What links Cinderella to Harry Potter? What can The Simpsons teach us about character creation? What is the False Horizon moment? What are the two classic openings and five effective endings of a newspaper story? Aimed at primary and early secondary school teachers, Tricks of the Writer's Trade uses a simple, straightforward and highly-entertaining method to reveal a myriad of writing approaches, from basic story structure through to advanced scriptwriting, and the techniques used by professional writers and journalists.Covering fiction and non-fiction writing, chapters include guidance on:Story structureCreating charactersPersuasive writingInformative writingScriptwritingWriting techniquesBy following its step-by-step approach and using the resources and materials provided, teachers can engage their pupils, improve their writing skills dramatically - and have fun while they're doing it. Writing lessons will never be the same again!Tricks of the Writer's Trade is an invaluable resource for all Primary Teachers, Key Stage Three English teachers and literacy coordinators as well as PGCE students.