Lauren Weiss

I attended NYC Write to Pitch from June 20-23, 2024. Choosing to attend this conference was the craziest thing I’ve ever done, but in the best possible way. Paula is absolutely fantastic -- from day one, she provided my group with honest and constructive feedback, and prepared us well for all of our pitch sessions. As a new writer looking to become traditionally published, I learned a lot of valuable information about the industry and was given realistic expectations, especially as a debut author. All of the pre-work and homework assignments (rewriting our pitches) helped us all really focus on our own work and identify areas that need to be strengthened prior to querying. All of the professionals we pitched also provided great, constructive feedback. It was much more nerve-wracking than I anticipated, but having the opportunity to talk with them face-to-face was invaluable. I know I have my work cut out for me, but I have a much clearer sense of direction now. While this was a very intense, fast-paced, whirlwind of an event, I highly recommend this to every writer looking to publish! The resources and support are truly invaluable, and it's also a great way to meet other writers and build your writing community!

Opening scene introduces: the protagonist and her goal, main plot point, conflict, and tone This was it. The moment I’d dreamed about my entire life. Okay, maybe half of my life, but there was no turning back now. I clutched the manila folder against my chest, dampened from my sweaty palms, courtesy of the stifling southern heat and my uncontrollable nerves. Only a few brick steps and a set of white double doors separated me from my future. “Lex, are you ready?” Mom asked. She rested her hand on my shoulder, offering reassurance with a gentle squeeze. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” My stomach turned as a wave of nausea rushed over me. No. I refused to let my nerves get the best of me today. But I couldn’t fool Mom. She heard the hesitation in my voice. “We’ve been touring colleges all summer. You’ve met with a dozen counselors. What’s so different about this visit?” Mom’s deep brown eyes met mine, searching for the answer. Mom always appeared to be so put together. She was petite, slightly shorter than me, but she always carried herself well, her spine tall and straight. Her long, chestnut hair was draped over her right shoulder, not a strand out of place. The heat and humidity were not as kind to my thick, dull brown hair. At that moment, I envied her, and wished I’d inherited her composure. At least I had her wit. “Because, Mom,” I began, my voice cracking, “this one actually matters. It’s been my dream school for a long time. You know that. I just want to make a good impression, that’s all.” “I know. But there’s something else, isn’t there?” Damn, she was good. “I just…” I swallowed the lump in my throat and cast my eyes downward, unable to meet her gaze. “Well, I don’t want to disappoint you. We did drive pretty far to get here. What if this is a waste of time? What if I embarrass myself?” I paused, doubt creeping into my thoughts. “What if I’m not good enough, even after working so hard to get here?” Mom wrapped her arm around my waist, pulling me close, planting a kiss on my damp forehead. “Alexis, you could never disappoint me. I’m so proud of you, no matter what happens.” She tucked a sweaty strand of hair behind my ear. “Just be yourself, and everything will be fine, okay?” She threaded her arm through mine, steadying me. I took a deep breath as we made our way up the stairs, eager to get out of the heat. If I wasn’t going to throw up, there was a very real possibility that I would pass out. Once inside the foyer, the cool air provided instant relief. To my left was a large sign that read Welcome, Visitors! followed by a red arrow pointing down the hall, indicating the location of the admissions office. I glanced at my phone. The large, white numbers read 10:10 a.m. My appointment with the counselor was in five minutes. I caught my reflection as the phone dimmed, a sweaty mess staring back at me. A few pieces of hair escaped my bun and were plastered against the side of my face, my mascara smudged below my lower lash line. This was not the first impression I had in mind. I cleaned myself up as best as I could and smoothed out the front of my dress. It was now or never. Just be yourself replayed over and over in my mind, becoming my mantra as we walked down the hallway. As we entered the admissions office, we were greeted by the receptionist, an older woman with thin, rectangular glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose. Her gray hair was fastened with a large clip and a white cardigan was draped around her shoulders. “Good morning! How can I help you?” “I have an appointment with Ms. Wolf,” I replied, surprised by my calm demeanor. “Oh yes! You must be Alexis. Have a seat, Ms. Wolf will be with you momentarily. There are some refreshments to your right. Please help yourselves.” The receptionist motioned to the waiting area. I was still too nervous to eat, but eagerly visited the water cooler and filled a plastic cup to the brim with water. Mom did the same and topped hers off with a lemon. We took a seat in the corner, admiring the architecture of the old building. The walls were covered with dark, cherry wood paneling, the ivory ceilings decorated with intricate designs and ornate chandeliers. Most of the artwork consisted of historic snapshots of campus. Pamphlets lined the opposite wall, ranging from academics to athletics, study abroad to local service opportunities, financial aid and scholarships. I was only certain about one of those things. I tucked my legs under the chair and crossed my ankles in an effort to prevent my legs from shaking. “Alexis Williams?” called a soft voice. I almost choked on my water. I stood up as gracefully as I could manage. “Hi, that’s me,” I replied with an awkward wave. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Ms. Wolf. Please, do follow me. Your mother is welcome to join us if you’d like.” I looked over my shoulder at Mom and nodded, signaling the okay. If I had to guess, Ms. Wolf was no older than 25. She was a petite woman with shoulder length red hair and a smattering of freckles across her cheeks. She was dressed in a plain black pencil skirt with matching jacket, a light blue blouse tucked neatly underneath. Serious and professional. She wore modest black patent pumps, her heels clicking as she walked across the marble floors. I suddenly grew conscious of my own attire, a light-yellow summer dress decorated with white flowers paired with jeweled flats, which rubbed aggressively against the back of my ankle. This outfit was already much dressier than what I normally wore, but I still felt underdressed. My cheeks flushed as Mom and I followed Ms. Wolf down a short hallway. We entered a small office, the walls covered with the same dark paneling as the waiting area. The furniture in the room matched the walls, creating a cave-like feel, enhanced by the lack of natural light. There was an old standing lamp in the far corner and a small desk lamp, illuminating the space with a faint glow. Mom and I took our seats, which were positioned in front of the desk. “What brings you to campus today?” The question was matter-of-fact. There was no smile or emotion in her voice. All of the other counselors I met with this summer were cheerful and enthusiastic. Not this one. She seemed rather uninterested in me. Maybe she just hated her job. “Well, I’ve dreamed of attending UNC for a long time.” I heard the uncertainty in my voice. I took a deep breath and continued, just as I rehearsed. “I wanted to speak with you about ways to strengthen my application and improve my chances of admission. I brought a copy of my resume and high school transcript if you would be willing to take a look.” I handed her the manila envelope, which thankfully, had dried in the air conditioning. Ms. Wolf opened it delicately and removed the contents. Her green eyes scanned the papers before she spoke again. She leaned forward on her desk, clasping her hands together. “You have a pretty strong resume – AP courses, a solid GPA, and you play soccer. Any other extracurriculars?” “I try to volunteer at school and in my community whenever I can, and I also work at my friend’s family bakery, Sweet Treats.” Ms. Wolf tapped her pen on the desk. “And how do you manage to balance it all?” “Oh, um…” I picked at my fingernails, searching for an answer. “Well, my parents didn’t have the opportunity to go to college. Growing up, I was taught the importance of a good education, in case I wanted to attend one day.” I glanced at Mom. “But soccer is also a huge part of who I am. I started playing when I was little as a way to get rid of some of my energy. But I fell in love with it, and I play and train all year round. School and soccer are both really important to me, so I just kind of make it work.” Ms. Wolf raised an eyebrow. “Mhm, I see.” She scribbled some notes on my resume. My face grew hot, hearing the dissatisfaction in her voice. “Oh, and having a job gives me added responsibility and it’s a good experience. I really try to be well-rounded.” Ms. Wolf forced a half-smile. “Okay, then. Thanks.” I made it worse. Ms. Wolf continued. “All of this is fine, but moving onto your SAT scores. They’re lower than what we expect.” “Oh.” My stomach sank. I studied so hard, wanting to get the SATs out of the way before senior year. It wasn’t enough. Ms. Wolf must have seen the disappointment on my face and softened. “There is still time to retake them. I recommend that you do.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, what is it about UNC that is so special to you? Why do you want to study here?” I had a feeling this question was coming, but somehow, it still caught me off guard. Mom’s words – my new mantra – echoed in my head. Just be yourself. As if she was reading my mind, she grabbed my hand.

Assignment #1 A high school senior must be accepted into UNC to play women’s soccer. Assignment #2 Lex, the protagonist, is also the antagonist, along with her mom’s cancer diagnosis. Lex’s goal in life is simple: play professional soccer for the US women’s soccer team. But when her visit with an admissions counselor at UNC does not go according to plan (the first step in her ultimate life plan), Lex begins second-guessing her chance at the future she so meticulously worked towards her whole life. As she deals with her feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy, her mom is diagnosed with cancer. Instead of leaning on those closest to her, she pushes them away, straining all of her relationships. She begins struggling emotionally and academically, which is only exacerbated as her mom’s health rapidly declines. She is then faced with a new reality: even if she was admitted into UNC, would she even be able to go, knowing the inevitable? Assignment #3 Promises We Can’t Keep Broken Promises A Future Without You Assignment #4 The Names they Gave Us by Emery Lord (Bloomsbury): Lord’s novel presents a similar plot line & themes: Mom’s cancer returns and the MC struggles to cope with this news, as the world as she knows it is crumbling around her. Other themes include finding oneself through relationships and self-reflection. The Lucky List by Rachael Lippincott (Simon & Schuster): This novel touches on the loss of a loved one (mom) and the subsequent feeling of being lost without them, and wanting to remain close to them, even after death. This novel heavily focuses on self-discovery, especially as much is changing in the MC’s life, which is a major theme in mine as well. Assignment #5 After learning of her mother’s cancer diagnosis, a high school senior must decide if her well-planned future is still worth fighting for. Assignment #6 Internal conflict: Lex’s major inner conflict is presented after she learns of her mom’s cancer diagnosis. Although she has spent her entire life working towards her goal (attending UNC to play women’s soccer), she becomes conflicted and doesn’t believe that she (in good conscience) can leave her mom, especially as her mom’s prognosis becomes bleak. Throughout the novel, Lex is torn between trying to overcome the challenges presented to her during the UNC visit and wondering if the future she had planned for herself is even worth it at all. Secondary conflict: As Lex deals with her inner conflict and the stress of her mom’s diagnosis, instead of leaning on those closest to her, she pushes them away. As a result, she breaks up with her long-term boyfriend and begins fighting with her lifelong best friend, creating rifts between them. Assignment #7 The opening scene of the novel takes place at UNC (University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill), Lex’s number one school. Lex meets with an admissions counselor where she learns that getting accepted into UNC will be more difficult than she realized, presenting the major conflict and plot point. The remainder of the story takes place in Springtown, a small fictional town outside of Albany, NY. It’s one of those towns where everyone pretty much knows everyone else. (It’s important to note that Springtown is quite far from UNC.) Throughout the rest of the novel, the scenes fluctuate between the following: home, school, Sweet Treats (Lex’s best friend’s family bakery/job), soccer field, and doctor’s office/hospital. Each location presents the opportunity for the reader to observe Lex in different environments with each character, as the dynamics shift from one location to the next.