Pitch Practice with Cap'n Bob

Yes, Ye Olde Cap'n Bob Napier, author of Love, Death and Toyman and The Toyman Rides Again (of which you may have heard), is in town this weekend for the annual Willamette Writers Conference. This is Bob's second year working as a volunteer, and my . . . well, I forget how manyth.

Bob in rapt attention.

A major attraction of this conference, one of the largest in the country, is that a bunch of literary and film agents (roughly two dozen of each) fly in to take pitches. That's where Bob and I come in. Before going in to face the agents, wise attendees stop by the complimentary pitch practice room to try out their spiels on us, or one of several other stalwarts. Some pitches are excellent and some horrendous, with most falling somewhere in between. We do our best to help folks hone their pitch down to the essentials and increase their chances of getting a request for material.

Bob spots the not-so-hidden camera.

The work is challenging and fun, and we get to meet oodles of interesting people. Between sessions with would-be authors we do what the other convention goers do - attend panels, seminars and workshops on various aspects of the writing game. Over the course of the three-day conference there are 96 of these presentations, so it's not hard to find something of interest. This stuff never fails to get the creative juices flowing.

Here's me, gesturing hypnotically á la Mandrake the Magician.

(I use this power only for good.)