Top Tips for Young Writers By Sarah Webb

Writer, Sarah Webb shares some of her writing tips. Sarah worked as a children’s bookseller for many years and now writes full time. Her books for children include Kids Can Cook and the Amy Green series.  

Read!  

The great thing about reading is that you learn so much, it’s like a ‘how to write’ workshop right there in your hands - how to create characters who are so real they hop off the page, how to structure a plot, how to hold a reader’s attention. But most of all, read because it’s fun.    

Write!

It may sound obvious, but you learn to write by actually writing. Write as often as you can. The more practice, the better you will be. Work those writing muscles! Carry a little notebook and pen so you can jot down ideas as they come to you.    

Start with a Bang Good books draw you in from the very first sentence.  Try to start your own book or story in a fun, exciting way so your reader won’t be able to put it down.

Here are some examples:  

‘I was more than a fortnight late for my own birth.’ Jacky Daydream by Jacqueline Wilson (her biography – just as gripping as her novels)  

‘Boys!’ Clover taps her pink gel pen against her top teeth, making a hollow rattling noise. ‘They never change.’ Amy Green, Teen Agony Queen: Boy Trouble by Sarah Webb  

These openings make you want to read on, don’t they? (I hope mine does!) It’s vitally important that you catch your reader’s attention from the very first sentence.    

Be Yourself on Paper It’s not an easy thing to do, but it’s vitally important. Everyone has their own unique way of viewing the world; their own unique writing voice. Use it.    

Never Give Up! It took me a long time to get my first book published. But I kept trying. If being a writer is your dream, never give up. Good luck!  

Sarah Webb’s new book, Amy Green, Teen Agony Queen: Boy Trouble has just been published by Walker Books.

For more information see www.askamygreen.com