It Wasn't a Strike...But It Was a Good First Pitch

I just got back from my pitch class with Cynthia Whitcomb, and I'm happy to say it was a success on multiple levels.

1. I learned a LOT about things to do and NOT to do in pitching. Props bad, enthusiasm good. Script dialogue bad, brevity good. Overall, it really helped to go back over a lot of this stuff and put it on the front of my mind with only five days before the conference.

2. I wasn't a complete anxious mess when I stood up and delivered my pitch to the group. There were probably 50 people in the room, and we had to walk up in front of everyone, give our pitch, then stand there while Cynthia gave us feedback. Typically that kind of activity is a recipe for disaster for me, but it went smooth as butter this time!

3. My pitch went over pretty good. Cynthia noted one omission she felt was important to include, and also thought I should strengthen my title to something new. But other than that, not much to work on compared to some people that seemed to miss the mark pretty badly on their first attempt.

I will say though that after listening to probably 25 pitches today, there were some really creative people with some really good ideas for movies/novels. There were definitely a few duds here and there, but by in large, I was very impressed.

Now my homework is to tighten up my pitch and dedicate it more to memory so I don't have to refer to notes to deliver it perfectly.

Here's the pitch I delivered today:

"Like Brothers" is an action/suspense movie in which two best friends turn deadly enemies in a tangled fight for survival.

Kyle Mathews and Dillon Green are former Army Rangers and boyhood friends who become bitter enemies through a tragic act of betrayal. A fight for survival erupts when Dillon surfaces years later and kidnaps Kyle's daughter and wife. Kyle must face his toughest enemy in this race against time to save his family. Who will survive?

Kyle, a successful businessman with a beautiful wife and daughter, begins to experience a strange series of stalking incidents, but before he can make sense of them, his daughter is kidnapped. Dillon has resurfaced and is hell bent on extracting revenge. As Kyle draws back on his lethal skills, and through a twist of luck, is able to save his daughter, the stakes are raised when Dillon throws caution to the wind and takes Kyle's wife hostage. A race towards insanity ensues as Kyle will stop at nothing to rescue his wife, and Dillon will not be thwarted in exacting his revenge.