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 on November 3rd-9th, we hope you’ll take a moment during your writing breaks and get to know our 2016 Pitch Wars Teams.
And now, we have . . .
Sara Metz – Mentee
Dannie Morin – Mentor
Sara: Why did you choose Dannie?
When I read Dannie’s mentor bio, I loved her sense of humor and level of professionalism. She was witty and fun, and she could offer poignant, constructive feedback. I knew she’d help transform my novel into a better story. We exchanged tweets before I submitted; she had previously mentored a novel involving a school shooting and I wanted to learn more about that experience. Dannie expressed that this topic was important to her, and she was dedicated to sharing the types of stories I’m writing.
Dannie: Why did you choose Sara?
Sara’s manuscript is brilliant. Not only is it super marketable right now, but her plot structure is incredibly sound. When I set out to make my wishlist this year, I really wanted to do something more genre-y but Sara’s manuscript grabbed me and would not let go. And after getting to know her a little bit on twitter, I knew we would be a good match. I seriously am so stoked to whip this thing into shape together before the agent round!
Sara: Summarize your book in three words.
Adversity, faith, courage.
Dannie: Summarize Sara’s book in three words.
Gorgeous, evocative, necessary
Sara: Tell us about yourself. What makes you and your MS unique?
As a Muslim, I wanted to write a book that offered a realistic, nuanced portrayal of Islam and Muslim life. Sadly, it’s far too rare. Also, I lived in Syria from 2010-2012, before and after the start of the current civil war. This allowed me to rely upon my experiences for the MS’s world-building, and I could supplement it with stories from friends and family who lived or still live in the country. Finally, as someone who works at a school and has many relatives who are teachers, fear of a mass shooting is increasingly prominent in my everyday life.
Dannie: Tell us about yourself. Something we might not already know.
Man! This question gets harder to answer every time. Okay so one thing Sara and I haven’t even talked about yet is that one of the characters in her mss has a preemie baby born at 31 weeks. And my daughter (aka Editorial Assistant) was a preemie born at 31 weeks.
Thank you for supporting our Pitch Wars Teams! And don’t forget to stop by the Agent Showcase starting November 3rd to see how our teams do in the final round.
I’ll be the first to buy a copy of this book. I may buy ten.