Instructor: Lisa Lerner
In this two-hour workshop, we will define a pitch (sometimes called a logline or hook) and discuss where and when you will need it. We will review the necessary ingredients of, as well as formulas and templates for, a successful pitch. As we analyze pitches that resulted in book deals, you will have the opportunity to write your pitch in class and work through a series of exercises to revise it until it sings. You’ll leave with one killer sentence that makes readers excited to dive in.
This workshop is suitable for all writing levels of fiction (middle-grade, YA, and adult) and memoir.
Optional Add-On: Lisa is available for a one-hour private Zoom consultation for registered students. These consultations will be scheduled outside of class sessions, at a time that is mutually convenient for instructor and student. This consultation includes reading a one-page pitch and synopsis and a maximum of a five-page sample of your manuscript. All submissions should be 12 pt font double-spaced. The consultation hour will involve an in-depth conversation regarding the writer's story premise with the aim to understand, clarify, and elevate the writer's unique vision. Sign up for Add-On when you purchase your class.
Long ago, Lisa Lerner was a professional rubber stamp cutter, children’s party entertainer, and NYC performance artist. Then one day that lasted five years, she wrote a novel called Just Like Beauty that became a New York TImes Notable Book of the Year and is now in development as a movie shooting in 2027. Lisa has been writing stories for educational publishers such as Scholastic and McGraw Hill for over 25 years, as well as penning short fiction for McSweeney’s, Hobart, and other places, and teaching writing workshops to adults and kids. When she is not writing her next adult novel, she is a proud member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, a juror for the annual Scholastic Art and Writing Competition, and a trustee on the board of the Kingston Library in New York. Visit www.lisalerner.com for student testimonials and a glimpse into Lisa’s past and present lives.