Writing a pitch is not just a tool for selling your novel. It can help you write a better book, too. And that, in turn, will do more for selling your book than the greatest pitch in the world.

I am working on a deep last pass of my novel-in-progress before sending it out to agents, and at the same time, I am working on my pitch for my query letter.

Funnily enough, cutting out back story and zeroing in the pith of the matter for my pitch, I discovered that my inciting incident was buried too deeply within my story. Was, in fact, not my inciting incident, which I have not, in fact, quite written yet. That’s okay.

Spinning a fine strand of thread out of a bulk of wool has given me a much clearer vision of the whole (as has reading through with a fine-toothed comb and a shovel at the same time).

The way my book starts now, the main character is on a train, but I’ve missed one key scene I didn’t even know was there, the scene that sets him running. How much better that he’s on the train running rather than merely riding.

Tomorrow: back to the comb and shovel read-through and back to spinning that pitch, getting it down to one smooth line.

For you: whether you are just brainstorming ideas or are about to storm the market, write a pitch now. Get to the sinewy thread of your story. This will tether you.

Three ways to think about pitch:

1) Character + motivation + obstacle.

2) What has gone wrong and why does it matter so damn much?

3) What concrete choice does your character face between two worthy, irreconcilable options?