Our mentors are editing, our mentees are revising, and we hope you’re making progress on your own manuscript! While we’re all working toward the Agent Showcase starting on February 6, 2019, we hope you’ll take a moment during your writing breaks and get to know our 2018 Pitch Wars Teams.
Next up, we have . . .
Shannon Cooley
Arianne and Adrianna, why did you choose Shannon?
Shannon not only had a killer voice and writing style, but we could tell she’d be absolutely lovely to work with and receptive to feedback. SUMMER OF THE LAWNMOWER has such a timeless feel to it, a heartwarming ending, and lots of humor. And, of course, we had some ideas on how to help it shine even more. It’s exactly what we asked for!
Shannon, why did you choose to submit to Arianne and Adrianna?
Because they said they like funny and fast-paced books. My book is definitely humorous.
Arianne and Adrianna, summarize Shannon’s book in 3 words.
Lawn-mowing madness!
Shannon, summarize your book in 3 words.
Living Lawnmower. Laughs.
Arianne and Adrianna, tell us about yourself. Something we may not already know.
Arianne: I like to binge-watch shows with my husband after the kids have gone to bed. (By binge-watch, I mean probably only 2 episodes a night–haha, I truly value my sleep.) Our favorites have been Psych, Parks and Rec, and Avatar: the Last Airbender. 🙂
Adrianna: I absolutely love horror movies. Zombies, ax murderers… all the blood and gore. As a MG writer, I find that I have to tone down the intensity of some of my scenes sometimes but I’d love to one day write a middle grade horror novel.
Shannon, what do you hope to get out of the Pitch Wars experience?
I wanted the chance to work with mentors who can see my book with the necessary distance to give me good feedback. I also know the value of community, and love having the chance to expand mine through Pitch Wars.
Shannon, tell us about yourself! What makes you and your manuscript unique?
I am a 2nd-chance Pitch Warrior. I was chosen as an alternate in 2014, but never actually got the mentor experience. I’m excited to get it this year! My manuscript is what I jokingly call “Suburban Fantasy,” a MG novel about a boy whose lawnmower comes to life.
Read about Arianne’s upcoming release, MY LIFE AS A POTATO… Random House has acquired debut author Arianne Costner’s My Life as a Potato, a middle grade novel about a boy who believes he is cursed by potatoes and is forced to be his school’s mascot—a potato called Steve the Spud—as he navigates a new school and friendships. Publication is scheduled for spring 2020.
Thank you for supporting our Pitch Wars Teams! The Agent Showcase is February 6 – 11, 2019. If you’re an agent and would like to participate, you must register here: https://pitchwars.org/info-for-agents/. We hope you’ll join us to support our teams on the Twitter hashtag #PitchWars.