Sarah Heatwole

One pagers. One sheets. Whatever you may call them are an important part of pitching at a writer’s conference. I am heading to ACFW in three weeks and pitching my second novel I’ve been working on. The variation above is close to being finished, although the middle section has totally changed as I’ve chiseled away at every single word. Condensing an 80k word project + an entire writing persona onto one sheet is a big ask. Writers are wordy people; we like the endless space of a blank page. Let me tell you, finding completed one-pagers for comparison’s sake on the internet is very hard. If you have any good examples, shoot them my way. So for the month of August, I am carefully crafting my pitch for The Weight of Mercy, memorizing key details and timing myself to get it under three minutes, then timing my elevator pitch to get it under 15 seconds all while continuing to write it. Below is the “elevator pitch” I’ve landed on. I like it, but it’s subject to change – because that’s what writer’s do!

In 1978, a Mennonite pastor discovers a church member shot in the parking lot. A decade later, he’s asked to be the spiritual advisor to the convicted man on death row. As buried truths come to light, the pastor risks his standing with the community, the victim’s family, and his heart, while learning God still redeems lives, including his own. 

In other news, it’s back to school! All three kids will be in different schools this year. Asher continues homeschooling, Jubilee is in public high school, and Zion will head off to preschool two days a week. It’s a busy time of year, and I’m praying the Lord blesses them with wonderful friends and an amazing year. Back to school also means we meet with our home group again. We ended the year studying the inward disciplines from The Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. A classic. We will pick up with the outward disciplines – simplicity, solitude, submission, and service. Then end with the corporate disciplines of confession, worship, guidance, and celebration. It’s a great book to study alongside other believers, and I’m excited to dive back in.

It’s been a while since I’ve done an episode of what I’ve been reading. I admit my reading habits have not been as flourishing as I would have hoped but I have gotten through several books, my sweet friend Andie Young’s – The Knitting Club, which I enjoyed the story of three women from very different walks of life bonding over a love of knitting and using their friendship to heal their wounds. I am currently reading The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip. Also a great read, about a friendship between a dying elderly woman and a young journalist. It made me cry last night – the mark of a good book. Hopefully, I can get through one additional book by the end of the summer. I’m in the mood for something with a bit of suspense . I’ve been wanting to read Jamie Jo Wright, so maybe one of her books, but I’m open to suggestions!