Perfecting the Pivot
For the past few weeks, my mind has been reeling with all the emotions. At the beginning of the month, my sister and I decided to submit ourselves into a contest. Our submission consisted of a 35-word pitch for our YA fantasy and the first 250 words of our novel. It was nerve-racking, 35 words is not a lot to describe a 91,000-word project. But we did it. A last minute decision, getting our entry in just before the deadline at midnight Eastern time, which is 9 pm our time.
And as promised we received feedback. It was positive feedback! No one telling us we were hack jobs or out of our depths. The judges liked our concept but told us the most valuable advice we’ve ever received - you have too much backstory. When we revisited our first chapter, it was so obvious as if someone had turned the light on for us. There was too much backstory - blah blah blah - who cares. Get to it! So, we took it out. Not only did we take it out, but we revisited Chapter 2, which had the same issues. Chapter 1 and 2 have always been our problem children. But knowing something is wrong and knowing what is wrong are two different things. Finally, someone told us. PIVOT! (circa Ross and the couch -- If you don’t know, look it up - makes me laugh every time-) So, we’ve revising Chapter 1, combined Chapter 2 with 3, changed hair colors, removing birthmarks, etc...
“The Pivot” is something my sister and I are not afraid of and are quick to do. We don’t like wasting time. When it becomes clear we’re not on the right path, we aren’t looking to bail, just for a tweak in the right direction. This has been true my whole life. I think it’s a combination of humility and confidence with a mild case of impatience that drives us. For instance in high school, I wanted to be a part of the pep squad. I tried out for cheer and didn’t make it. (It truly was not the best audition) So, PIVOT! I tried out for the dance-drill team and did make it. (A much better audition and more positions to fill - the odds were truly in my favor) In college, I was a Film Production major and did well, but found out that the job I was looking to pursue probably came with a lot of coffee fetching and consistent sexual harassment. So, PIVOT! I filled my senior year of college with computer design classes and boosted my resume to find an opportunity as a graphic designer. The pivot worked and I left college having a job lined up - no coffee fetching and sexual harassment.
It’s the “Pivot” that has brought all the most wonderful things to my life - fun high school memories with friends and behind the scenes adventure, my job of nearly 15 years that’s afforded me my home and chance to have my three babies, and so much more that would be hard to understand without full blown explanations. This latest pivot felt right. A cosmic shift has taken place in the ways of our book that we both can feel in our gut. Oh and the contest… we weren’t chosen for a team meaning we weren’t finalists and agents aren’t checking us out. However, our PIVOT! Has given us clear direction and we’re making fundamental changes that will improve our story greatly and now have the time to do them right. Well, a little more time - Nightmare on Query Street #NoQS submissions are on October 14th. Que 80’s inspirational movie music!
