Should Fiction Writers Use a Thesaurus?
The Synonym Debate At secondary school, teachers often encourage students to use a thesaurus to find more interesting options for their creative writing and expand their vocabulary. If you study the craft at university level, though, most tutors will tell you not to...
BPA’s Practical Tips for the Social Media Shy Writer
Some of us love connecting with other writers and readers on social media, but if you use it purely to maintain a presence as an author, you’re not alone. For those who find social media can be a struggle, here are some tips to help you build a following without...
10 Ways to ‘Show Rather than Tell’
Show, don’t tell – what does it mean? You don’t have to be a writer long to get the classic writing advice, ‘Show, don’t tell,’ lodged in your psyche. It’s normal to write first drafts packed with telling sentences like, ‘she...
How Long Does it Take to Write a Novel?
When I google, ‘How long does it take to write a novel?’, the first result says this: ‘A good rule of thumb is to allot at least 4 months to write a book.’ The article proposes a year as the maximum timescale. This guidance doesn’t quite...