In this Q&A, writer Elizabeth Dwyer shares how Moonshot Initiative's How to Pitch Your Project course helped her bring a 'relaxed, confident' energy to her pitches
As we gear up for our 2024 How to Pitch Your Project course, we had a conversation with Elizabeth Dwyer, one of the 10 writers who participated the course last year. She shared that through taking the course, "I learned that not only do I have stories to tell, but I’m good at telling them."
In this Q&A, Elizabeth discusses what she learned about pitching, and she imparts advice to writers who haven't yet had the opportunity to pitch their work.
Interested in registering for our September 2024 How to Pitch Your Project course? You can find more info, course dates, and the registration link here.
How did you get started as a writer?
In my third grade classroom, our teacher set up a library of books written by us, the students. She pasted little library index cards in the back of each one (it was the ‘80s!) so we could check out and read each other’s stories (which was very cute and also introduced me to the almost uniquely artistic experience of Craving Public Validation).
For almost three decades, I got sidetracked by the lure of theatrical and cinematic performance, until one day I unpacked a small stack of books I wrote in the third grade, and remembered that I am a writer. Since then I’ve earned my MFA in TV & Screenwriting and placed in several rad contests and fellowships.
What kinds of projects are you most interested in, and what are you currently working on?
I write all the love stories, especially when they’re gay. I firmly believe that Dramedy should be an official awards category, because so many of our stories are not One or The Other, but happy and sad at the same time.
My primary project at the moment is a queer homage to “When Harry Met Sally” entitled “When Ani Met Jo Met Cris.” It’s a recurring meet-cute over the course of a decade, but set in New Mexico and super gay, with a healthy serving of polyamory (on the side).
What prompted you to register for Moonshot’s How to Pitch Your Project course?
As one of the fellows selected for the Stowe Story Labs Launch program, I took a deep dive into preparing “When Ani Met Jo Met Cris” (affectionately known as WAMJAM) for market, as they say. It was during this process that I was forced to confront the reality that I didn’t know how to talk about my writing.
Even though I’m a trained actor and writer, respectively, the idea of combining the two — the idea of pitching — was an elusive mystery. I’ve followed Moonshot since the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge days, and received a serendipitous email about their How to Pitch Your Project workshop. The Stowe fellowship gave me infusions of both confidence and funding to invest in myself and my project, so I signed up.
What’s the biggest lesson you learned about pitching from the live feedback sessions in the How to Pitch Your Project course with Moonshot co-founders Katrina and Tracy?
That I’d spent close to a decade overthinking the concept of pitching. That I’d let myself get too bogged down in this idea of Selling Myself and Selling My Work, instead of seeing pitching for what it really is, which is simply showing up and telling your story.
During the course, you were paired up with various peer practice partners to work on your pitch between the sessions. What did you learn from both giving and receiving feedback?
This part of the course was so rad and invaluable. In giving feedback, I learned that I am a really enthusiastic cheerleader. I love championing other people’s stories, especially those of us who’ve ever checked a box called Other. It’s work I’ve been doing informally for years, typically with friends, but in these peer sessions with virtual strangers, I was able to experience how much I love this work and building community through talking about people’s stories.
In receiving feedback, I learned how to suss out the notes that really resonate. Sometimes that means a suggestion that feels clear and easy to fix (yay!) but sometimes it means ideas that are hard to absorb at first. What I discovered there is that my guts know it’s good feedback, and I’m scared to take it on because I’m not immediately sure how to do what’s being suggested. Then I learned that when I just… said all that out loud, I found an incredibly supportive community of writers who were willing to talk through all of it with me. I felt the truth of it in those peer sessions — that we really are all in this together, here to lift each other up.
You heard pitches from a few of our past Pilot Accelerator fellows. How did that help shape your pitch?
They made it look so easy! And through that relaxed, confident energy, they introduced me to how conversational a pitch can be. These were just people, like me, with stories, like mine, showing up to talk about themselves and their work. For the first time, it made the concept of pitching feel like something accessible and within reach.
How did the course impact your confidence with pitching and talking about your work more informally?
I genuinely had no idea how to even begin thinking about pitching before I took this course. All those years of overthinking and stressing myself out had made pitching feel inherently Hard and Complicated, like something I would never get used to or enjoy.
Through Moonshot’s Pitch Your Project course, through witnessing and workshopping the pitches of my peers, I learned that not only do I have stories to tell, but I’m good at telling them. I learned to embrace simplicity and honesty, and to let my unabashed love for my stories serve as my guiding light.
You were selected as a semi-finalist for the 2024 Moonshot Pilot Accelerator for your pilot script “Ethel” — and you advanced, in part, due to the engaging 2-minute pitch video you submitted at the quarter-finalist level. Even though this was a different project than the one you pitched during the How to Pitch Your Project course, how did the course learnings prepare you to craft another pitch?
First and foremost, the Pitch Your Project course eradicated all of the stress and intimidation I used to feel around pitching. In the Before Times, I would’ve seen “Send us a 2-minute video pitching your project…” and thrown up my hands in comical frustration. How can one possibly summarize one’s work in such a small amount of time??
But after taking the course, I had all the tools I needed, including the confidence to know that even if it wasn’t easy, per se, crafting a pitch was now something I knew I could do. Two minutes, eight minutes, 20 minutes… the course gave me the structure, guidance, and moxie to sit down and pitch any of my stories.
What tips would you give to a writer crafting her first pitch?
It’s OK to feel however you feel about it — stressed, overwhelmed, etc. Let yourself feel those things, take some deep breaths, shake out your body, and then sit down and tell your story.
For me, it starts with what I now think of as the Access Point — what is the question or anecdote that will lead me into the pitch? For you, it might be something different. Honestly, the best advice I can give you is to take the Pitch Your Project course with Moonshot and let this incredible community help you figure out what works best for you.
What would you say to someone who is unsure about whether to sign up for Moonshot’s How to Pitch Your Project course?
Do it! Not only will you learn a ton about pitching (and also probably about yourself), Moonshot is incredible at building community. In an industry that can far too easily and often feel isolating, Katrina and Tracy truly walk the walk of support, connection, and camaraderie.
What advice would you give to a creative who feels scared to take the next step?
At every possible awesome opportunity, invest in yourself and your work, even (especially) when it’s scary or intimidating.
To be clear, what I do not mean is “say yes to everything always!” because that’s a quick, direct flight to Broke Burnout City. What I do mean is Trust Your Gut. You know yourself and your work better than anyone. You know where you shine and where you could use some support. If an opportunity crosses your path and your guts say Take It, listen to your guts. Invest in yourself. You deserve it. Your stories deserve to be told.
Interested in registering for our How to Pitch Your Project course, taking place Sept. 4-25, 2024, with live virtual sessions on Sept. 9, 19, and 23?
Read more info and register at this link:
ABOUT ELIZABETH DWYER
While completing her screenwriting MFA, Elizabeth hugged “My So Called Life” creator Winnie Holzman and was mysteriously imbued with heightened storytelling prowess. Now a flourishing Stowe Story Labs Launch Fellow, ISA FastTrack Finalist, WeScreenplay Diverse Voices Finalist, George R.R. Martin Screenwriting Grant Finalist, and Moonshot Pilot Accelerator Semifinalist, Elizabeth can and will tell any love story thrown her way — she'll let it hit her right in the face, slather it over her skin, and let it marinate until the magic pours out of her fingers onto the page. It can be messy, but she gets the job done!
Industry readers say Elizabeth’s "dialogue sparkles." Her writing "has a little something for everybody" and is described as "smart...beautiful and charming," "tonally sharp and atmospheric," and her personal favorite, "hilariously awkward." These skills landed Elizabeth’s scripts on two cherished Top lists: the Issa Rae/Paul Feig Teen Movie Contest Top 8 and Table Read My Screenplay Top 10.
A queer woman and tenacious dramedy devotee, you can learn more about Elizabeth and her work at: elizabethmaud.com and wordnerd.studio.
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