35. DOES THIS APRON MAKE ME LOOK AMISH? – Young Adult Contemporary

Mentor Name: Maggie Hall

Mentee Name: Fiona Ivey

Title: DOES THIS APRON MAKE ME LOOK AMISH?

Category: Young Adult

Genre: Contemporary

Word Count: 81,500

Pitch:

When sixteen-year-old fashion-obsessed blogger Milan Worthington violates her mother’s trust by secretly applying for a Hollywood reality show, she is banished to Amish country. There, far away from her cell phone and stilettos, she discovers her self-worth is not dependent on her looks.

Excerpt:

I may be the only person in history to ever be banished to Amish Country.

I say maybe, since I’m not 100% sure. I didn’t exactly pay attention in history class. Or, any class, really. I sketched designs, blogged, and performed imaginary makeovers on my classmates; I was headed for Hollywood.

Instead, I ended up 2,647 miles east, far from any decent cell reception or anyone with a sense of style.

It all started with the application. I can still see my manicure; perfectly polished fingertips in Essie’s “Serial Shopper”, a notice-me florescent coral, typing out answers on my keyboard…

Fashion is my oxygen; it’s why I live and breathe, the reason I get up in the morning and what I dream about at night.

I hesitate before hitting “enter” on my laptop, worrying that this answer sounds too desperate, too love poem-y. It’s true, though, I would D-I-E without my clothes, accessories, and shoes–how could I survive without shoes? They literally make my heart beat.

I read over my entire application again, taking a cleansing breath to settle my nerves, visualizing success.

Teen Stylist. America’s next sure-to-be-a-hit reality show on the Fashion Channel. They’re searching for contestants. I plan on winning.

I won’t stop ’til I have the Grand Prize: cash, a year’s supply of make-up from Sephora, a designer wardrobe, and (insert squeal here) my own TV show.

Me. Milan Worthington. Teen Stylist. TV star.

It’s my destiny.

I hit “send.”