Words over Wellington quiz

How much do you know about my books and other writing? Do this quiz to find out. If you need a clue, you can click on the object to the right of each question.

How many have you read?

These were some of the books I loved when I was young. See if you can guess what they are from the clues, then rollover each panel to find out the title of the book. Click the red & purple buttons and listen.

 

Five top writing tips

1. Read

When you are a writer, words are your tools. You have to learn how to use them properly.

The best way to do that is to read.

Even if you're not aware of it, you'll be building up your read­ing muscles. You'll increase your vocabulary and learn about how words work.

One must be drenched in words, literally soaked in them, to have the right ones form themselves into the proper patterns at the right moment.

Hart Crane, poet (1899-1932)

2. Notice things

Be observant. Try to look at things in a different way. Ima­gine you are an alien from outer space, or even someone from another country or another cul­ture. Don't take anything for granted. Look at it and think: what is that like?

Read my poem about Fireworks. What are fireworks like?

3. Be curious

Find out people's stories. Eaves­drop on people in buses or cafes. Read the quirky, human-interest stories in the newspaper. People tell each other stories every day. Learn to listen to them.

4. Practise

Write lots.

It doesn't matter what you write, as long as you keep writ­ing. Diaries, journals, stories and emails are all good. Try writing a real letter to someone. Most people love getting letters in the post.

Keep an eye out for compe­titions and go in for them whenever you can. Competitions teach you how to come up with ideas and keep to word limits. You might even win!

5. Don't give up

Don't worry if the words don't seem as good on the page as they sounded in your head. They never do at first! You just have to keep working at them. Writers are people who keep trying to write the best they can.

Click for more information on the clipping generator.