1. 500 words- Writing Competition

2. Writing Competition 2012 This year we challenge you to: Write a story in 500 words or less!!! It can be about anything you want to write about Entries must be in by Friday 13 th July 2012

3. Prizes 1 st place will receive a £20 Bullring gift voucher 2 nd place will receive a Bullring gift voucher Other prizes will be given for entries we feel deserve a special mention!!

4. The rules!!! All entries must be new stories and your own work The entries must be less than 500 words long All entries must be completed by Friday 13 th July 2012

5. Professional Advice- Eoin Colfer Author of the Artemis Fowl series "In a story even the boring stuff, like walking across a room, has to be interesting to read. On some level your story must be real so have some truth at the centre, whether it's in the characters, plot or setting. Never ever end your story with 'and it was all a dream'. All that means is you couldn't tie up the plot."

6. Professional Advice- Bali Rai Author of Fire City "Stuck for an idea? Read a book, watch a film, listen to some music, whatever gets your imagination flowing. Need characters? Use the people around you. Draw inspiration from the world you see and then add the extra layers you need to make the story your own. Oh and have FUN!"

7. Professional Advice- Francesca Simon, Author of Horrid Henry "My ideas come from everywhere - newspapers, things people say, films I've seen, dreams - you just need to work on listening out for them and writing them down in your ideas notebook which you should ALWAYS have with you. But remember: your stories will be more fun if you give them a twist and combine 2 or more genres. So, if you want to write about football, what about an alien football match, or a pets' football match? If you want to write about a school, how about a school for ghosts? Or animal detectives?"

8. What skills are we looking for?

9. SPLASH- 484 words!!!

10. Prizes 1 st place will receive a £20 Bullring gift voucher 2 nd place will receive a Bullring gift voucher Other prizes will be given for entries we feel deserve a special mention!!

11. Writing Competition 2012 This year we challenge you to: Write a story in 500 words or less!!! It can be about anything you want to write about Entries must be in by Friday 13 th July 2012