Hello Pitch Wars peoples! I’m so excited to be a mentor this year! As you’ll see below, even though this is my first year with Pitch Wars, I’ve been an active member of the writing community for years, both “in front” and behind the scenes, and I love the opportunity to give back. And I especially love working with new writers.
So here’s the deal with me.
About E.A.
My genre is crime fiction, and that’s exclusively where my fiction resides. I have a few books out, but my two most recent are The Unrepentant (2019) and They’re Gone (2020, published under a pseudonym, E.A. Barres). I’ve also co-edited two anthologies with Sarah M. Chen (The Night of the Flood and The Swamp Killers), and I’ve published short stories in a bunch of the usual crime fiction haunts.
I also write a monthly column for the Washington Independent Review of Books and work with a number of writing organizations. I was on the national board of the International Thriller Writers, and I currently serve as the Bookstore Liaison for Crime Writers of Color. I’m also an active member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. When I worked with ITW, I was the managing editor of The Thrill Begins, an online resource for aspiring crime fiction writers.
My Style
I studied in a number of graduate-level writing workshops and experienced both ends of the teaching spectrum – break you down to make you better or, conversely, assurance and praise. I tend to shy away from both extremes. I have zero interest in, or patience with, tearing someone down, but I don’t want to give anyone false assurances. This is a tough business, one that pulls no punches and, often, takes its anger out on writers.
But not everything has to be that way. This doesn’t.
My goal is to be constructive – that’s my mantra for Pitch Wars. I want you to write a fantastic book and, honestly, that’s the brunt of this business. It’s tough, and when things are tough, it feels like the world wants you to fail. That’s not the case. Writers and readers and publishers want wonderful work. We want to be blown away, impressed, have our fingers dry out from turning pages so quickly. My goal is to get you there, and I plan to do it as helpfully as possible.
But, like every writer in the world, you’ll have to want the work.
What I Want
Crime Fiction: That’s my thing. As I said earlier, all of my fiction is crime fiction, and that’s the genre I know best.
Female-Driven Stories: I’m a guy, but my protagonists are generally women. And most of my favorite writers are women. Think Gillian Flynn, Laura McHugh, Jennifer Hillier, Megan Abbott, Isabel Maldonado, Kellye Garrett, Kathleen Barber, Angie Kim, Hillary Davidson – those are some of my favorite writers, and they write the kinds of books I read.
Humor: I LOVE humor in a story. I absolutely do not want to read a humorless protagonist or a grim story UNLESS there are moments of light that come through. Also, I recommend not randomly capitalizing words in your manuscript, the way I’m doing here. But, yes, give me the dark stuff, but find a way to make it engaging. Humor helps with that.
Social Issues: Diversity is important to me, as someone of mixed-race and as someone living in these current times. But diversity isn’t the only issue that resonates with me (although it’s a big one). If your work touches on something you’re passionate about, send it my way. Simply put, I don’t care if the good guys win, but I have to believe in what they’re fighting for.
I also prefer thrillers and suspense over traditional mysteries.
What I Don’t Want
I really don’t have any boundaries. There may be issues with a manuscript that need to be addressed (explicit and unnecessary violence is usually a biggie) but, as long as you’re willing to address them, or seriously consider my concerns, I’m good.
That said, I’m not terribly interested in archetypal male crime fiction, unless you can explore what informs that archetype (the way someone like S.A. Cosby does). For example, I love Lee Child’s writing, but I’m not that big a fan of Jack Reacher, as a person. I like my protagonists flawed and somewhat vulnerable, and Reacher is too busy kicking ass to be either. Which is fine! I like those books, but they’re not what I write and not particularly what I want to work with.
Contact
E-mail is my fave – that’s the easiest way to get in touch with me, and I hate a crowded inbox so I tend to reply within 24 hours. But I’m up for phone calls or Zoom chats too.
EA
Click HERE to head back to the Pitch Wars post to see the complete list of mentors.
