Everything You Need To Know To Write Stories!

Don't lose the plot while writing your story! They say there's a book inside everybody, but you don't need to resort to invasive surgery to get your story idea onto the page!

Are you sitting comfortably?

1. Hook a Reader

Your reader is a fish. Your first line is a maggot. Choose a juicy one!

2. Holding out for a Hero

You need a hero for your story. Remember though, they don't need to act like a hero, or have special powers. They can be completely normal or maybe even be naughty. All you need is for the reader to care about what happens to them.

3. Treat 'em mean

Be mean to your hero. Give them a real problem to get out of. Steal their pet cat. Lose them in a scary wood. Turn them into a pigeon.

4. The Antagonist

Talking about treating them mean, the antagonist is usually the person in the story that does this for you. He's the villain that stole their pet cat; the evil dinner lady that lost them in the forest, the wizard that turned them into a pigeon. It doesn't have to be a person though... or a monster or a ghost. The antagonist can be a hurricane, a volcano, a way of thinking, an illness. Anything that creates a problem.

5. Plod on!

Writing a book is tough work. Remember that it's like going on a parent-enforced, long walk . It might seem like it's too far to bother even starting, but if you look at it in steps, each one is really easy. You've just got to start, then keep going until you get to the end. Simple.

6. Read as much a possible!

One of the best ways to learn how to write a story is by reading stories by other people. You'll pick up ideas, plots, and ways of expressing yourself. If you enjoy the story you'll learn about how to write whilst having fun reading. Double win!

7. Getting Ideas

Ideas are everywhere. You can magpie things from books and films (by writing fan fiction) or take inspiration from real life. Look at people closely. Listen in to conversations. Have adventures. And remember READ BOOKS .

8. Have fun

Writing's easy if you keep it fun. If you like football, write about football. If you like dragons, write about dragons. If you like both, then write about a team of dragons that play football!

9. Stop reading this list about writing stories...

The best way to learn to write a story is write a story. Then write another one. The more you do it, the better you get, just like table tennis, football or catching weasels... Practice makes perfect.