A Muslim girl and a Buddhist boy battle cultural mores and social hypocrisy to preserve their identity and free-will.
Assignment 2: Sketch the antagonist or antagonistic force in your novel.
A’isha is antagonized by the cultural mores of the Islamic faith, as embodied by members of her commune and, more impactfully, her father. Her homosexuality and desire to pursue higher education and world travel are counter to the tenets of Islam, which considers homosexuality “haram”—forbidden—and the pursuit of higher education and world travel a deterrence from the norm; “you will raise a farm and family like any good Muslim woman is expected to do,” her father insists. Although A’isha defiantly battles attacks against her perceived deviance, secretly, she grapples with shame, guilt, and her desire to forgive.
Tsewang, abandoned by his parents and abused by his Rinpoche, is burdened by an ensuant rage and depression that antagonize his ability to form congenial relationships with fellow monks, undermine his perceptions and judgement, feed his conflict between the person he has learned to be and who he truly is, and are foundational to his relationship with Chimé –the smooth-talking, drug-dealing antagonist who supports and emotionally manipulates Tsewang until he gets what he wants, then abandons him, too.
Assignment 3: Create a breakout title and several options.
The title, "Behind Jagged Edges of Silhouette Trees," is a metaphor used in the narration which speaks to the main idea, irony, and juxtaposition of core wounds within the beauty of a natural/spiritual setting.
Alternative titles:
1.Veiled Eyes and Shuttered Mouths
2.The Similarity of Difference
3.Where Lines Begin to Fade
Assignment 4: Develop two smart comparables for your novel. Who compares to you? And why?
“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens is a coming-of-age novel comparable to mine. Owen’s protagonist, Kya, is similar to A’isha, one of my two protagonists, because they are resilient and determined girls. Their conflict with cultural mores and social hypocrisies gives rise to their core wounds of abandonment, rejection, and betrayal; while their goal is to survive and forgive their antagonistic family and community within the context of a natural setting.
“Pachinko,” historical fiction by Min Jin Lee, is comparable to the storyline of my other protagonist, Tsewang. Both are set in Asian countries and religion is a theme which juxtaposes the social underbellies and hidden truths that instigate Sunja’s (Pachinko’s protagonist) and Tsewang’s core wounds of abandonment and betrayal, and threaten their goal of self-preservation.
Both novels are comparable to my novel’s overarching theme, which is: Self-reliance helps us survive abandonment and betrayal; and still, we are never truly alone.
Assignment 5: Write your own hook line (logline) with conflict and core wound.
A Muslim girl and a Buddhist boy, abused and abandoned by their parents and community, battle cultural mores and social hypocrisies to preserve their identity and free-will as they strive to forgive within religious communes of the Himalayas and the High Atlas Mountains.
Assignment 6: Sketch out the conditions for the inner conflict your protagonist will have.
Inner Conflict (two protagonists)
A’isha
After being apart for two years, A’isha is thrilled that Saira has appeared at her home. But after lovemaking and a meal, she learns that Saira has returned for convenience, not love—she has nowhere else to go. A’isha’s joy painfully morphs into a blend of sadness and anxiety, realizing that the girl for whom she had declared her love—which triggered her family’s abandonment and the commune’s rejection—has returned simply to use her. Deeply conflicted, A’isha tries to decide what is most important: her love for Saira, her desire to quell her loneliness, or her need to honor her dignity by telling Saira to leave.
Tsewang
“What am I going to do!” Tsewang agonized upon realizing he has been abandoned in New Delhi, India, manipulated into serving as a drug mule with the promise that he would see the Indians pray at the Ganges River—his lifelong dream. When Tsewang confesses his predicament to a tailor he has befriended, the old man asks, “what made you trust him?” and triggers Tsewang’s emotional shifts from fear and agony, to rage and sadness, and then to longing and regret, as he recalls the series of men who have betrayed and abandoned him, and those who have provided him with care and guidance; all the while unaware of the cathartic power of this revelation.
Secondary Conflict:
A’isha
Upon her grandmother’s death, A’isha and Amir (her father’s business partner and secret lover) summon Hira to shroud and assist with the burial. Weeks later, when A’isha goes to Hira’s home to gift her with a wreath, she learns that Hira is the woman whom her grandfather used to “spend time with,” as Hira puts it. Appalled, A’isha accuses Hira of instigating adultery, telling her she was the cause of her grandmother’s suffering; and she accuses her of hypocrisy, “how dare you shroud the woman whose husband you stole?” Quoting Ayats from the Qur’an, Hira calmly refutes A’isha’s accusations. Fraught with anger and guilt, A’isha leaves Hira’s home apologizing to her grandmother for allowing Hira to shroud her, vowing to never speak to “that woman” ever again, wishing she had snatched back the wreath to toss it into the river; yet relieved to have learned the truth about her grandfather, finally.
Tsewang
Lost in the forest for three months, addicted to betel nuts, Tsewang is found near-death by two monks who carry him to their monastery in the city of Thimpu. They nurse him back to health and welcome him as one of their own, but Tsewang responds by denouncing Buddhism, by falsely accusing the Rinpoche of abuse, and by persistently wrangling with fellow monks; thus, he is shunned. “Perhaps you should return to the forest; you appear to be a better fit for the animals,” he is told. Despite his callous pretense, Tsewang wants to be accepted and is quietly saddened by their rejection, which also rubs against his deeper wound and relentless wonder, “did father leave because of me?”
Assignment 7: Sketch out your setting in detail.
A’isha
Ouirgane, the rural Amazigh village she calls home. A commune of huts built with hand-molded bricks of straw and honey-colored clay that hang onto slopes of unpaved roads tucked into the bosom of the High Atlas Mountains. A village defined and contained by a patchwork of fertile soil, apricot in hue, that is farmed and fed by a mild, seasonal rain; freckled with juniper bushes, almond trees, and bountiful sprays of wild mint and thyme, and the blend of aromas mingle with the thinness of air and are intoxicating to the rare European who appears in search of a thrill. In these mountains, the traditions of the Imazighen ancestors are honored by generations of families who live communally, sharing livestock, harvest, and milk in accordance with Allah’s command.
They mount mules to carry generous portions of produce to the nomadic tribes who reside on a plateau, living on the fringe of existence, huddled in tents of cowhide and burlap; nestled in humility, and resting in hope. The Imazighen of Ouirgane live with the absence of electricity and plumbing, unburdened by amenities, and life unfolds in rhythmic ease to the gurgle and soft flow of the Oued Nfis, a freshwater river sustained by the snowcaps of the High Atlas. The river quenches the villagers’ thirst and assists in their routine of life. It is where the women, clothed in black hijabs and long djellabas, walk with palm-woven baskets upon their heads and babies wrapped onto their backs; and they gather at its banks to wash clothes and bathe their children, and to sip sweet mint tea as they watch the sun move across the sky, sharing laughter, storytelling, mythmaking, and gossip.
Tsewang
High in the Himalayas, in the folds of Paro valley adorned with wildflowers and tilted huts of hemlock, monks walk in single formation, barefoot and cloaked in burgundy kasayas. Each holding an alm bowl in their right hand, humility bowing their shaven heads. The elderly and the young line the chestnut road, offering the monks of Choling a dash of buckwheat and freshly picked figs; while the chimes of Buddhist temples echo, and a solemn chant reveals the spirit of a people shrouded in the scent of jasmine and veiled in the mist of an early morning fog.
…And as the dungchen horns bellowed, beckoning monks and novices for meditation and prayer, Tsewang eased onto a frayed pillow, sweeping his eyes across the altar draped in red damask. He smiled at the candle’s flickering flame, and at the lotus flower afloat in a glass bowl. Shaking his head, he pursed his lips at the offering tureen of apples and oranges, and smirked at the Thangka of Mahakala, the Deity of Protection. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply the earthy scent of nag champa, wiggling away from glowing tips of burning sticks and snaking the room in blue silhouette against a blade of sun that penetrated a lone, circular window and landed at Rinpoche’s feet.
New York Pitch Assignments - March 2022
in New York Write to Pitch 2023 and 2024
Posted
Assignment 1: Write your story statement.
A Muslim girl and a Buddhist boy battle cultural mores and social hypocrisy to preserve their identity and free-will.
Assignment 2: Sketch the antagonist or antagonistic force in your novel.
A’isha is antagonized by the cultural mores of the Islamic faith, as embodied by members of her commune and, more impactfully, her father. Her homosexuality and desire to pursue higher education and world travel are counter to the tenets of Islam, which considers homosexuality “haram”—forbidden—and the pursuit of higher education and world travel a deterrence from the norm; “you will raise a farm and family like any good Muslim woman is expected to do,” her father insists. Although A’isha defiantly battles attacks against her perceived deviance, secretly, she grapples with shame, guilt, and her desire to forgive.
Tsewang, abandoned by his parents and abused by his Rinpoche, is burdened by an ensuant rage and depression that antagonize his ability to form congenial relationships with fellow monks, undermine his perceptions and judgement, feed his conflict between the person he has learned to be and who he truly is, and are foundational to his relationship with Chimé –the smooth-talking, drug-dealing antagonist who supports and emotionally manipulates Tsewang until he gets what he wants, then abandons him, too.
Assignment 3: Create a breakout title and several options.
The title, "Behind Jagged Edges of Silhouette Trees," is a metaphor used in the narration which speaks to the main idea, irony, and juxtaposition of core wounds within the beauty of a natural/spiritual setting.
Alternative titles:
1. Veiled Eyes and Shuttered Mouths
2. The Similarity of Difference
3. Where Lines Begin to Fade
Assignment 4: Develop two smart comparables for your novel. Who compares to you? And why?
“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens is a coming-of-age novel comparable to mine. Owen’s protagonist, Kya, is similar to A’isha, one of my two protagonists, because they are resilient and determined girls. Their conflict with cultural mores and social hypocrisies gives rise to their core wounds of abandonment, rejection, and betrayal; while their goal is to survive and forgive their antagonistic family and community within the context of a natural setting.
“Pachinko,” historical fiction by Min Jin Lee, is comparable to the storyline of my other protagonist, Tsewang. Both are set in Asian countries and religion is a theme which juxtaposes the social underbellies and hidden truths that instigate Sunja’s (Pachinko’s protagonist) and Tsewang’s core wounds of abandonment and betrayal, and threaten their goal of self-preservation.
Both novels are comparable to my novel’s overarching theme, which is: Self-reliance helps us survive abandonment and betrayal; and still, we are never truly alone.
Assignment 5: Write your own hook line (logline) with conflict and core wound.
A Muslim girl and a Buddhist boy, abused and abandoned by their parents and community, battle cultural mores and social hypocrisies to preserve their identity and free-will as they strive to forgive within religious communes of the Himalayas and the High Atlas Mountains.
Assignment 6: Sketch out the conditions for the inner conflict your protagonist will have.
Inner Conflict (two protagonists)
A’isha
After being apart for two years, A’isha is thrilled that Saira has appeared at her home. But after lovemaking and a meal, she learns that Saira has returned for convenience, not love—she has nowhere else to go. A’isha’s joy painfully morphs into a blend of sadness and anxiety, realizing that the girl for whom she had declared her love—which triggered her family’s abandonment and the commune’s rejection—has returned simply to use her. Deeply conflicted, A’isha tries to decide what is most important: her love for Saira, her desire to quell her loneliness, or her need to honor her dignity by telling Saira to leave.
Tsewang
“What am I going to do!” Tsewang agonized upon realizing he has been abandoned in New Delhi, India, manipulated into serving as a drug mule with the promise that he would see the Indians pray at the Ganges River—his lifelong dream. When Tsewang confesses his predicament to a tailor he has befriended, the old man asks, “what made you trust him?” and triggers Tsewang’s emotional shifts from fear and agony, to rage and sadness, and then to longing and regret, as he recalls the series of men who have betrayed and abandoned him, and those who have provided him with care and guidance; all the while unaware of the cathartic power of this revelation.
Secondary Conflict:
A’isha
Upon her grandmother’s death, A’isha and Amir (her father’s business partner and secret lover) summon Hira to shroud and assist with the burial. Weeks later, when A’isha goes to Hira’s home to gift her with a wreath, she learns that Hira is the woman whom her grandfather used to “spend time with,” as Hira puts it. Appalled, A’isha accuses Hira of instigating adultery, telling her she was the cause of her grandmother’s suffering; and she accuses her of hypocrisy, “how dare you shroud the woman whose husband you stole?” Quoting Ayats from the Qur’an, Hira calmly refutes A’isha’s accusations. Fraught with anger and guilt, A’isha leaves Hira’s home apologizing to her grandmother for allowing Hira to shroud her, vowing to never speak to “that woman” ever again, wishing she had snatched back the wreath to toss it into the river; yet relieved to have learned the truth about her grandfather, finally.
Tsewang
Lost in the forest for three months, addicted to betel nuts, Tsewang is found near-death by two monks who carry him to their monastery in the city of Thimpu. They nurse him back to health and welcome him as one of their own, but Tsewang responds by denouncing Buddhism, by falsely accusing the Rinpoche of abuse, and by persistently wrangling with fellow monks; thus, he is shunned. “Perhaps you should return to the forest; you appear to be a better fit for the animals,” he is told. Despite his callous pretense, Tsewang wants to be accepted and is quietly saddened by their rejection, which also rubs against his deeper wound and relentless wonder, “did father leave because of me?”
Assignment 7: Sketch out your setting in detail.
A’isha
Ouirgane, the rural Amazigh village she calls home. A commune of huts built with hand-molded bricks of straw and honey-colored clay that hang onto slopes of unpaved roads tucked into the bosom of the High Atlas Mountains. A village defined and contained by a patchwork of fertile soil, apricot in hue, that is farmed and fed by a mild, seasonal rain; freckled with juniper bushes, almond trees, and bountiful sprays of wild mint and thyme, and the blend of aromas mingle with the thinness of air and are intoxicating to the rare European who appears in search of a thrill. In these mountains, the traditions of the Imazighen ancestors are honored by generations of families who live communally, sharing livestock, harvest, and milk in accordance with Allah’s command.
They mount mules to carry generous portions of produce to the nomadic tribes who reside on a plateau, living on the fringe of existence, huddled in tents of cowhide and burlap; nestled in humility, and resting in hope. The Imazighen of Ouirgane live with the absence of electricity and plumbing, unburdened by amenities, and life unfolds in rhythmic ease to the gurgle and soft flow of the Oued Nfis, a freshwater river sustained by the snowcaps of the High Atlas. The river quenches the villagers’ thirst and assists in their routine of life. It is where the women, clothed in black hijabs and long djellabas, walk with palm-woven baskets upon their heads and babies wrapped onto their backs; and they gather at its banks to wash clothes and bathe their children, and to sip sweet mint tea as they watch the sun move across the sky, sharing laughter, storytelling, mythmaking, and gossip.
Tsewang
High in the Himalayas, in the folds of Paro valley adorned with wildflowers and tilted huts of hemlock, monks walk in single formation, barefoot and cloaked in burgundy kasayas. Each holding an alm bowl in their right hand, humility bowing their shaven heads. The elderly and the young line the chestnut road, offering the monks of Choling a dash of buckwheat and freshly picked figs; while the chimes of Buddhist temples echo, and a solemn chant reveals the spirit of a people shrouded in the scent of jasmine and veiled in the mist of an early morning fog.
…And as the dungchen horns bellowed, beckoning monks and novices for meditation and prayer, Tsewang eased onto a frayed pillow, sweeping his eyes across the altar draped in red damask. He smiled at the candle’s flickering flame, and at the lotus flower afloat in a glass bowl. Shaking his head, he pursed his lips at the offering tureen of apples and oranges, and smirked at the Thangka of Mahakala, the Deity of Protection. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply the earthy scent of nag champa, wiggling away from glowing tips of burning sticks and snaking the room in blue silhouette against a blade of sun that penetrated a lone, circular window and landed at Rinpoche’s feet.