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The author of the brilliant Tracy Beaker series gives out her tips for successful writing - here's a summary:

* There are going to be heaps of entries so try to make your story stand out in some way

* Think about your characters – get to know them in your own head - not just what they look like but what sort of people are they?

* If it makes you feel more comfortable, use a pen and paper to write the story before submitting it online.

* If your spelling isn’t very good, try your best to correct as many words as possible – but this is a writing contest not a spelling contest!

* If you can’t think of a good idea, simply play the ‘What If?’ game – look around you and think ‘What if…?’

* Using this method you can get any number of ideas just from a half hour walk – that’s how Jacqueline does it!