Are you bursting with creative ideas? Do you find the internet a strange and exciting place? Do you want to win books for your school AND meet a famous author?

www.hounslowchronicle.co.uk  and www.londoninformer.co.uk have launched StoryStar, a new short story writing competition for young people in west London aged from 4 - 18.

All you have to do is write a short story of between 500 and 1,000 words about the internet that includes the sentence: "But when the computer screen lit up, something strange happened."

Every single entry we receive will be published on the websites for all the world to read.

And the winners also get to see their story printed in the London Informer or Hounslow Informer newspapers in January.

Stories will be judged by a panel of four - London Informer web editor Lucy Proctor, Random House author Tabitha Suzuma, Gemma Wingrove, head of English at Cranford Community College and Smita Bora, principal of Westminster Academy.

We have three age categories: 4-7 years old, 8 - 11 years old and 12 - 18 years old.

If you win your age group your class gets a box of books from Random House publishers, based in Ealing, and you win three books to take home for yourself.

And the overall winner of the competition gets to go for lunch with acclaimed Fulham author Tabitha Suzuma. Look out for an an interview with Tabitha on the site next week and some top tips on how to write a great story.

To enter:

Email your short story of NO MORE THAN 1,000 WORDS to lucyproctor@trinitysouth.co.uk by Sunday, December 7.

This competition is only open to children who live or go to school in Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham and Westminster boroughs.

At the top write your full name, age, school, class, phone number and address and the name and phone number of your parent or guardian.

Any story over 1,000 words will not be considered. All stories must include the sentence: "But when the computer screen lit up, something strange happened"

Winners will be announced at the beginning of January online and in the papers and will be contacted personally.

Stories will not be judged on spelling, grammar and punctuation, but please make the judges' lives easier and try your best!

All prizes are non transferable and no cash alternative will be offered.