Have questions about submitting to Pitch Wars or just want to know what it is? Start here!

Blog

A Pitch Wars Team Interview with Nancy Yan and her mentor, Lyndsay Ely

Saturday, 2 February 2019  |  Posted by Brenda Drake

 

Our mentors are editing, our mentees are revising, and we hope you’re making progress on your own manuscript! While we’re all working toward the Agent Showcase starting on February 6, 2019, we hope you’ll take a moment during your writing breaks and get to know our 2018 Pitch Wars Teams.

Next up, we have . . .

Nancy Yan – Mentee

Twitter

Lyndsay Ely – Mentor

Website | Twitter

Lyndsay, why did you choose Nancy?

I asked for genre-bent, and I got genre-bent! BLUE SUN RISING was a fantastic mash-up of environmental scifi and magic-laced fantasy, with a voice and intriguing details that immediately drew me in.

Nancy, why did you choose to submit to Lyndsay?

What drew me most to Lyndsay, besides her wellspring of experience, charm, and all the other wonderful things, was her interest in genre-bent stories and her own YA Western SFF Dystopian novel GUNSLINGER GIRL. Her ability to bring familiar elements from very different places together cohesively, into an authentic, surprising, and beautifully engaging story felt true to what I aspire to do with my own. She’s also deadline oriented and ready to push her mentee to get down to business, which, as a big J on the Myers Briggs scale, I fully appreciate.

Lyndsay, summarize Nancy’s book in 3 words.

Pollution, magic, & monsters.

Nancy, summarize your book in 3 words.

Who Must Die?

Lyndsay, tell us about yourself. Something we may not already know.

I love cocktail mixology. It’s the closest to making magical potions I will ever get.

Nancy, what do you hope to get out of the Pitch Wars experience?

I hope to learn more about how to approach my writing and the revising process, both with Lyndsay and the community of mentees and mentors. I also hope to build lasting friendships throughout this experience, to not lose TOO much sleep, and to come out alive with a deeper connection to the characters, world, and story. And a manuscript.

Nancy, tell us about yourself! What makes you and your manuscript unique?

As someone who grew up consuming a healthy diet of Chinese Historical Fantasy TV (the only TV my parents binge-watched), taking all the science classes, and devouring books like ERAGON and THE HUNGER GAMES, I wanted to draw from all the things I loved to write the story that felt truest to myself. I asked my roommate, “Would you read a fantasy story with magic and dragons, but had light-bulbs and screens instead of fire?” And went from there. My Pitchwars manuscript, BLUE SUN RISING, is a mish-mash of light science fiction and Chinese martial fantasy. Girl, boy, genetic mutations, Chinese magic, and kick-butt sword-fighting. 🙂 I’m 24 years-old, Chinese-American, and currently working as a video producer in San Francisco.

Check out Lyndsay’s recent release, GUNSLINGER GIRL …

A Seventeen Magazine Best YA Book of 2018!
A Winter 2017-2018 Indie Next Pick
An Amazon Best Book of the Month – January 2018
A Barnes & Noble Best Book of the Month – January 2018
James Patterson presents a bold new heroine–a cross between Katniss Everdeen and Annie Oakley: Serendipity Jones, the fastest sharpshooter in tomorrow’s West.

Seventeen-year-old Serendipity “Pity” Jones inherited two things from her mother: a pair of six shooters and perfect aim. She’s been offered a life of fame and fortune in Cessation, a glittering city where lawlessness is a way of life. But the price she pays for her freedom may be too great….

In this extraordinary debut from Lyndsay Ely, the West is once again wild after a Second Civil War fractures the U.S. into a broken, dangerous land. Pity’s struggle against the dark and twisted underbelly of a corrupt city will haunt you long after the final bullet is shot.

Thank you for supporting our Pitch Wars Teams! The Agent Showcase is February 6 – 11, 2019. If you’re an agent and would like to participate, you must register here: https://pitchwars.org/info-for-agents/. We hope you’ll join us to support our teams on the Twitter hashtag #PitchWars.

 

Filed: Interviews

Comments are closed.
IMPORTANT!
We're thrilled at the different ways those in our Pitch Wars community are giving back—and we encourage them to do so. However, please keep in mind that Pitch Wars is not affiliated with any of these various contests, promotions, etc., including those of our mentors and mentees. Promoting any such opportunities via our social media channels doesn't imply endorsement or affiliation. We encourage you to do your research before participating.

Pitch Wars takes a stand. ANTI-BULLYING. Click here to review our policy

Pitch Wars 2021

Blog Archives

Blog Categories

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.