2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. Many of you have spent the past couple of years learning all about the conflict, and there will be many more opportunities this year.

As this anniversary will be a one-off event, the challenge will be for you to imagine yourself in a position where you are touched by conflict. This is not to write stories about being adult soldiers, fighter pilots, nurses etc. on a battlefield, but to be the age you are now, whether this is 6 years old or 16, and to show how you are touched by, and view an aspect of war.

Perhaps a little girl does not understand why her daddy has to go away from her, and we can see this from her viewpoint. Or a boy is being evacuated and is filled with all the dread or excitement of going away on an adventure. Perhaps a child is trapped in a war-torn city and just wants to play and lead a normal life. There are so many possibilities.

So, imagine that you, as a child or young person, are affected by a conflict. Tell your story, in a maximum of 300 words, with power and skill to bring it to life for your readers. Don’t be afraid to use dialogue to reveal what your main character is really like.

Video courtesy of British Pathé