One thing that unites all writers (aside from depression and the habit of using uncommon words in common conversations and having to desperately explain the definitions to people rapidly tiring of your bullshit) is The Pitch. Whether you’re shopping a novel to an agent or publisher or trying to land a freelance gig, you’ll more than likely find yourself having to pitch an idea to someone — someone who more than likely does not give a crap. Most pitches fail.
And that can be rough. There’s nothing worse than slaving over a pitch only to get a blank-faced, far too polite rejection the second you stop speaking. It’s easy to think that if your idea doesn’t gain traction, it must not have been a very good idea. But I am here to tell you that probably isn’t true. You just have to keep pitching that idea until you find someone who agrees with you regarding how awesome it is.
Sorry To Bother You
Pitches and synopses and the like are tough for writers because they’re like 10% of the idea. They’re all bone, and sometimes a story relies on details and grace notes. Not every premise is mind-blowing when boiled down to its raw form, and the worry is that an idea that has you really excited can get a blank stare from people when you pitch it because you can’t spend two days explaining every detail and reverse-engineering your shocking-but-plausible twists. The end result can be excruciating.
But here’s the thing: You don’t need everyone to love your idea. You don’t even need a committee of people. You need one person at a time. First and foremost, you need: You. You yourself have to like the idea you’re pitching. Then you need to create a chain of Your People, folks who also love your idea. One at a time. If someone pulls a face when you pitch and says “Next!” well, move on. Keep pitching until you find your people.
Of course, this process requires you to get a lot of rejection smeared all over you. But that’s what the whiskey’s for.