If You Can't Pitch it, Ditch it! (Or Rewrite it!)

Wow! I just want to say a huge thank you to @Thomas Umstattd Jr. for creating the pitch tools, and just as importantly, teaching us how to use them!

I found myself frustrated and confused as I filled in the boxes for the Plot Pitch Generator patron tool, and wishing I could just paste my manuscript in and have the tool do its magic.

But, as I tried to figure out which character was the protagonist, I realized I had a bigger problem than any pitch could solve. Thomas’s words came back to haunt me as I recalled his advice to write a pitch before writing the story. Could I actually have a plot problem?!

I fed my manuscript to Gemini, asking it about my protagonists, and whether they would benefit from more distinction and personality before the inciting incident. If there's anything I've learned about editing, it's that if you're asking yourself a question, you usually already know the answer. This time was no exception. My characters definitely needed work!

So, I got started. With the help of Not a Developmental Editor to tear my work apart and suggest changes, and Gemini to affirm the changes I made, and help reconstruct the pieces, I can say I feel way more confident about my story now. And the new pitch? I'm hopeful it will actually resonate with readers.

But that might be anther post.