When I entered the BPA pitch prize I was in the middle of querying another novel and had written just 10,000 words of the speculative novel which would ultimately win the prize and go on to receive an offer of representation from Millie Hoskins at United Agents. Winning the BPA pitch prize gave me such a boost and with feedback from Millie, I set to work on drafting the full novel in just under six months. The characters and storyline captured my heart straight away and Millie was the dream agent to sign with.
I would say to any writer, keep going. Keep honing your craft. I’ve invested a lot in my writing journey, from courses to mentoring to entering prizes, all have led me here and hopefully beyond. As for the pitch itself, a good hook will get you far, as will a sharp sentence that gets right to the heart of the story. Undoubtedly, one of the biggest benefits of the BPA Pitch Prize is to see if your story has enough potential before you fully invest in it. As a writer with five manuscripts in a drawer I really needed that!