, idea whores? Um...yes, probably. But we're totally ok with that label thankyouverymuch.
Brainstorming is always a fun part of the process for us because it usually devolves into random conversations. Tonight we discussed everything from starting a book with a ghost taking a dump (I'm not kidding. I really wish I was, but I'm absolutely not) to randomly adding in vampires, werewolves and characters named Bella to each of the books, you know just to increase their marketplace viability. It was hilarious. Really it was. Well, maybe it was only funny if you've eaten half a bag of Twizzlers. You'll just have to take my word for it.
Over the next couple of days we'll be drafting and finalizing a one page synopsis for each project and then sending it over the interwebs to Major Agent. For the record, synopsis writing is the bane of my existence. Laura is MUCH better at it than I am and this is one of the many times throughout the writing process where I thank God for my writing partner.
All of this brainstorming has us excited to start a new project. We're hoping some actual productivity will help counteract the shame induced hangover that inevitably hits after a fruitful day of cyberstalking potential editors and refreshing our e-mail.
Good. Times.
18 comments:
Good luck with the pitches! I am so jealous you get to do all that brainstorming together. Everyone should have a fun sister to write with! I'm just grateful I have one to read and edit my work. Love sisters. And twizzlers...
Oh and as far as being idea whores, I think it's brilliant. Why spend your life banging your head against the wall trying to fit your work into what people are looking for if you can find out what they're looking for then write it? (Did that even make sense?)
I'm right with you both - I want to succeed!
So fun - brainstorming. When I was a buyer, we used to spend many buying trips huddled around clothes and charts, twizzlers in hand, picking our "buy" for the season....Hmmmm, memories! (Maybe a story...OOhhhh)
I typically brainstorm with an L7 combo from Long John Silvers. Something about hush puppies opens up my mind for greatness. I literally outlined my MS sitting indian style at a LJS alone. It is really something to look up, hush puppy poised, deep in thought and make eye contact with the homeless guy in the next booth.
And then I rip open the vinegar packet with my teeth.
Good luck with your pitches, gals!
You guys are so lucky to have each other! Good luck with the pitching. I'm thinking the story with the MC with blond curls, that's the winner :)
I just had the sell-out conversation with someone else, and I'm totally in. Sell-outs, party of three...
And I wish I had someone to brainstorm and write in cute notebooks with. Do you think my 8-year-old would play with me? I could call it, like, a club or something. With flashlights. And a secret handshake. We could talk about ghosts taking dumps. You're not the only one who can brainstorm!
Okay, seriously. Stop bragging about the sister-sister twizzler brainstorming parties. Not cool. Not cool at all. Especially since my little sis has thus far rebuffed all of my "Hey, wanna write a book together please please please?" approaches.
*throws a jealousy dart at both of you*
You know, I came up with a great story idea the other day that you guys might want to pitch:
The main character is a teenage boy who is really a werewolf. However, instead of sparkling like the vamps in Twilight, he instead craps rainbows! Oh, and his name is Harry Manchester.
I'm thinking the title should be "Moonrise" or something like that.
What do you guys think??? :D
I'll be happy to sell the rights for some twizzlers.
Love Twizlers! And, I don't have a problem with the whole idea whores thing. Why not write what sells?
And, my last brainstorming session with a couple of close pals actaully involved the concept of shaved monkeys being passed off for babies at an adoption agency. I'm still considering using it....
I only have one question: Was there anything great ever accomplished without the presence and aid of Twizzlers? (Nibs will do too)
Good luck with pitching the ideas! And seriously, the key word in sell-out is sell. You tell that to any hecklers!
D00d, I feel like a super stalker (not that you don't already know that I am), but I found your website linked on the side.
I'm really psyched about Pride and Purity. I liked it when I read the excerpt in May, and I think it's a clever idea! So I hope that's one of the two projects you are excited about. When it comes out, I'll be all over it.
I'm knee deep in synopsis writing and really regretting my decision to let Laura take the Twizzlers home with her. What was I thinking!?
Rebecca - Yay! A fellow idea whore! We're all about being marketable baby.
Christine - Ooh, you were a buyer!? That was one of my dream jobs, and that was before I knew Twizzlers were involved!
LMJ - I didn't even know they still had Long John Silvers, but I love that it brings out the writer in you. Who needs starbucks when you have hushpuppies and fried fish? Your muse is a greasy man in a pirate hat. I love it.
Sherrie - The synopsis with your MC as the daughter is one of my faves. Although it's MG and we've never written MG before. I'm worried that I'll have a hard time gearing my voice towards a younger audience. We'll see.
Kimberly - I always laugh when I read your author interviews because I know EXACTLY how we'd answer your question about critically acclaimed, award winning author or best seller. Um...duh. AND I love that you want to start a club with your daughter involving flashlights and ghost poop. What 8-year-old could possibly resist?
Jess - Just remember that if we ever do make any money on our books, we'll be splitting it 50/50. Whereas you superstar authors who write all by your lonesome will run away with the full profits. Of course, I'll go out on a limb and say that our Twizzler fueled brainstorming parties are well worth that 50%, but that's just me!
Rebecca - We've talked it over and we'll trade you the cherry pull and peel Twizzlers for that story idea, but you're not getting any of our strawberry vines. Deal?
Tess - Shaved monkeys!? That's hot.
Sarah - The nibs are my personal favorite. If we had those around there wouldn't be any left. That I can promise you. Laura and I have decided on your gift certificate of awesome. Should be on it's way to the Big Apple shortly! Get excited.
Icy - Pride and Purity is on the list and it's one of my favorites! Our updated synopsis has added some intriguing plot points, so I'm interested to see what the agent has to say about it. She was initially a little worried that it wasn't different enough than other P&P updates out there. We'll see.
Done and done ;).
Good luck to both of you! I love reading your posts--they always cheer me up. Good advice. Next time I have to write up a synopsis, I'm going to do it through a sugar-induced haze. :p
Ooo, you guys should totally make a vlog documenting these fabulous brainstorming sessions! It would be insightful plus hilarious, I'm sure of it! :) <3
~Breezy
I LOVE Twizzlers! When I'm having a really bad week, I grab a bag along with my regular 2 pints of ice cream.
Good luck on pitching. I so hear you on writing The Synopsis. Ugh. But I'm betting you guys rock it!
Can I be a third sister? I love brainstorming! It is the writing part that gets me every time.
im convinced you two are really one person who's crazy :)
3 ideas - im lucky if I get one in a week :0
my word is mentell (is that a nice way of saying mental?)
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