Writing is easy.

The elevator pitch is ... h a r d.

Writing is easy.

The elevator pitch is … h a r d.

The story of Tessa was easy to tell. Her story flowed out of me—through my fingers and onto the screen—with relative ease. I wrote the approximately 250k words as a three-part series in about 14 weeks. Maybe not fast by some writers’ standards, but for a first-time author, I wasn’t complaining about the tempo of my progress.

So, you know what I do find really, truly, excruciatingly painful? Creating the summarized version of what I’ve written (to be able to promote the series). When someone asks me what my book is about, I feel like I am a deer in the headlights. Frozen in place. Blinded by the lights.

Photo by Steven Pahel on Unsplash

I know. It’s irrational. I wrote all the words. I know exactly what the story is about. But isn’t that the problem? I know everything about it. How in the world do I distill it down to an elevator pitch that will captivate a potential reader (in 5 sentences or less) when it took me 250,000+ words to share from start to finish?

Time for some Fartleks.

Not in the literal sense here.¹ But figuratively, I have been running fartleks when it comes to perfecting my description. In fact, I’m practicing my elevator pitch every time I get a chance. If you see me talking to myself while stopped at a traffic light? Yep, trying out a new 90-second pitch (sometimes I get up to 120 seconds before the light changes). Brushing my teeth? Quick, garbled synopsis with toothpaste dribbling down my chin. Walking the dog? Challenging myself to "sell” the story to my imaginary friend before I reach the next mailbox or lamppost.²

Try this on for size.

Here are two of my latest versions describing my upcoming trilogy, the first book to be published by Provender Press later this year. If you are a dystopian fan, I hope they appeal to you. (If you are not a dystopian fan, or don’t identify as a YA/New Adult fan, well, you might not be compelled to read the story described. But as Meg Waite Clayton is quoted to have said, “Not every book is for every reader.”)

Version 1:

In the aftermath of the Great Changes, the United Pacific Territories has forged a fragile peace under the Ryker administration's leadership. And yet, a growing unrest lies beneath the surface, pitting the Wilds against the urban centers. For fourteen-year-old Tessa Wright, uprooted from her home in the Wilds after the tragic loss of her family, the move to the urban Owyhee zone is a challenging adjustment. As she navigates high school under the guidance of her aunt, uncle, and therapist, Tessa grapples with acceptance among the school's Elites and haunting memories that make her question her identity. Amidst the rise of the Underground, who threaten to disrupt the facade of stability, Tessa embarks on a journey of self-discovery, determined to uncover her true self in a society determined to mold her differently.

Version 2:

In the remnants of the Pacific Northwest, 110 years from now, fourteen-year-old Tessa Wright's idyllic life in the Wilds is disrupted by the death of her family. Haunted by mysterious memories and thrust into an urban society, Tessa struggles with grief while navigating high school among the privileged Elites and attempting to understand her true identity. She is drawn into the plot to uncover the truth behind a devastating terrorist attack and the sinister plans of the Ryker administration. As Tessa unravels her past, she must fight for her newfound friends and dwindling freedoms. The lines between loyalty, love, and the cost of rebellion are blurred. Can she reclaim her true self before it's too late?

What do you think?

Know your audience

The series is targeted at older young adults (now termed New Adult) and younger Adults (I mean, I have it on good authority that the author has breached her 50s … and the story appeals to her, so …).³

Book one focuses on Tessa’s personal journey to assimilate into her new situation, introduces the societal tensions woven into the fabric of the young country, and explores the theme of identity in a dystopian landscape. Book two reflects on her acceptance of the path before her and how she identifies with those around her. Book three follows her journey to adapt without losing sight of herself or compromising what is most important to her.

Fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent, Legend, and Taken will likely find this series similar, meshing with their tastes for fiction.⁴ The series includes a mixture of teenage angst, budding romance, subterfuge, plot twists, and even some action/adventure. (As the series progresses, so does the action—I’ve woven in fight scenes, rescues, and sports.)

How is this dystopian story different?

The series takes place in a possible future where climate change has shifted our society to find a new normal. Tessa lives in a world where the reliance on fossil fuels is no longer acceptable, and green technologies—in agriculture, energy production, and travel—are necessary. My purpose was to show “hope” for a future that would be possible if we embraced the need to make changes beyond simple platitudes. As such, perhaps the series could also be categorized as a CliFi novel.

Good Stuff

Check out these other writers on Substack.

1. Words matter -

   Kathrine Elaine
   writes, “Words can lift you up into heaven or put you down, lower than hell.” I strongly agree with her assessment. Perhaps I’ll explore this more in a future essay.

2. It Looks Like a Knee Problem, But It’s Probably Not - I have a side hustle that includes teaching several group and private fitness classes, so I loved

   Janine Agoglia
   essay on how the pain is not necessarily where the problem is. Isn’t that the case with many things in life?

3. The Subway Ghosts - A delightfully captivating read by

   Graeme Hague
   . Go read it!

4. Can we air condition our way out of extreme heat? - This was a timely essay (as we hit triple digits several days in the last week). Check it out—by

   Andrew Dessler
   .

5. Cats or Dogs or Other? - The trend for “the vibe I bring to Substack” has been entertaining. I’m not sure yet if I’ll participate, but the other trend I can get behind is the MeowStack and

   Dog Snobs
   publications! And I’m not sure who wins the best pet photo contest…
   Nur Nadar
   with his photos of Bear or
   Adam Lutzi Rockwell
   and his daily catstack photos. What do you think?

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Want to know more?

• To learn more about me, start here.

• To learn more about how this writing journey started for me, start here.

• To read about my self-imposed birthday month challenge, click here.

1. From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

I made my oldest do fartleks the year I turned 40 and decided I’d start running with him … he could run circles around me, so I sent him ahead to the next corner and back to me as a sprint while I ambled—plodded—along. My running stint lasted about three weeks. Thank you, plantar fasciitis.

2. I did have an imaginary friend when I was younger, aptly named “the friendly ghost” (probably because Casper was a popular show at the time). My parents informed me that I had insisted on saving a space for my friend wherever we went. I even ensured they held the door open long enough for “the friendly ghost” to enter with us. Not sure when my friend left me as I only have vague memories of this friend.

3. I just celebrated my birthday month. Don’t ask me how old I am as that requires math and (as my college student on summer break is apt to tell me), “I don’t do math in the summer.”

4. This list happens to be some of my favorite dystopian stories, which have also influenced my writing.