Our mentors are mentoring, 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 9, 2021, we hope you’ll take a moment during your writing breaks and get to know our 2021 Pitch Wars Mentor and Mentee Teams.
Next up, we have . . .
Sophie Li – Mentee
Sarah Kapit – Mentor
Adrianna Cuevas – Mentor
Sarah & Adrianna, why did you choose Sophie?
We were immediately grabbed by the premise of Sarah’s story- a unique twist on the vampire trope with an incredible voice. We were also eager to boost a Chinese Canadian author writing from a fresh perspective. Most of all, we adore how much fun Sophie’s manuscript is and know young readers will love it.
Sophie, why did you choose to submit to Sarah & Adrianna?
When I read on Adrianna and Sarah’s wishlist that they’re looking for a fast-paced, commercial fantasy MG manuscript with lots of humor, and that we share several MG favorites like Amari and the Night Brothers and The Last Fallen Star, I had to send my vampire middle-grade novel their way.
I read Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen! by Sarah Kapit and fell in love with the main character who had a humorous, relatable voice; and Cuba in My Pocket by Adrianna Cuevas which tugged on my heartstrings and gave me lots of feelings. I am blessed to have the chance to work with two talented and experienced writers who I admire!
Sarah & Adrianna, summarize Sophie’s book in 3 words.
Filed-fang fun
Sophie, summarize your book in 3 words.
Can’t be beet!
Sarah & Adrianna, tell us about yourself. Something we may not already know.
Adrianna recently had to talk her son out of using his bassoon as a bazooka in the middle of a band concert.
Sarah continues to vacillate between being a pantser and a plotter depending on moon phases, quality of sleep, and quantity of caffeine.
Sophie, what do you hope to get out of the Pitch Wars experience?
I know there’s something missing when I compare my work to those of published novels that I love. I look forward to revising my novel with Sarah and Adrianna’s help, hoping that they can point out my blind spots and push my writing to the next level. And secondly, I am grateful to meet other PW mentees as we cheer each other on and support each other in our writing journey.
Sophie, tell us about yourself. What makes you and your manuscript unique?
When I was eight, my parents bought a one-way plane ticket from Shijiazhuang, China to Toronto, Canada. For the first year, we rented a basement with one mattress and lots of mice, but we were living in a house! We had a backyard! There’s snow! And my ESL teacher gave me stickers for reading books! I honestly thought it was awesome.
Speaking for myself, being Chinese Canadian is a funky experience. In Canada I feel Chinese, and in China, I feel very, very Canadian. In the novels I write, I gravitate towards main characters who are oddballs and misfits, who struggle with their own identity. My PW manuscript is about a twelve-year-old vampire who just wants to fit in with the humans, only to find out that his new human BFF is an aspiring vampire hunter, and the vampires aren’t as thrilled about humans as he is.
Check out Adriana’s upcoming release, THE GHOSTS OF RANCHO ESPANTO …
Thank you for supporting our Pitch Wars Teams! The Agent Showcase is February 9-14, 2022. Make sure to stop by then and check out all our mentees’ entries when it opens.
The premise of your novel sounds fabulous! Good luck with revisions!