In Psychologies magazine Annette Simmons, author of "The Story Factor," recently mentioned four tips for good storytelling. You can easily adapt these to create an outstanding pitch or query letter:
1. Choose the right opening. She suggests, "Begin a story with a quirky introduction incorporating bizarre details and you'll instantly get people's attention." In a pitch or query letter you don't have time to tell the whole story, and you don't have to start at the beginning. For instance, an opening line might be, "Jack Carter never expected to be arrested in a raid on an S & M torture chamber. He wasn't that type. His ordeal actually had its roots in what happened six months before..." At that point I could go back and briefly tell what led up to that incident, but I have already aroused the curiosity of the listener.
2. Link the story to the listener. Often this can be done by posing a rhetorical question. Continuing with my story above, I might say, "His ordeal actually had its roots in what happened six months before. He asked himself a couple of questions I've asked myself and maybe you've asked them, too. 'Am I in a rut? Is my life too boring?' Your listener will automatically relate this to himself or herself.
3. Simmons says, "To hold your audience's attention, use specifics instead of generalizations." So even if your character is typical, be specific about his typicality. For instance, I might say, "Jack spends his Sundays watching football on his 40-inch plasma screen, drinking 5 cans of Bud Lite and eating one large package of Cheesy Nachos."
4. Don't overdo it. "Don't perform your stories, just tell them," Simmons advises. There are some natural performers who can pull of jumping up and down on the sofa to illustrate a point but if it didn't work well for Tom Cruise, it's not likely to work well for us.
(For more tips and techniques on writing and selling your writing, buy my book, Your Writing Coach, published by Nicholas Brealey. For more on how to be creative and productive, also subscribe to my free monthly Brainstorm e-bulletin. Just send an email request now to [email protected])
