My top twelve writing tips:
 
1. READ . . . A LOT.
You cannot write a good story, without reading good stories. So read, read, read . . . I have heard there is a particularly brilliant author called Matt Haig. You should definitely read his book at least seven times over. Ha ha.
2. READ SOME MORE.
Oh, and when you've finished reading you should read some more. Books are way better than watching TV because when you laugh at the funny bits in a book people don't know what you're laughing at and get jealous. Try to read lots of different writers who have different styles - like mix a bit of Roald Dahl with some G. P. Taylor, and then add a bit of Philip Pullman, Lewis Carroll or Lemony Snicket. Some books that everyone should read are Watership Down by Richard Adams, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
3. IT'S OKAY TO BE MISERABLE.
Many things you do in life require you to a force a smile. Like when you are picked last for a sports team and you have to pretend not to mind. Or being a cheerleader. Or when you have to visit horrible relatives at Christmas. But when you write stories you are allowed to be grumpy and miserable. In fact, many of the best writers in history were very grumpy and miserable. So, next time you are miserable about something don't go to bed and cry - start writing.
4. WORK OUT WHAT READERS WILL FEEL.
What do you want a reader to feel when they read your story? Do you want them to laugh? Or cry? Or to be so scared they'll not be able to fall asleep? Think about what you want your story to do, and then work out how you're going to make it happen.
5. PLAN YOUR STORY.
Plan your story on a piece of paper before you start. Write what you want to happen, put it in order, so you will know roughly where you are going when you start writing.
6. FOLLOW YOUR IMAGINATION.
HOWEVER, even though you should plan your story, don't be scared of changing your mind halfway through. If you want to write things that weren't in your plan you should do so. Plans are there to be changed. Let your imagination guide you.
7. WRITE FACT FILES FOR YOUR CHARACTERS.
If you write a fact file for each of your characters you will get to know them - and write them - a lot better. You should do this as soon as you come up with the character. To see Samuel Blink's fact file click here.
8. START WITH A BANG. (OR A CRASH.)
A dramatic opening wakes a reader up, like a splash of cold water, and means you've got their concentration. It doesn't have to be literally a crash or a bang - it could be a piece of good or bad news that will be important for your story. Read the first chapter of Shadow Forest here.
9. LET YOUR CHARACTERS SPEAK.

Conversations are a good way of moving a story on. Instead of saying 'Samuel hated being in Norway, and Aunt Eda didn't understand why.' You could write something like:

'I hate Norway. It's boring. There's nothing to do except eat cheese and talk to weird cats.'

' Well,' said Aunt Eda. 'I am sure there is plenty to do, if you know where to look.'

Readers like to sometimes 'overhear' characters speak for themselves rather than the author tell them what to think.
10. HAVE A VILLAIN.
The best stories always have a baddie. The best baddies though aren't purely evil. They have a weakness that makes them believable, or they were once good but something terrible has happened to make them bad. Read the '13 Horrible Things' that happened to turn Professor Horatio Tanglewood evil and think of the horrible things that might have happened to your villain.
11. READ 'PERCIVAL TRENCH'
After you've written the story pretend it was written by someone else. Someone called 'Percival Trench'. That way it will be easier to spot the stuff you don't like. Writing the words is only half of the job. The other half is EDITING - chopping and re-writing bits until you like 'Percival's' (ie. your) whole story.
12. REMEMBER YOU CAN'T GO WRONG.
Writing a story is not like doing a mathematical sum. Your story can't be wrong. People might not like it, but if you like it and you wrote what you wanted, then it is always right. There are no 'incorrect' stories, just as there are no 'incorrect' dreams.