Be inspired by the magical Abi Elphinstone!

Have you always dreamed of being a writer? Of imaginative adventures and daring missions? Well, we are delighted to say that one of our Enjoy tutors is now a celebrated author and wants to help you become one too!

The wonderful Abi Elphinstone has shared her tips with us on being an author and some brilliant classroom resources for her debut novel, The Dreamsnatcher. Enjoy!

Writing a novel can be hard. You need determination, time and a good imagination. We asked Abi what her top tips for writing were…

1. If you can’t work out what is going to happen in your story, draw a map. Fill it with exciting things: mountains, a forest, a river, the sea, an abandoned castle, a small village. Then imagine your character visiting the places on your map And you’ll find that a story will start to emerge.

2. Carry a notepad with you everywhere you go. Being a writer is like being a detective. Write down everything that you find interesting: smells, sights, sounds, tastes. Then ‘look at the world sideways’ for the story behind your notes.

3. Never Give Up. There are two types of people in the world: those who say ‘I’d like to write a story’ and those who say ‘I’m going to write a story.’ Be the second person. Make your story happen. And don’t worry if you get things wrong at first (I had 96 rejections on books before my debut) – if you’re not ‘failing’ you’re just not trying hard enough.

The Dreamsnatcher is out now.

Abi’s website has a brilliant Work Scheme focused on different skills needed in creative writing and comprehension. There is something for everyone from character development to how to write dialogue and think about writing themes.