A Kind of Spark author, Elle McNicoll, shares her advice for writing stories

Elle McNicoll

I'm Elle and I'm an author. I write stories with main characters who see the world in different and unique ways, like the character Addie from my novel "A Kind of Spark." Addie is autistic, and is often misunderstood by people around her.

Often the things that make us unique are the best parts, and make the most interesting stories.

Bring a piece of yourself to your writing, whether it's a hobby, interest, experience or attitude. Make sure you don't overlook the details, the small things matter: what does your character feel, smell or hear? All of these pieces of detail come together to create a picture in the reader's imagination.

Like this paragraph from my novel where Addie describes her big sister: [Keedie is] the only person I ever hug. She never grips me too tightly, she never tenses. She doesn't wear strong perfume that stings my nose, just a mild soap that smells like home.

Think about the voice, or who is telling the story. Is it one of the characters? Or maybe your voice is a narrator, who knows something the characters don't - this is a great way to build tension in a story.

The voice of your story could have an unusual point of view - like a spider, or a pet, or even an inanimate object like a lightbulb or a pair of shoes. It might be helpful to map out your story before you start writing it, or tell it to someone so they can hear how it sounds.

It needs to be 500 words or less, so it's not very long, even so, it should be roughly split into; a beginning (which introduces what the story will be about), a middle (which should include an action, or a challenge that the character has to overcome) and finally an ending (which could be a happy ending, a surprise twist, or a cliffhanger that leaves the reader wondering what happens next).

The longest section of your story should be the middle where the action is, with a shorter beginning and ending. You don't have to worry about spelling, punctuation and grammar for 500 Words.

If you want, you can even ask an adult to help you type it out. This story is entirely yours, so let your personality shine through your writing!