FIRST ASSIGNMENT: write your story statement.In other words, what's the mission of your protagonist? The goal? What must be done?
Judy must find herself as an adopted Korean woman, and not fall into the patterns of her dysfunctional childhood. She initially needs a job after college and then find her career to take care of herself and not be dependent on a philandering man like her mother.
SECOND ASSIGNMENT: in 200 words or less, sketch the antagonist or antagonistic force in your story. Keep in mind their goals, their background, and the ways they react to the world about them.
The antagonists are Judy’s adopted mother: an, alcoholic mother.Both parents were distant during her childhood.Because of that, the antagonistic force is herself.She doesn’t believe that she is good enough to deserve real love and smart enough as those around her at the firm.
THIRD ASSIGNMENT: create a breakout title (list several options, not more than three, and revisit to edit as needed).
HOME TO ME
LOSING LOVE TO FIND ME
A HEDGE FUND LOVE
FOURTH ASSIGNMENT:Develop two smart comparables for your novel. This is a good opportunity to immerse yourself in your chosen genre. Who compares to you? And why?
Two comps would be a hybrid of The Devil Wears Prada, in which a young woman is hired and struggles to work in a glamorous, demanding firm and Crying in H Mart, where a young Korean woman who is lost eventually discovers more about herself along a journey of loss.
FIFTH ASSIGNMENT:write your own hook line (logline) with conflict and core wound following the format above. Though you may not have one now, keep in mind this is a great developmental tool. In other words, you best begin focusing on this if you're serious about commercial publication.
When an adopted Korean girl gets a job at as receptionist at a hedge fund, her ideas of love and being loved are challenged, after a visit from her past.
SIXTH ASSIGNMENT: sketch out the conditions for the inner conflict your protagonist will have. Why will they feel in turmoil? Conflicted? Anxious? Sketch out one hypothetical scenario in the story wherein this would be the case--consider the trigger and the reaction.
At 23, Judy doesn’t feel loved by her adopted parents and never did.This creates inner turmoil as she still is struggling to find her path in life and always feeling like she isn’t good enough despite being placed in a driven, successful environment of millionaires (a sharp contrast to her rural childhood).After finally feeling settled in her job and forging real adult friendships for the first time in her life and lying that her adopted parents died in a car accident many years ago (it was better than dealing with her parents abandoning her since high school), her alcoholic, bordering on welfare, divorced mother drops in after five years of no visits and soon realizes that Judy never wants to become dependent like her past.
Next, likewise sketch a hypothetical scenario for the "secondary conflict" involving the social environment. Will this involve family? Friends? Associates? What is the nature of it?
A young, successful trader purses her at work and takes her on swoony dates.She is reluctant, despite his genuine feelings, refuses to accept love.She doesn’t know if she will ever be good enough to receive it and she wants to prove to herself that she can make it on her own.
FINAL ASSIGNMENT: sketch out your setting in detail. What makes it interesting enough, scene by scene, to allow for uniqueness and cinema in your narrative and story?
Settings:
Chicago: Downtown skyline, sleek, sexy firm office in the loop, restaurants in and near the Gold Coast, Joffrey Ballet, Peninsula hotel
Paris:A whirlwind, young lovers’ trip throughout the city, scenes similar to Emily in Paris.
New York:Reunion in the East Village after a year apart
New York Pitch Assignments - June 2022
in New York Write to Pitch 2023 and 2024
Posted
FIRST ASSIGNMENT: write your story statement. In other words, what's the mission of your protagonist? The goal? What must be done?
Judy must find herself as an adopted Korean woman, and not fall into the patterns of her dysfunctional childhood. She initially needs a job after college and then find her career to take care of herself and not be dependent on a philandering man like her mother.
SECOND ASSIGNMENT: in 200 words or less, sketch the antagonist or antagonistic force in your story. Keep in mind their goals, their background, and the ways they react to the world about them.
The antagonists are Judy’s adopted mother: an, alcoholic mother. Both parents were distant during her childhood. Because of that, the antagonistic force is herself. She doesn’t believe that she is good enough to deserve real love and smart enough as those around her at the firm.
THIRD ASSIGNMENT: create a breakout title (list several options, not more than three, and revisit to edit as needed).
HOME TO ME
LOSING LOVE TO FIND ME
A HEDGE FUND LOVE
FOURTH ASSIGNMENT: Develop two smart comparables for your novel. This is a good opportunity to immerse yourself in your chosen genre. Who compares to you? And why?
Two comps would be a hybrid of The Devil Wears Prada, in which a young woman is hired and struggles to work in a glamorous, demanding firm and Crying in H Mart, where a young Korean woman who is lost eventually discovers more about herself along a journey of loss.
FIFTH ASSIGNMENT: write your own hook line (logline) with conflict and core wound following the format above. Though you may not have one now, keep in mind this is a great developmental tool. In other words, you best begin focusing on this if you're serious about commercial publication.
When an adopted Korean girl gets a job at as receptionist at a hedge fund, her ideas of love and being loved are challenged, after a visit from her past.
SIXTH ASSIGNMENT: sketch out the conditions for the inner conflict your protagonist will have. Why will they feel in turmoil? Conflicted? Anxious? Sketch out one hypothetical scenario in the story wherein this would be the case--consider the trigger and the reaction.
At 23, Judy doesn’t feel loved by her adopted parents and never did. This creates inner turmoil as she still is struggling to find her path in life and always feeling like she isn’t good enough despite being placed in a driven, successful environment of millionaires (a sharp contrast to her rural childhood). After finally feeling settled in her job and forging real adult friendships for the first time in her life and lying that her adopted parents died in a car accident many years ago (it was better than dealing with her parents abandoning her since high school), her alcoholic, bordering on welfare, divorced mother drops in after five years of no visits and soon realizes that Judy never wants to become dependent like her past.
Next, likewise sketch a hypothetical scenario for the "secondary conflict" involving the social environment. Will this involve family? Friends? Associates? What is the nature of it?
A young, successful trader purses her at work and takes her on swoony dates. She is reluctant, despite his genuine feelings, refuses to accept love. She doesn’t know if she will ever be good enough to receive it and she wants to prove to herself that she can make it on her own.
FINAL ASSIGNMENT: sketch out your setting in detail. What makes it interesting enough, scene by scene, to allow for uniqueness and cinema in your narrative and story?
Settings:
Chicago: Downtown skyline, sleek, sexy firm office in the loop, restaurants in and near the Gold Coast, Joffrey Ballet, Peninsula hotel
Paris: A whirlwind, young lovers’ trip throughout the city, scenes similar to Emily in Paris.
New York: Reunion in the East Village after a year apart