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Beginnings
Geraldine McCaughrean - You have to grab your reader RealPlayer8 Clip 1
Theresa Breslin - Don't begin at the beginning RealPlayer8 Clip 2
Susan Price - Start as far in as you can RealPlayer8 Clip 3
Brian Jacques - Once upon a time..... RealPlayer8 Clip 4
Characters
Martin Waddell - Character is expressed by the way people behave RealPlayer8 Clip 1
Ann Turnbull - Think about the relationship between characters RealPlayer8 Clip 2
Jacqueline Wilson - I pretend to be my characters RealPlayer8 Clip 3
Melvin Burgess - Changing the sex of your characters RealPlayer8 Clip 4
Ideas
Anne Fine - If you're stuck...ask yourself, "What If...?" RealPlayer8 Clip 1
Jenny Nimmo - Eavesdroppers make good writers RealPlayer8 Clip 2
Michael Morpurgo - I write down things that strike me RealPlayer8 Clip 3
Terence Blacker - If you're a writer, you're a spy RealPlayer8 Clip 4
Endings
Bob Swindells - Avoid a 'cop out' at the end of your story RealPlayer8 Clip 1
Jamila Gavin - Endings! Endings! Endings! RealPlayer8 Clip 2
Philip Ridley - The perfect end to a story RealPlayer8 Clip 3
Adèle Geras - How to write a good punchy ending RealPlayer8 Clip 4
Words
Raymond Briggs - Getting ideas from a dictionary RealPlayer8 Clip 1
Roger McGough - Put two words together RealPlayer8 Clip 2
Philip Pullman - Become interested in words RealPlayer8 Clip 3
Morris Gleitzman - I like to use short, simple everyday words RealPlayer8 Clip 4
Planning
David Almond - When I start a new book, I get a notebook RealPlayer8 Clip 1
Gillian Cross - How stories come.... RealPlayer8 Clip 2
Beverly Naidoo - Make notes on what you're passionate about RealPlayer8 Clip 3
Philip Pullman - Story first, plan later RealPlayer8 Clip 4
Dialogue
Anthony Horowitz - You don't invent great dialogue, you hear it RealPlayer8 Clip 1
Pete Johnson - I tape-record people talking RealPlayer8 Clip 2
Jeremy Strong - I like to know what voices sound like RealPlayer8 Clip 3
Bob Swindells - I think about the way people really talk RealPlayer8 Clip 4
Locations
Celia Rees - Have a real place in mind RealPlayer8 Clip 1
Berlie Doherty - The place where a story is set is very important RealPlayer8 Clip 2
Michael Foreman - I like to set a story in a real place RealPlayer8 Clip 3
Susan Price - Describing a place that's not real RealPlayer8 Clip 4
Go For It
Terence Blacker - What I love about writing RealPlayer8 Clip 1
Michelle Magorian - Find what suits you RealPlayer8 Clip 2
Michael Morpurgo - Above all it's really good fun RealPlayer8 Clip 3
Brian Jacques - Stick-at-it-ivity RealPlayer8 Clip 4
You Can Do It
Philippa Pearce - Read enormously, write daily RealPlayer8 Clip 1
David Almond - Believe you can do it RealPlayer8 Clip 2
Martin Waddell - The oddest people are able to write RealPlayer8 Clip 3
Terry Jones - Just talk to your page RealPlayer8 Clip 4
The Plot
Bernard Ashley - Every story needs conflict RealPlayer8 Clip 1
Philip Pullman - Every story has a shape RealPlayer8 Clip 2
Celia Rees - Keep them guessing RealPlayer8 Clip 3
Allan Ahlberg - You're the first reader RealPlayer8 Clip 4
Tips and Hints
Anthony Horowitz - Three pieces of advice for young writers RealPlayer8 Clip 1
Dick King-Smith - The most important thing is to read RealPlayer8 Clip 2
Malorie Blackman - Keep a diary RealPlayer8 Clip 3
Michael Rosen - Write as if it's happening to you now RealPlayer8 Clip 4
