Michael Morpurgo’s 10 Rules For Writers

Discover Michael Morpurgo’s 10 rules for writers and explore the approach to storytelling of this acclaimed English author.

Michael Morpurgo was born on 5 October 1943. He is an English author, poet, playwright, and librettist best known for his work in children’s literature. He has written more than 150 books, including War Horse, which became an international bestseller and was adapted for both stage and film.

Morpurgo’s stories often explore friendship, courage, survival, loss, and the triumph of the outsider. He frequently places young characters in challenging circumstances, including wartime settings, and his stories are known for their emotional storytelling and vivid sense of place. His novels range from historical fiction to stories about animals, family, and the natural world.

Five of his novels have been adapted into films. His other well-known books include The Butterfly Lion, Kensuke’s Kingdom, Private Peaceful, An Eagle in the Snow, An Elephant in the Garden, and Half a Man.

Morpurgo served as the UK’s third Children’s Laureate from 2003 to 2005 and was appointed an OBE in 2006 for services to literature. In 2018, he was knighted for services to literature and charity. He and his wife, Clare, founded Farms for City Children, a charity that gives children the opportunity to experience life and work on a farm. His writing and charitable work reflect his belief in the power of stories, imagination, and shared experiences to help children understand themselves and the world around them.

Michael Morpurgo’s 10 Rules For Writers

1. The prerequisite for me is to keep my well of ideas full. This means living as full and varied a life as possible, to have my antennae out all the time.
2. Ted Hughes gave me this advice and it works wonders: record moments, fleeting impressions, overheard dialogue, your own sadnesses and bewilderments and joys.
3. A notion for a story is for me a confluence of real events, historical perhaps, or from my own memory to create an exciting fusion.
4. It is the gestation time which counts.
5. Once the skeleton of the story is ready I begin talking about it, mostly to Clare, my wife, sounding her out.
6. By the time I sit down and face the blank page I am raring to go. I tell it as if I’m talking to my best friend or one of my grandchildren.
7. Once a chapter is scribbled down rough – I write very small so I don’t have to turn the page and face the next empty one – Clare puts it on the word processor, prints it out, sometimes with her own comments added.
8. When I’m deep inside a story, ­living it as I write, I honestly don’t know what will happen. I try not to dictate it, not to play God.
9. Once the book is finished in its first draft, I read it out loud to myself. How it sounds is hugely important.
10. With all editing, no matter how sensitive – and I’ve been very lucky here – I react sulkily at first, but then I settle down and get on with it, and a year later I have my book in my hand.

The Last Word

Michael Morpurgo’s writing reminds us that powerful stories can transport young readers, explore difficult subjects, and reveal something meaningful about the world. His advice offers writers practical ways to think about storytelling and connect with their readers.

Image Source/ Writing Rules Source

by Amanda Patterson

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