The idea as presented here, though, is to keep yourself on track with what you are trying to say through your writing. It’s easy, after all, to wander off on side issues, and let’s face it–the Victorian style of writing in which our protagonist just happens to pass a water mill along the side of the road, then our friendly author spends five or six pages explaining how a water mill works–just doesn’t make it in contemporary writing.

That’s why I recommend putting that pesky concept sentence (or three sentences!) in your work space, so you can see it every time you work on your piece. It allows you to consistently review what it is you are trying to say…to the world.
Eva

Litertary agent Mike Larsen ran an hour-long late-night seminar on the subject. He insisted on a limit of 25 words even. I struggled and struggled to get my complicated history project into that formula and simply could not do it. I went to sleep very discouraged, knowing that the next morning I would be meeting with two agents to pitch my book.

The next morning I woke up very early with a sudden thought. My book actually has three intertwining themes. So I devised THREE SENTENCES for my pitch. I pitched to two agents — and both asked for an advanced manuscript to review.

When I ran into Larsen later that morning, I told him that I had strung three sentences together for my pitch. He immediately responded: “You can’t do that. It must be ONE sentence.” When I told him my positive results, he replied, “Well, I guess you have to do what works.”

I left the conference with a rather dismal attitude toward many agents who won’t listen beyond the first sentence. Most, anyway, were looking for “chick-lit” or controversial, tragedy-drenched memoirs [some of the east coast agents liked to call them "him-moirs" for "she-moirs."!]

Fortunately, I had done my research into agents and had honed in on two intelligent ones interested in serious non-fiction and history. It pays to do one’s homework.