Write here, write now

Your chance to have a short story published.

Big Finish are launching a new competition which offers previously unpublished writers the chance to appear in a 2007 volume of Doctor Who short stories.

Since 2002, Big Finish Productions has published numerous anthologies of short stories featuring the first eight Doctors in their Short Trips range.

But how do you write for Doctor Who?

"The two most important things you can do if you want to be a writer are: read and write," says Justin Richards, consulting editor of the BBC's own Doctor Who books range.

"Okay, so that sounds a bit trite. But the more you read, the more you will understand how writing works - how the author uses the words on the page. And you'll learn from things other authors do well, or that they do badly. You don't have to be hypercritical or overly aware of what you're reading. It'll happen, by a sort of literary osmosis.

"Just as important - maybe more so - try to write something every day. Writing is a craft as much as it's a talent or gift. Like a sport we have to work at it, to train. The more you do, the more hours you put in, the better at it you get. It doesn't matter if it's a story or a poem, keeping a journal (or blog!) or even sending an email - it all helps."

"Don't agonise about what you're going to write," adds Paul Cornell, writer of Father's Day and two Series Three scripts. "Have an idea. Write it. It will be bad. Then you re-write it until it's good. Leave the worrying and discussion about what they're going to write to non-writers."

The competition is open to anyone, of any age, who has never had a work of fiction published that they've been paid for.

Your story should be no more than 2,500 words in length and can feature any of the first eight Doctors. Although using them all at once is out.

Also, you cannot use either the Ninth or Tenth Doctors, nor their companions, nor any other of the Doctor's past friends and enemies. No Daleks, no Cybermen, no Time Lords, no Drashigs or Slitheen. Your story should be wholly original.

Follow the link below for more writing tips and details and where to send your story. The closing date for entries is 31 January 2007.