Our favorite part of hosting pitch contests around here is hearing about successes. Today we celebrate Hema Penmetsa and her Pitch Wars mentor Holly Faur! Hema recently signed with Jaida Temperly of New Leaf Literary and Media Inc., and we’re so over-the-moon excited for her. So please join me in congratulating Hema and Holly as they share with us their awesome Pitch Wars success story.
What was it about Holly that made you choose to send her a Pitch Wars application?
The first time I read Holly’s wish list, I couldn’t believe my eyes—it was as though she was asking exactly for my novel.
Then I researched her Twitter presence and author website, and like I mentioned in my previous Pitch Wars interview, I found that she was easygoing and had a wonderful sense of humor (two crucial qualities in someone with whom, with any luck, I’d be working closely for the next two months and hopefully developing a lasting friendship).
So, Holly took the top spot on the list of my mentor choices (along with five other fabulous mentors who were also looking for themes like mine). As I began working with her, I realized that I couldn’t have chosen better, because Holly has this way of infusing you with self-confidence and a quiet purpose that helps you to keep moving forward.
Holly, what was it about Hema’s BEYOND THE CARVED WALLS that hooked you?
The query hooked me right away since it was filled with everything I wanted: places new to me, strong women, and diversity. Her pages proved she had an amazing sense of story and I was caught up with the MC on page one—and she hadn’t even tempted me with descriptions of Indian cuisine yet! But what I loved the most was the obvious care and respect in which she wrote about a difficult time in India.
Tell us about the revision process for Pitch Wars?
Holly first sent me an edit letter with suggestions of over-arching changes and structural improvements. After she line-edited half of my whopping 400-page book (so that I could carry over the edits through the rest of the book), she sent me a second edit letter with detailed suggestions that were specific to scenes and individual character arcs.
Once we discussed (over emails and phone conversations) our mutual vision both for the big changes and smaller tweaks, every time I added a new scene or made huge alterations, I’d send her the word file (with track changes on) at the end of the day. She’d read the additions and suggest tightening them in places. I believe this micro-critiquing helped the process of final line edits that much smoother and kept it all from overwhelming either of us. Once I finished revising the entire book, I sent it off to Holly again. She graciously read it one more time and gave some more line-edit suggestions, which I finished quickly.
And that was how I ended up with a novel that was shiny as a new penny by the time the agent round rolled in. Although it was a grueling and exhausting two-month period of non-stop writing, revising and re-editing, I wouldn’t change a single thing about the process.
Holly, tell us about your experience mentoring Hema.
I learned so much! One reason I love manuscripts like Hema’s is that I’m always looking to learn about and embrace the world in new ways, and what better way than by story? We also brainstormed a lot, finding ways to move scenes around, or adding more feeling and descriptions. We kept going, even after the agent round, and I’m so excited this manuscript has found an agent home.
After Pitch Wars, you signed with Jaida Temperly of New Leaf Literary and Media Inc. Please, tell us about “The Call.” We love all the details about the offer, how they contacted you, how you responded, celebrations, emotions . . . How long did you have to wait and how did you distract yourself? Anything! We love hearing about all of it.
Suzie Townsend, Jaida Temperly’s colleague at New Leaf, was one of the agents who had requested my full manuscript as part of Pitch Wars agent round. But she soon decided that my novel might align better with Jaida’s tastes and shared it with her. Within a week, Jaida read my full and absolutely loved the setting and my voice, but she believed some plot points needed further fleshing out. After an exchange of a couple of emails, we had an hour-long phone conversation during which I got to learn not only just how much Jaida believed in my novel’s premise but also how well she understood “story” at both macro and micro levels. By the end of the call, I was determined to revise based on her input asap. Which was exactly what I did and updated her (and all the other agents who already had my full either through Pitch Wars agent round or my cold queries) with the revised version. Much to my pleasant shock, within two days I received an offer of representation from a (different) fabulous and noted agent!
I couldn’t have timed “The Call” better myself if I’d had any control over it, because I was scheduled to leave on vacation early the next morning. Things got pretty hectic that day once I hung up the phone, because I had to send a million “I have an offer” nudge-emails to all the other agents who had my full and also those whom I’d cold-queried and hadn’t heard from yet. Although I had to field quite a few emails with questions, new requests and regretful step-asides from agents while I was on vacation, going away with family and enjoying the sights of a new city proved to be the best distraction. I also had a long and (quite fun!) chat with an established client of the offering agent and that conversation helped settle my nerves because it reinforced my own impression that the agent was not only wonderfully professional but also personable and kind. Once I returned home, I received three more offers (for each of which I am still humbled and immensely grateful), which led to more phone calls, obsessive online research, frantic comparison of agency contracts, and more back and forth emails.
One of those latter offers was from Jaida. She emailed saying she loved re-entering the world I had created in my book and hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it since she’d read it first a few weeks ago, and she was thrilled to offer me representation. I talked to her at length again, where she outlined a detailed vision (which totally matched mine again) for revisions. She also came prepared with a list of editors and imprints to whom she’d like to submit once the book was ready. That clinched it for me, and I soon signed with her.
How do you feel Pitch Wars helped with your success?
Pitch Wars has made a huge contribution to where I am today as a writer. I learned not only better revising and editing techniques through the process, but I also became aware of my strengths and weaknesses (which is invaluable for a writer like myself who’s in it for the long haul). Also, the several requests I garnered through the agent round led me to believe that my story has a market, which helped me to keep faith and stand true to my premise. Ultimately, I connected with Jaida—even if a tad indirectly—through Pitch Wars!
In addition, I made wonderful and lasting connections. Holly has been—and continues to be—a huge support; I’m seriously awed by the mentors’ generosity and commitment to helping virtual strangers succeed. And I made several new friends from among my fellow mentees, which is brilliant.
To me Pitch Wars represents everything that’s positive about the writing scene in the US.
Now for some fun! The following questions are for you both to answer.
If you could live in any fictional world and take everything you love with you, where would you choose to live? What would you do there? And why this world?
Hema: I grew up in India on a steady diet of classics. So, I happened to read THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON by Jonathan David Wyss very early on and that book set my imagination on fire. Oy! Just the thought of living permanently on top of a tree and setting off on a different adventure each day made me starry-eyed. I’d love to experience that setting (minus the distress of being ship-wrecked, of course) in real life. Imagine my delight when I accidentally stumbled upon the Swiss Family Treehouse at Magic Kingdom in Orlando (no one had told me that it was one of the attractions!)—I wouldn’t shut up for the next two hours until my family fully appreciated the significance of my find.
Holly: Not fictional really, but Prince Edward Island has held a place in my heart since I first read about Anne Shirley.
Somewhere in the (known or unknown) universe, you’re in a high-speed chase and have to escape the bad guys. Who are you running from and what fictional character is your side-kick?
Hema: In a fantastical universe, I (in my gallant queen avatar) am being chased by enemy troops, and once I have them exactly where I wanted, I’d turn around and decimate them, mwahaha! A witty poet and court jester like Tenali Rama would be my side-kick—a light moment or two to help me and my soldiers relax would be just the ticket.
Holly: I’ve obviously thwarted some evil plan in which I must now escape, but Wonder Woman has my back so we’ll be home in time for tea.
What do you think is the most fascinating invention from fiction and what book is it from?
Hema: The Flying Carpet from THE ARABIAN NIGHTS: being able to fly with wind in your hair, not to mention lotsa legroom and no restrictions on luggage? Priceless. 🙂
Holly: Books themselves are the very best inventions! Helene Wecker’s THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI has a golem come to life (and a jinni) and I love the process.
Share with us your writing process. Do you write every day, in sprints, early in the morning, in the bath, pen and paper? What works for you?
Hema: Being only two books old, I don’t yet have a set writing process, per se. Since I write diverse historical fiction (where I drop my made-up characters into the midst of real historical figures and time-period and have them respond to the circumstances), the process I have going now is rather front-loaded. I research extensively and frenetically about the social, political and cultural aspects of the time period so that the norms of that era become as familiar to me as those of today. Then once I sit down to plot and subsequently write, I tend to get lost to the real world for the next few months as I write, write and write some more each day. I’m not big on word-count; rather I focus on finishing a scene or two per day.
Holly: I do prefer mornings, before the house is awake. I write in small chunks, but sprinting does not work for me. I’m nearly always researching or reading a book on the subject I’m writing about, or browsing Pinterest for inspiration. Sticky notes are everywhere.
You have one day to finish the last pages of your next bestselling novel. What food/drinks do you get and where do you go hide out to meet the deadline?
Hema: Ideally, I’d retire to my cozy cottage at the foothills of the Himalayas with an unobstructed view of the Manasarovar Lake. And I’d have an endless supply of chai and warm scones with clotted cream. But IRL, I find a quiet corner in one of the local libraries (or get comfy at my writing desk at home) when I’m getting ready for a stint of writing. And, boring as it may seem, a big bottle of water is my trusted friend on these sojourns, because in addition to keeping me hydrated, it forces me to take breaks and walk around, which I tend to forget to do once I’m in the zone.
Holly: I’d hide out in Ashville tea and almonds if I could. But reality would be my dinning room table as it has always been (no office here) and my stash of chocolate.
What or who keeps you motivated, inspired, or is your biggest support to keep writing?
Hema: My family. They’re my biggest cheerleaders and support system. I also have wonderful friends who encourage me to keep going, especially when the going gets bleak. Writing is a lonesome vocation, so I’m immensely grateful for the faith my friends and family place in my work—it keeps me motivated to step determinedly forward.
Holly: My husband, not because he’s the loudest cheerleader, but because he’s never doubted me. My children cannot imagine me as anything but a writer, and always tell their friends I write “books”, so that in its own dear way is a huge encouragement. I also have a merry band of writer friends who keep me level and heartened.
Please, share any last words you would like to add.
Hema: My two significant findings so far as a writer are: Perseverance is key, of course, but so is trusting your instincts and standing your ground if you believe in your story.
Holly: When it feels like you’re just spinning your tires and getting nowhere (manuscript troubles, agent hunting, awaiting submission) make sure you take the time to enjoy the view.
Thank you for sharing your Pitch Wars Success Story with us! CONGRATULATIONS!
Hema Penmetsa
Hema is the author of BEYOND THE CARVED WALLS, a novel set in the famine and war-ravaged Mughal India of the 1500s. She writes historical fiction on an intimate scale that shines light on the lives of unsung heroes: women who embody courage and grace and rise above their restrictive circumstances. As a compulsive writer and lifelong devotee of the world’s vibrant cultures, she is committed to promoting diversity in published novels. She lives in Texas—locked in a perennial battle against the heat to keep her precious garden alive—but she grew up in India to bedtime tales involving its rich past and alternate histories.
Holly Faur
Holly Faur grew up traveling all over the western U.S. and Germany pretending each long car ride was by covered wagon. She now lives in her birth state of Michigan with her husband and four little ruffians where she writes modern historical fiction about wonderfully complicated people. She keeps a garden, tackles the art of baking macarons, loves the Great Lakes, & can’t live without her Wellie boots. Her heart belongs in England, so her boys have promised to take her there one day.