Pitching a piece of writing is a nerve-wracking ordeal, and creating a "leave behind" will give you confidence and keep you from stumbling about and embarrassing yourself. A leave behind is a one-page presentation of your project. (See guide below.) Make two copies. Keep one to refer to and give the other to the editor. If the editor allows you to leave that copy behind, so much the better.
Your name Genre
Address Word
count
Phone number
E-mail
WORKING TITLE
CONTEXT: Time and place
LOG LINE: A short (one or two sentence) capsule of your story.
BEGINNING: Introduce your protagonist, reveal the INCITING INCIDENT.
Now we can see what this character wants/needs and the main obstacle/conflict.
State the DRAMATIC QUESTION, which is the thrust of your story.
MIDDLE: Give enough details in this micro-synopsis to show how your story
builds and gains momentum. List further obstacles and complications.
ENDING: This will contain the climax, resolution and closure.
Assure the editor the book is finished. Don't lie; it is complete, isn't it? And revised and polished until it shines? Be prepared to answer questions. End by asking, "May I send you a proposal?" Whether the answer is yes or no, be courteous and professional. Thank the editor. (You never know when you'll need this person in the future.)
Below, find a one-page example of a leave behind:
Your name Mystery/Intrigue
Address 100,000
words
Phone number
E-mail
THE INFINITY FACTOR
PRESENT DAY
LOG LINE: A soldier comes home from the war in Iraq and learns his wife
and daughter are missing.
BEGINNING: Sgt. Ronald Baker lands at Fort Hood but his wife Lena and
his five-year-old daughter Valerie do not meet him as planned. (INCITING INCIDENT)
He calls home repeatedly, but there is no answer. Reluctantly, Ron calls his
estranged brother Steve, who hangs up on him.
In Houston, the family home is locked up tight; both cars are in the
closed garage. Lights are blazing, upstairs and down. The security system is
armed. In the backyard, the dog is dead of a gunshot wound to the left eye.
The animal has been dead approximately twelve hours.
DRAMATIC QUESTION: Will Ron Baker get his family back?
MIDDLE: In the frantic weeks that follow, the case becomes a media circus,
a cause celebre. The Houston police, especially grizzled veteran Detective Lieutenant
Charles "Charlie" Morgan, are at a standstill. So is Ron Baker. There
are no clues, nada. One good thing. When Ron's brother Steve learned his niece
and sister-in-law had disappeared, the brothers were reconciled. Throughout
the ordeal, Steve has been Ron's most steadfast supporter.
ENDING: We learn that Steve Baker has been holding Lena and Valerie at
a rented fishing camp all these weeks. Morbidly jealous, Steve flipped out when
he learned that Ron was returning home a highly decorated war hero.
Steve had intended to kill Lena and Valerie, but balks at actually murdering
his brother's wife and child. He turns them loose, leaves a suicide note, calls
Detective Morgan, and shoots himself.
CLOSURE: Ron and his family begin trying to rebuild their lives.
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