Read a lot - poems, prose, stories, newspapers, anything. Read books and poems that you think you will like and some that you think might not be for you. You might be surprised.

Live an interesting life. Meet people. Read a lot and widely, learn from the great writers.

Always write your ideas down however silly or trivial they might seem. Keep a notebook with you at all times.

Perhaps it is partly that we need to love books ourselves as parents, grandparents and teachers in order to pass on that passion for stories to our children. It's not about testing and reading schemes, but about loving stories and passing on that passion to our children.

I write entertainment. There are some books you read but don't inhale. There are books that will change your life.

Marry someone who flatters you. Because I've written 80 books since 'War Horse' but when my wife reads one, all she says is, 'It's quite good, but it's not as good as 'War Horse,' is it?'