Do you like writing stories more than somersaulting? Or maybe you like doing both? Check out my top five tips for aspiring writers – and keep an eye on the Competitions page for a Somersault Story Competition coming soon!
Keep an ideas book
Ideas are to be found in the funniest places so you never know when you might bump into one! A newspaper headline, a snippet of overheard conversation, an interesting hat – ideas come in all shapes and sizes. Keep a note pad and jot them down - you never know when they are going to come in useful!
Keep a diary
Writing is like gymnastics: the more you train, the better you get! Writing a journal every day is really good for your 'writing muscles'. Who knows – a story might pop into your mind while you're scribbling too!
Write about what you know (and like)
Telling tales about things you enjoy doing is always fun - and because you know lots about it your stories will be more realistic too!
Write rubbish – lots of it!
Remember, not everything you write is going to be brilliant so don't worry about getting it perfect first time! Don't worry about things like spelling or being neat either! And who knows, some of it might not turn out to be quite so rubbish as you think.
Put it in a drawer
Authors draft and redraft their work, so it's a good habit to get into. After you write a story, put it aside for a bit (at least a day) then come back to it with fresh eyes. Are there any things you can add, things you can cut? Is it too quick, too slow? Are you showing not telling … ?
… Show not tell
This is the most important ingredient of fab story-telling! Don't tell your reader what a character is like – show them! This makes the reader think, get involved, ask questions and that's how you keep them hooked, right to the very end!
Most importantly …
Oh, and look out for some of the great writing competitions out there.
Happy writing!