A young woman must track down the one person who can make her feel alive and save him before he dies.
2. The Antagonist Plot
Grey is a minor rock star, a big fish in a small town. Yet despite his celebrity status, he suffers from constant depression that tells him he’s not good enough. Not for his father, not for his ex-girlfriend, not for his fans. And so the story begins with the decision having been made to finally end his own life. His plan requires a few preliminary steps, however, such as donating clothing to the local thrift store, which is where our protagonist is first introduced to Grey. As Gretchen repeatedly crosses paths with Grey, he begins to find himself questioning his decision to die, discovering more reasons instead to live.
3. Breakout Title
fave: The Sound of Grey
alt: Echoes of You
alt: The Invisibility of Grey
4.Genre and Comps
Contemporary fiction, Romance
Comps: Deb Caletti, Colleen Hoover, Nghi Vo
Musical Comps: Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol (Grey) and Car Crash by Matt Nathanson (Gretchen)
“All of the complicated love of Colleen Hoover, mixed with the magic of Tahereh Mafi“
5. Logline(s)
A young woman with the uncanny ability to experience the memories of others through second-hand clothing, embarks on a journey to find the source of the most intriguing clothing she’s encountered yet.
A young woman, addicted to the rush she gets from wearing second-hand clothing, chases down the one person who’s clothing gives her the highest highs, only to be surprised by what she finds.
6. Inner Conflict & Secondary Conflict
Inner: Gretchen’s relationship to her echo ability has morphed over the years from something she feared to something she needs and craves. The withdrawal-like symptoms that present when she goes without an echo for days are miserable. And so she is always chasing the next item of clothing, that next high. When she stumbles upon Grey’s echoes, the obsession is immediate and drives her to seek him out in real life. However, he’s not the person she was expecting when she finally meets him (playing guitar with his band at the bar) and is compelled to prove to him his worth through whatever means necessary.
Secondary: Gretchen has convinced Jonah to join her at the Whiskey Stop as she tries to see Grey for the first time in real life. Jonah knows she’s been re-living the memories from Grey’s clothing, but doesn’t think she should be traveling down this path of finding him in the real world. Gretchen doesn’t understand the train wreck Jonah feels coming. They bicker in the car on the way to the bar, and Jonah attempts to put his foot down once more outside the door. Ultimately they both go in, but this scene cements the notion that Jonah, who’s very open and accepting of Gretchen’s freak abilities, disagrees strongly with her decision to act on impulse.
7. Setting
Two main settings.
The first is the Nifty Thrifty thrift store, where Gretchen works. It’s run down, in need of new paint and updated fixtures. Smells a heady combination of moth balls and Febreze. Despite all of this, it remains a staple in the small community, a name that’s been there since before many of the residents can remember. Along with a steady flow of customers is a healthy supply of incoming clothes dropped off from families constantly cleaning out their closets. It’s here that Gretchen and Jonah work, and where Gretchen supplies herself with new clothing for echoes.
The second is The Whiskey Stop, the bar where Grey’s band plays every weekend (Friday’s and Saturdays). While it runs a thin crew during the week, The Whiskey Stop boasts very busy weekends, with Grey’s band being the popular house entertainment. The bar also serves as a location for Gretchen and Grey to meet, as well as stars in many of Grey’s echoes.
New York Pitch and Algonkian Pre-event Assignments - 2022
in New York Write to Pitch 2023 and 2024
Posted
1. Act of Story Statement
A young woman must track down the one person who can make her feel alive and save him before he dies.
2. The Antagonist Plot
Grey is a minor rock star, a big fish in a small town. Yet despite his celebrity status, he suffers from constant depression that tells him he’s not good enough. Not for his father, not for his ex-girlfriend, not for his fans. And so the story begins with the decision having been made to finally end his own life. His plan requires a few preliminary steps, however, such as donating clothing to the local thrift store, which is where our protagonist is first introduced to Grey. As Gretchen repeatedly crosses paths with Grey, he begins to find himself questioning his decision to die, discovering more reasons instead to live.
3. Breakout Title
fave: The Sound of Grey
alt: Echoes of You
alt: The Invisibility of Grey
4. Genre and Comps
Contemporary fiction, Romance
Comps: Deb Caletti, Colleen Hoover, Nghi Vo
Musical Comps: Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol (Grey) and Car Crash by Matt Nathanson (Gretchen)
“All of the complicated love of Colleen Hoover, mixed with the magic of Tahereh Mafi“
5. Logline(s)
A young woman with the uncanny ability to experience the memories of others through second-hand clothing, embarks on a journey to find the source of the most intriguing clothing she’s encountered yet.
A young woman, addicted to the rush she gets from wearing second-hand clothing, chases down the one person who’s clothing gives her the highest highs, only to be surprised by what she finds.
6. Inner Conflict & Secondary Conflict
Inner: Gretchen’s relationship to her echo ability has morphed over the years from something she feared to something she needs and craves. The withdrawal-like symptoms that present when she goes without an echo for days are miserable. And so she is always chasing the next item of clothing, that next high. When she stumbles upon Grey’s echoes, the obsession is immediate and drives her to seek him out in real life. However, he’s not the person she was expecting when she finally meets him (playing guitar with his band at the bar) and is compelled to prove to him his worth through whatever means necessary.
Secondary: Gretchen has convinced Jonah to join her at the Whiskey Stop as she tries to see Grey for the first time in real life. Jonah knows she’s been re-living the memories from Grey’s clothing, but doesn’t think she should be traveling down this path of finding him in the real world. Gretchen doesn’t understand the train wreck Jonah feels coming. They bicker in the car on the way to the bar, and Jonah attempts to put his foot down once more outside the door. Ultimately they both go in, but this scene cements the notion that Jonah, who’s very open and accepting of Gretchen’s freak abilities, disagrees strongly with her decision to act on impulse.
7. Setting
Two main settings.
The first is the Nifty Thrifty thrift store, where Gretchen works. It’s run down, in need of new paint and updated fixtures. Smells a heady combination of moth balls and Febreze. Despite all of this, it remains a staple in the small community, a name that’s been there since before many of the residents can remember. Along with a steady flow of customers is a healthy supply of incoming clothes dropped off from families constantly cleaning out their closets. It’s here that Gretchen and Jonah work, and where Gretchen supplies herself with new clothing for echoes.
The second is The Whiskey Stop, the bar where Grey’s band plays every weekend (Friday’s and Saturdays). While it runs a thin crew during the week, The Whiskey Stop boasts very busy weekends, with Grey’s band being the popular house entertainment. The bar also serves as a location for Gretchen and Grey to meet, as well as stars in many of Grey’s echoes.