Full Day Workshop and Agent Q & A

Saturday April 22, 2023  10am – 6pm

Private House, Kintbury, West Berkshire

Cost: £195.

Early bird rate: £180. Extended until April 10.

First Draft to Final Draft with Emma Darwin

Ask An Agent with Katie Fulford, Bell Lomax Moreton

Sessions will be interactive with writers invited to share their elevator pitches with the group for feedback. Emma Darwin will set exercises for writers during her workshop.

The Away Day will have limited numbers of like-minded writers at a similar stage in their writing journey. The event is in a beautiful country house in a garden setting. Costs include lunch and afternoon tea.

First Draft to Final Draft – Workshop with Emma Darwin

Do you get the first draft of a novel or creative non-fiction down fairly easy, but find it hard to move on to the next stage? Does your motivation sag – or does your plot – when you start revising? Do you struggle with integrating researched material or feedback, or lose track of all your different versions, revisions and files? Are you daunted by keeping yourself ‘on task’, or do you lack the confidence to tackle more complex projects for fear of getting in a terminal muddle?

In this Away Day, we will explore what a writer needs to do to move on from that first-draft stage without losing touch with the passion that makes you want to write this story. We’ll consider ways to tame a novel that’s got out of hand, and how to keep going for yet another draft, and end by considering how to tell when you’ve finished the final draft, and the book is ready to go out.

There will be plenty of time for writing, thinking and questions, and you should take away some new energy for the next stage, as well as practical tools to help you see a project all the way to that final, polished draft.

 

 

Pitching Your Novel: Q&A with Katie Fulford

Over afternoon tea, Katie will give you the inside track on the submission process as well as industry insights. Writers will be invited to share with the group their elevator pitches for feedback from Katie and BPA’s Emma. In an increasingly competitive market, it’s more important than ever to be well informed and prepared when seeking representation.

Emma Darwin

Emma’s memoir, This is Not a Book About Charles Darwin, was published in 2019. Her widely-read blog This Itch of Writing gave rise to Get Started in Writing Historical Fiction which publisher Scott Pack describes as ‘essential reading’. She has taught for the Open University and is a regular guest lecturer and workshop leader.

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Katie Fulford, agent at Bell Lomax, Moreton

Katie Fulford

Katie spent the last 25 years at HarperCollins in a variety of roles including Group Rights Director, Managing Director of Collins non-fiction and senior positions in William Collins and 4th Estate, Fiction and Children’s. She was Executive Producer on Channel 4’s 2019 critically acclaimed TV adaptation of the much loved classic The Tiger Who Came To Tea by Judith Kerr which was awarded an international Emmy. Her extensive and varied experience across a range of publishing and rights management, puts her in a unique position to be able to work with an author to offer representation and guidance across all media and in all markets.

 

Emma Haynes

Emma is responsible for BPA’s bespoke programme of literary events and retreats as well as managing the First Novel Award and Pitch Prize competitions. With a background in communications and special events she has an eye for detail and a desire to give writers the best possible experience in an imaginative programme involving creative writing tutors, best selling authors and leading literary agents as guest tutors.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Give me the details

The BPA Away Day for Novelists will be taking place at a private home in Kintbury, West Berkshire.

A full day workshop with writing tutor Emma Darwin will be followed by an informal Q&A with literary agent Katie Fulford. Writers will be invited to share their elevator pitches with the group and gain valuable feedback.

Book soon to avoid disappointment. Early bird price has been extended until April 10.

Can I stay overnight?

There are limited spaces on site but there are some lovely pubs and guest houses in Kintbury and Inkpen. Contact us for details

What do I need to have to hand?

We will let you know nearer the time what you need to prepare but in general it might be helpful to have some of your own work printed out. Then just a pen and paper if you want to make notes.

What’s included in the cost?

The full day workshop, literary agent Q&A, lunch and afternoon tea. Overnight accommodation – supper, bed and breakfast is an additional charge.

Will the sessions be recorded?

The sessions will not be recorded.

Cancellation due to COVID Protocols

If we can’t go ahead with the event in person we may postpone or reschedule online at a reduced cost. In the event of cancellation full refunds will be given.

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Need more information?

If you have any other questions about our retreats please fill out the form

Overnight accommodation – there are many pubs and hotels in the surrounding villages to Kintbury. Check out options in Hungerford, Inkpen and Newbury.

There are also bed and breakfast options

Kintbury village has a train station with hourly trains from London Paddington and Reading. It’s conveniently located off the M4 between junctions 13 & 14.

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