BPA's Blog
Author and literary agent Q&As, plus advice ranging from submissions to how to improve your craft.
Peggy Lee
Peggy manages Blue Pencil Agency’s editorial department, social media channels and blog. She completed a Master’s in Prose Fiction at the University of East Anglia, where she found a love for editing and decided to pursue a career working with words. Peggy has had stories published by Liar’s League, Every Day Fiction and Coffin Bell. She is currently working on two contemporary novels.
Ask an Agent: Charlotte Seymour from Johnson & Alcock
Charlotte Seymour is a literary agent at Johnson & Alcock and was named a Bookseller Rising Star in 2021. Editorially focused and passionate about literature in translation, Charlotte is building a list of literary and book club fiction, crime/thriller, and...
Wordiness
HOW TO CUT WORDS WITHOUT LOSING ANYTHING One of the key edits to complete when polishing a manuscript is a 'wordiness' edit. Cicero said, 'Every word that is unnecessary only pours over the side of a brimming mind.' Whether you're looking to reduce your word count or...
How to Run an Effective Writing Workshop
Having participated in writing workshops at two universities as well as in an informal context, I have seen firsthand how they can motivate, forge connections, and most importantly transform a work-in-progress. Aside from the obvious benefits of receiving feedback,...
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...
Why Specificity is so Important
Master of the craft George Saunders said, 'As text is revised, it becomes more specific and embodied in the particular. It becomes more sane. It becomes less hyperbolic, sentimental, and misleading.' It's natural when crafting to think big picture, to describe in...
Ask an Agent: Ludo Cinelli from Eve White Literary Agency
Ludo Cinelli joined Eve White Literary Agency in 2017 and is building an exciting list of clients. At BPA, we really rate this agency, so we decided to pick Ludo's brain on the art of agenting, how to write an attention-grabbing first page, and the best way to deal...
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 was so angry she could burst,' or 'it was...
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 align with my experiences in...
The Key to Compelling Fiction
Many writers come to literary consultants with manuscripts that are already beautifully written and well edited but simply don't have that gripping quality, and even the most 'literary' fiction should compel you to turn pages. When editors talk about stirring mystery...
Events, Workshops, Online Courses?
Sign up to our mailing list to receive helpful advice and discounts
Workshops, Events & Online Tutorials
Writers resources
Writing time, workshopping, publishing talk, inspiration, connection, and more…