Neal Chase

Writer, Lawyer, Basketball Coach, and PS4 Player Extraordinaire

Main navigation

Pitchwars 2017 – I want your MG

by 5 Comments

I love online contests, competitions, or whatever you call them. I entered my first one about three years ago and met some great people who helped me more than I can believe. Two years ago I sat where you are (well not exactly, unless you’re in my house, in which case, do you mind letting the dogs out?). I started looking at mentor bios and figuring out which ones were the best fit. I never did hit the submit button. Right before the submission window opened, I got the call. I hope you do too, but if you don’t, you should seriously think about entering this contest. There are so many great mentors and you can’t go wrong with any of them (except maybe that one guy sharping his teeth and singing nursery rhymes, but it’s best not to mention him).

So who am I?

I’m a MG writer represent by Mark Gottlieb. My debut novel, WORTHY OF SONG AND STORY, came into the world in October, 2016, and I am frantically working on the second book as well as a new series. Besides writing, I’m an attorney, CPA, and basketball coach. I love playing video games, reading, watching movies, and college football. Go Huskers!

This is my first year mentoring in Pitchwars, but please don’t let that scare you away. It wasn’t too long ago I was in your shoes (that could be why they weren’t where you left them). I still remember, though not fondly, what it’s like waiting for agents to reply.


Some of the books I like are:

IRON TRIAL, by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare

SHADOW MAGIC, by Joshua Khan

THE NIGHT GARDENER, by Jonathan Auxier

RISE OF THE CORPSES, by Ty Drago

THE FALSE PRINCE, by Jennifer Nielsen

STORMBREAKER, by Anthony Horowitz

KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES, by Shannon Messenger

LEVIATHAN, by Scott Westerfeld

And of course, HARRY POTTER, I think that is required.

What in the world do I like?

You’ve probably noticed I have a strong preference for speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, steampunk, cyberpunk, horror, superheroes, etc.). Lower MG is not for me. Give me your upper MG (12, 13, and 14 year old protagonists), especially if it’s pushing the upper MG/lower YA envelope. I like characters to be human/humanoid and not animals. Although I respect poets and their ability, books written in verse are not my thing. If your story is a contemporary, heart felt, coming of age story, with no elements of speculative fiction, I’m probably not the best mentor for you. I like stories that take me away from this world and immerse me in another one, even if it’s only a magic school in England or a camp of demi-gods on Long Island.

Who do I want to work with?

I don’t care if you have written one hundred books, or this is your first one, as long as you are willing to work at making it better. It’s possible that your manuscript may be so great that only minor changes are needed. Most likely, I will suggest some major changes. They could be adding or cutting plot elements, changing the POV (or cutting a POV if there is more than one), changing the staring point of the story, and/or  increased world building. You aren’t required to make any of the changes I suggest. It’s your book after all, but you should be open to suggestions and a strong desire to make your manuscript the best it can be. I also prefer to work with someone who wants more than a one off situation. The best mentor/mentee relationship is one that changes to critique partners on other manuscripts.

Here are my fellow MG mentors: http://wp.me/p3YLhv-7Yc

Mister Linky’s Magical Widgets — Thumb-Linky widget will appear right here! This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site. If this widget does not appear, click here to display it.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I have to say, I got really excited when I saw the pic of the Huskers. Are you from NE? I was born and raised there, but moved to Mississippi four years ago. NE is still where my heart is though. I used it as the setting for my MS too.

    Reply

    • I was born there, moved to CT when I was ten, now in Texas. Once a Husker fan, always a Husker fan.

      Reply

  11. Your comment is awaiting moderation.

    Valuable information. Many thanks.
    http://canadianpharmacyntx.com/
    online pharmacy usa canadian pharmaceuticals online pharmacies near me [url=http://canadianpharmaciesnnm.com/]london drugs canada[/url]
    canadian drug store
    overseas pharmacies
    best online pharmacy stores
    prescription drug price comparison
    <a href="http://mecetes.org/?s=You+actually+reported+this+really+well.+http%3A%2F%2Fcanadianpharmacysilo.com%2F+canadian+pharmacy+online+canada+online+pharmacies+of+canada+canadian+pharmacy+no+prescription+canadian+pharmacies+online+%0D%0Abuying+prescription+drugs+canada+%0D%0Anorthwestpharmacy+%0D%0Acanada+drug+pharmacy+%0D%0Acostco+pharmacy+pricing+%0D%0Acanadian+pharmacy+viagra+%0D%0Aonline+pharmacies”>best non prescription online pharmacies
    canadian drugstore online

    Reply

  45. Your comment is awaiting moderation.

    Seriously all kinds of great tips.
    http://www.canadianpharmacymsn.com/
    canadian rx pharmacy online canada drug international pharmacy [url=https://nicktambone.com/]canadian pharmacies that ship to us[/url]
    no prior prescription required pharmacy
    reputable canadian mail order pharmacies
    buy prescription drugs online
    best canadian online pharmacy
    prescription without a doctor’s prescription
    prescription online

    Reply

  57. Your comment is awaiting moderation.

    Lovely content. Thanks.
    http://canadianpharmacysilo.com/
    best online pharmacies no prescription canadian pharmaceuticals online canada drug prices [url=http://canadianpharmacysilo.com/]global pharmacy canada[/url]
    canada pharmacy online no script
    canadian pharmacies that are legit
    buying drugs canada
    buying drugs canada
    online canadian pharmacy
    <a href="http://www.motion7.co.uk/?s=+Factor+well+applied%21.+http%3A%2F%2Ftalahicc.com%2F+the+canadian+pharmacy+london+drugs+canada+prescription+drugs+prices+canadian+pharmacies+online+%0D%0Acanadian+pharmacies+that+ship+to+us+%0D%0Aget+prescription+online+%0D%0Awalgreens+pharmacy+%0D%0Aonline+pharmacy+without+prescription+%0D%0Acanadian+drug+store+%0D%0Acanadian+pharmacy+365″>discount prescription drugs online

    Reply

Trackbacks

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *