For this year’s Ampersand Project submissions, we’re asking you to include a two-sentence pitch in addition to your one-page synopsis.

We covered how to write a brilliant synopsis a few months back (here). Basically: tell us the whole story, start to finish, making sure you highlight the most important plot points and remember to tell us what happens in the end.

The pitch is a little bit more fun. It’s the super speedy description that gets right to the heart of your story. Here’s where you hook us, and reel us in. It’s kind of like a blurb, kind of like a logline. Whatever you want to call it is fine by us!

It might read something like this:

Romeo and Juliet’s families are sworn enemies and Juliet is promised to another man. But they know they’re soulmates and, one way or another, they’re determined to be together.

In a dystopian future, a group of teenagers fight to the death in a gladiator-style tournament for the world’s entertainment. Will Katniss Everdeen survive this sinister twist on Big Brother?

We’re cheating, but this is a fun exercise. This weekend, go through your favourite books and distill them down to a two-sentence, totally beguiling, hooky description.

We look forward to reading your pitches when you submit to the Ampersand Project: Year Two!