Read, read, read. And write, write, write. You should read the type of stories you’d like to write. But mostly, I believe you become a writer by writing. You need to know how to spell, of course, and how to write a proper sentence. But, in the end, after the grammar lessons, you have to get down to putting the words on the page. Look for opportunities to practise your writing. Check any magazines for young people at the library to see if they publish children’s writing. Once in a while you may even discover a writing competition that you could enter. (That’s how I started). Write letters to the editor of the local paper. Perhaps the editor is looking for someone to start a column of school news. Small newspapers are great for this sort of thing. Does your school or youth organization have a newsletter, online or otherwise? Maybe you could write a short article for it. Always ask the editor first what sort of material he/she is looking for. And don’t give up. Believe in yourself, and keep writing. You can do it!