What am I Going to Do When...

I have to wait months (or years) to hear about a novel I submitted?

I can't even tell you how anxious I am getting about the whole pitch thing -- even though I do *know* full well the chances of it ever going anywhere are minuscule.

Seriously. I really do. You'd think I'd just tell myself to shut up.

But I can't help the What if? Factor. What if? It's the nebulous, I don't really know -- that makes it so tantalizingly interesting.

Thank goodness things move quickly. I may find out tomorrow if the Development Company's going to run with it.

Either way, it will be over soon. Likely in less time than it would take an Agent to even consider asking me to submit a Full Manuscript.

In other words...I should enjoy the What if? Factor while it lasts...

Play it Again, Sam

Yup - Version #2 of the series pitch is out the door.

Initial response received this morning was: "Wow - a hundred percent better." They like both the new structure of the team and the tone of the pitch itself. They also like the new Pilot episode, and the way I've handled conveying information.

Note to Self: A synopsis can't just state the facts - it needs to carry the same tone and tension as the real thing.

Only comments so far have been minor nitpicks about the new Pilot -- but all very quick fixes. Most of these resulted from my lack of understanding regarding a particular hierarchy in the US (i.e., who would be called in when in a given situation).

I am talking to them this afternoon to nail down the last few details -- and then it will go to their full development team tomorrow.

Assuming it gets approval -- my job will be done (I think). Well, until they sell it that is.

Who knows how that will go -- but it's fun to imagine.

Next Steps

I got the extended pitch submitted on Sunday...yes, it was late Sunday -- why do you ask?

Did I write it on Sunday? Of course I did. Funny how that works. I did do a week of research first though.

Either way, the company had a meeting about it today. Apparently they liked it (Thank goodness). They do want a few tweaks -- but from conversation, there didn't seem to be anything I wouldn't agree with. Changing one character's profession. Adding more back story to another character. Nothing crazy.

They also want a different pilot episode because apparently the concept I sketched was a little too much like another show -- fine as an episode, but not as a pilot. They picked one of my other episode ideas and said run with that instead.

No problem! I can do that.

I am supposed to get "written notes" in the next day or so -- and will turn around the next version this weekend.

Have I said how much fun this is? Seriously -- I love that people like my concepts enough to give feedback and want to see it gel together. It makes me kind of giddy.

The Extended Pitch

I just finished the Extended Pitch for the TV show concept.

This one was much harder than the first -- mostly because I had to do a lot of research on the concept. It was easy to come up with a pitch, but sketching out all the characters was complicated. Not to mention coming up with episode ideas, each of which had to revolve around a specific case. I am the one who managed once to write a mystery that had no mystery at all, so you can see where I might have trouble.

But, all is good. I got the pitch done -- and even had a chance to review it with a friend first.

So, off it goes to the company. They'll be speaking about it on Tuesday, so I should know shortly if they like it, if they are going to keep moving forward with it, and what -- if anything -- they want to change.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Yikes

So apparently, the next step in the process is a call with the development company to discuss my concepts...

Like, in an hour from now. Nothing like advance notice.

Yikes.

Possibilities

I was asked to write a couple of pitches a few months ago. I didn't expect anything to come of them, but when you are asked to do something interesting, you say yes -- right? Once I provided them, I promptly forgot they even existed -- mostly because I figured they weren't ever going to go anywhere. I wrote them for fun more than anything.

I heard today that one of the concepts I came up with has received a tiny bit of interest. In reality, this doesn't mean much...well, except there wasn't a straight out "no" (a good thing in my mind).

To compare this to the consulting world, I see the concept as having made it passed the "Expression of Interest" step, with the company now needing to make a bid/no bid decision.

In this situation the company has to see if it can find an interested Project Manager willing to develop a full proposal. If it does, the company may make a decision to bid.

It will be interesting to see how this unfolds over the next few months. It is likely going to go nowhere, which is why I am being so cryptic. And yet, on the off chance it does go somewhere, I would want to remember every step on the journey.

So, this post is more for me than for you. Thanks for bearing with me.

Edited on Nov. 10th: I just saw the preliminary list of individuals who may be approached about this project -- wow, that was quick. From looking at their experience, all of them look like they would be a good fit -- although one stuck out for me personally.