My head is still trying to untangle all of the wonderful information gained while attending the Writer’s Institute this past weekend. Aside from the fact that I felt like an ancient relic strolling about the college campus, it was enlightening in many ways.
On a whim, I pitched a novel idea (he,he) to a New York agent. Most of the folks attending this event had planned well in advance that they would be “pitching.” They practiced, they prepared, and paid the extra $15 to do so. Not me. I didn’t think I would do it at all. After all, I am under a tight deadline the wrap up my non-fiction manuscript. I was just going to focus on the non-fiction world, and get back to my novel later. Much later. But I pitched anyway. It was invigorating. I was astonished at my own ability to pull from the back of my brain the substance that made up my story. I did it with aplomb, I might add.
Alas the agent I was pitching to said, “Leslie, you are doing a fantastic job with your pitch. But you do know that I am a non-fiction agent, yes?” I did. I admitted that I was placed on her list sort of by accident. She understood. “But you know your story. You have a great story. I am going to pass this on to April [another agent].” She asked if I had anything else. I did. I told her all about my next idea for a parenting book. She liked it! She handed me her card, akin to the “golden ticket,” “When you finish this one [you are working on], I would be very interested in your Toy Trade Tuesday book.”
Okay, so that was just one 8-minute experience at the great Institute. Alas, now I have not one, but two additional books to write that I never fully intended to even mention!! (I informally pitched an idea to an editor at a kids social-emotional publisher!)
These conferences are just fuel to the creative soul’s fire! ….And now back to revisions on book #1.
Leslie A. Lindsay 
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