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Pitch Wars Showcase

Please note: These are the entries for the Pitch Wars season beginning in 2021 and continuing through 2022. Please note that our Agent Showcase ends at 9:00 p.m. ET on Monday, February 14, 2022. Agents will not be able to leave comments requesting material after that time.
MG #4: DAISY FROM SCRATCH (Contemporary Novel-in-Verse)
Mentee:
Abigail Rayner
Mentored by:
K.C. Held
Book Title:
DAISY FROM SCRATCH
Category:
2018 Entries
Genre:
Contemporary Novel-in-Verse
Word Count:
27,000

Pitch:

Daisy’s dream of opening a bakery with her BFF crumbles when she’s diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Not that Kat cares, she’s too busy hanging out with sixth grade’s new queen bee. When Daisy develops an eating disorder that lands her in the hospital, she must decide whether to keep fighting for her old life, or start over from scratch.

 

Excerpt:

First Day of Middle School

In sixth grade,

everything is different.

Girls are taller,

shinier.

Someone has told a bunch of them

to put colored stripes in their hair,

hitch up their skirts,

wear shoes with a heel,

but that someone

forgot to tell

me.

 

Bathroom Blues

I cannot think straight

during homeroom.

My stomach is squeezing,

sending an urgent message.

 

My teacher asks

do I really need to go

AGAIN?

I feel pink spots

spread on my cheeks

like watercolor on a wet page.

 

Kat

Recess on our first day.

Kids sit around the courtyard

talking.

 

In elementary school

we played tag,

gave each other piggy backs,

hung upside down

from the monkey bars.

 

I spy my best friend,

in a knot of kids.

“Kat!”

I call,

but she doesn’t hear.

 

I head over,

excited to see her.

“Kat!”

 

She shoots me a split-second glance,

before she turns her twinkling eyes,

back to a girl

with purple streaks in her hair,

who talks with her hands,

stretches to flash

her belly.

 

David Pryce

waves,

beckons.

I shake my head,

straining my ears

to hear the girls’ chatter

about a show

they went to last week.

 

“Kat?”

I try again.

Not even a squint

in my direction.

 

I spent the summer

with my grandparents,

and while I was gone,

my best friend forgot her name,

or maybe she forgot

me.

9 responses to “MG #4: DAISY FROM SCRATCH (Contemporary Novel-in-Verse)”

  1. Elizabeth Bewley says:

    HI Abigail,
    I’d be happy to read your manuscript. Can you please email me the first 50 pages? My email is ebewley@sll.com.
    Thanks!
    Elizabeth Bewley
    Sterling Lord Literistic

  2. Erica Bauman says:

    Hi Abigail,

    This sounds amazing, and I’d love to read more! Could you please send a query and the full manuscript to ebauman@aevitascreative.com and put “Pitch Wars” in the subject line?

    Thanks!

  3. Heather Cashman says:

    I love how each line of this opening hits me.
    If you think we’d be a good fit, please send the full to heather.stormliteraryagency@gmail.com with Pitch Wars Query, your name, and the title in the subject line.
    Thank you and good luck!
    Heather Cashman
    Storm Literary Agency

  4. Rena Rossner says:

    I’d love to read this full manuscript. Please send it attached as a word document to: rena@thedeborahharrisagency.com

    Thanks!

    – Rena Rossner
    The Deborah Harris Agency

  5. Joanna Moult says:

    Hi there, I really enjoyed reading your pitch and extract. It would be lovely to read your full manuscript!
    Please send the full manuscript and a synopsis as a word doc(s) to submissions@skylark-literary.com, mentioning in your email that I requested the material from #Pitchwars
    In the meantime, I wish you the best with your writing!
    Regards, Joanna

  6. Jennifer Unter says:

    I’d love to read more. Please send the first 50 pages as a Word attachment to assistant@theunteragency.com. Thanks!

  7. Tara Gonzalez says:

    Hello! I’d love to take a look at the full manuscript of DAISY FROM SCRATCH! Please send it along as a word document to tara@emliterary.com at your convenience.

    Thanks so much!

    Tara Gonzalez
    Associate Agent
    Erin Murphy Literary Agency, Inc.
    http://emliterary.com/

  8. Nicole Payne says:

    I’m intrigued! Please send the query, synopsis and first three chapters to nicole@goldenwheatliterary.com with Pitch Wars in the subject line. Thanks!

  9. Adria Goetz says:

    I love novels in verse! Can you send the full manuscript to me at adria@martinlit.com?