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Lisa Drakeford, author of the brilliant The Baby, was shortlisted for the Times/Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition in 2014. One year on we've published her fantastic shortlisted story – here are her top tips for budding authors! 

What would be your five top tips to budding writers?

1. Don’t get distracted by other things in life.

2. Write every day. Even if it’s rubbish. Even if it’s just for twenty minutes.

3. READ.

4. READ.

5. READ.

What would be your five top tips to NOT DO when writing a book?

1. Get distracted.

2. Give up.

3. Take rejection personally

4. Ignore advice from people in the industry

5. Move away from the computer before your twenty minutes.

Finally, what would your best tip be to encourage budding writers to write something every day (for those taking part in NaNoWriMo)?

Switch off the internet and set a timer. Vary the time of day until you find what works for you and promise yourself that you will do this. Have a goal in sight. It’s a bit like being on a diet. You won’t get anywhere unless you’re strict with yourself and just blimmin’ well do it. (It took me 33 years and I shall never, never forgive myself for that!).

Read the first chapter of The Baby or follow Lisa on Twitter!