#Me, my #PitchWars Mentee Bio

Okay then, I didn't know we were supposed to do these things, so I'll whip up a bio before I submit to #PitchWars.

A few things about me:

My pen name is Hayden Sharpe.
My real name is Abby. Not short for Abigail.
I chose to write under a pen name because I am quite shy and paranoid about slapping my birth name on a book.
I am 20 years old. Young, I know. I know.
I am a GIF hoarder. Clearly.
I hail from New York, specifically Long Island.
I attend college in Ohio, where I am a Creative Writing major and a Graphic Design minor.
I'm a bit of a geek. I love Firefly, Star Trek, Supernatural, Broadway Musicals, Castle, Disney/Dreamworks/animated movies. I make too many references to movies, TV shows, and music. Because I love music.
I've been reading since I was about two years old. I have not stopped since.
Like many writers, I simultaneously have awful self esteem and think I'm an awesome writer. Go figure.

I love food. A lot. I grew up on New York food, so if you want a good bagel, or Carvel, or a slice of pizza, hit me up.

My Writing (AKA what really matters)

I write YA fiction. I keep a few story ideas on my backburner, but the one I'm submitting to #PitchWars is called THE FAULTS OF OUR FATHERS. It's a story about two friends, Theo and Bryce, who are trying to navigate their friendship around the lies thrown their way. Theo's dad was formerly a villain, but has he really changed his ways?

Here are the specs.

I have been working on this novel for the past 5 years. I started writing it in 2010, and it has snowballed from there.
I do start with a prologue, but only because it is critical to the plot.
My major focus is character development and plot. Every character I make has some sort of story behind them. Bryce's parents have their own backstories, Mitch has one, Dmitri has one, Alaric has one, etc. This time around, I'm just telling Theo's and Bryce's.
I wanted to do something different. I love reading YA, but I find that there are so many female protagonists, and not enough male protagonists. The only ones I can think of are Day from LEGEND, Elias from AN EMBER IN THE ASHES, Seth from MORE THAN THIS, and Sean Kendrick from THE SCORPIO RACES. I want to see more guys who aren't larger than life, who can be nerdy and dorky and not just raw muscle and strength. There's value in 'weaker' guys, too. That's why I made Theo.

I love different family dynamics. THE FAULTS OF OUR FATHERS focuses on two sons, and their families' differences in approach. Theo's single dad is a bit paranoid and controlling, while Bryce's parents are affectionate, supportive, and involved. Everyone has a different approach to parenting, and I want to show the multifaceted child-parent relations. A lot of YA heroes/heroines are either orphans, or their parents are otherwise absent. Parents can be a huge part of a kid's life; the majority of teens do have at least one parent. I find I can garner sympathy for my characters without making them orphans.

I also don't include much romance. I mean, I make my fair share of couples, but overall, the theme is friendship and family. Romance comes third. I find that I pick up books expecting a fantasy or a sci-fi, and getting a romance. I feel cheated by those books, and I don't want to cheat my readers.

TFOOF is a potential series. I have a huge, complex plot in mind. Dieties, help me.
Some characters (or races of characters) could be considered allegories for certain social groups today. It just goes to show how much the world around us affects our writing.
I do love diversity, and I try to include it where I can without getting things wrong. Mitch is Jewish, biromantic, and asexual; Bryce is an atheist; Ben is bisexual (although he's kind of closeted about it. He'll come out at some point).

Not quite as diverse as I could be in the areas of race/gender/etc. I do have a series planned for TFOOF, where more girls come in, and people of diverse backgrounds. I've made sure of it.

I've been editing and revising for over 2 years now. The word count is currently around 100,000 words. I know that's a lot. But I've been tangled in this world for 5 years, and everything is important to me. I need a good mentor who can whip me into shape. Many 'critique partners' I've had have either not finished the novel or not given me decent feedback. I need to tell this story.

Ahm. So that's that.

So, mentors, here's

What You Can Expect from Me

I am wholeheartedly dedicated to my craft. I have been reading and writing for years, and I am always open to others' ideas, if I can better my manuscript.
I love talking to people. I will tell you everything I have planned. I will eagerly await emails with critiques and questions, and I will ask you a ton.
I want to make sure my writing is clear. I want to make sure it's not confusing and I want to make sure that readers get the best story they can.
I have a thick skin. Don't worry about hurting feelings—I'm a sponge. I'll absorb criticism and use it to my advantage. I don't have a big enough ego to bruise.

I will be your friend, if you're into that. I love people, and I will do everything in my power, if given the opportunity, not to let you down.