The Elevator Speech
April 2003 HODRW Newsletter Article
by Teri Sprackland
Writers find it notoriously difficult to discuss their work-in-progress. Either you can't find a way to talk about it at all, or you say too much. That's because we live with our stories day and night, and turning them into "sound-bites" is a painful process.
However, it is essential.
If you can't explain what you're doing, why expect anyone else to care? You may think you are a long ways off from having that dreaded first conversation with an editor or agent, but you still need to prepare your spiel. Your family, friends, coworkers, the stray journalist or book reviewer you may encounter at a party - there's a bigger audience waiting for your spiel than you realize. If, as many sociologists believe, we are all only a few degrees of separation away from everyone else on this planet - then doesn't it make sense to see every meeting as a potential opportunity to let the universe know you're a writer and proud of it? The universe has a way of hearing those that speak up for themselves.
Think of it as your elevator speech. What could you tell someone about the work you're doing - during a short elevator ride? It works in Silicon Valley, where entrepreneurs are expected to pitch a business plan worth millions of dollars in investments in just that length of time. So go ahead and be your one million-dollar baby, and practice that little speech on everyone who will stand still long enough to hear it. You know, when someone says - "so what are you up to these days?" Or other polite inquiry, just tell them. But keep it short and to the point. If their eyes glaze over, you'd better cut to the chase.