Crisply Spoken

#PitMad

Elisabeth Crisp / @crisplyspoken — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:22:53 +0000

Every teacher has a fish story about a psychotic principal. None are as outrageous as Annie's. #pitmad #adult—
Elisabeth Crisp (@crisplyspoken) March 29, 2013

Pitch Madness is like tossing a line in the water and waiting for a fish to bite. A writer pitches her work by summing up a manuscript in a tweet (less than 140 characters) and hashtags for the event and genre. An agent favorites the stories he wants to read. The writer responds via email with a query letter and sample pages.

When I keyed in my log line, I had nothing to lose. I’d just watched Bené Brown’s TED talk. I was ready to be vulnerable. What I didn’t know, besides how quickly I’d have to reformat the first ten pages of my manuscript, was that I’d enjoy reading the other pitches and benefit from the kindness of other writers. Instead of crazy oneupmanship, they retweeted the competition. You could feel the love. Seriously.

The hashtag #PitMad trended on Twitter on March 29. I can’t wait to try it again.

*Twitter blocks the agent’s avatar when it’s embedded in a post, but the writer knows the agent’s identity.

Tagged: #PitMad, Agents, Twitter, writers, writing

At the Races: Swimming the 50 Free

Elisabeth Crisp / @crisplyspoken — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:20:03 +0000

I’ll admit it. I’ve become one of those parents. Holding the digital camera, so shaky the result is barely viewable. That’s Cherry swimming the 50 Freestyle at short course championships. She won Second Place, leading the entire race before being out-touched by 9/100ths of a second at the finish. She did well in other events too, but I was too nervous to shoot any of them. It’s a good thing that she swims better than I film.

Tagged: 50 Freestyle, competitive swimming, family, swimming, Trusting Your Instincts

What Lies Behind

Elisabeth Crisp / @crisplyspoken — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:04:12 +0000

We’re on a home improvement binge here at Crispville. I haven’t mentioned it because the repairs take over everything. I don’t want to turn Crisply Spoken into that kind of blog. To quote Seinfeld, “Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” I love Young House Love and Remodelista. They fill a hole left by the demise of my favorite glossies, Domino and Cottage Living, but I spend too much time contemplating the perfect shade of gray or penny tile versus subway. Click this link to my Pinterest Boards, and you’ll see. I should be writing.

But … nothing on YHL compares to the soggy sheet rock behind my washing machine. I only thought to take a picture after it crumbled onto the linoleum. I want to show the pipe configuration to my plumber. He’s buying a timeshare in Vail with the cash I’ve spent to unclog this drain.

The iron skeleton reminds me of my novel synopsis. After chipping away the details, the structural problems are obvious. Time to get off the internet and write.

Tagged: bare pipes, home improvement, Pinterest, shelter blogs, shelter magazines, writing

Getting Egged at My House

Elisabeth Crisp / @crisplyspoken — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 19:09:06 +0000

Click to view slideshow.

A slideshow of Easter morning.

Tagged: cascarones, Easter, eggs, family, tradition

What Makes Me Vulnerable?

Elisabeth Crisp / @crisplyspoken — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 06:32:49 +0000

This TED talk rocked my life this week. Seriously. Everyone, who creates. Everyone, who puts work out for general consumption, should watch Brené Brown speak on The Power of Vulnerability. The TED website describes her this way:

Brené Brown studies human connection — our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity. A talk to share. (Filmed atTEDxHouston.)

This was a slap-palm-to-forehead moment for me.

Tagged: Brene Brown, creativity, TED, vulnerability

Substance Abuse

Elisabeth Crisp / @crisplyspoken — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:08:09 +0000

You know those bumper stickers, “My son and my money go to **insert college here**?” I need one that says, “My daughter’s college fund was spent at Orange Leaf.” The frozen yogurt is addictive, expensive, and less than a mile from my house. I’d better get my speech planned, “I’m sorry, honey. Yale’s out of the question. We spent that cash on My Friends Call Me Cocoa Chocolate.’”

Tagged: college fund, economics, family, Frozen Yogurt, Orange Leaf, substance abuse