Are there any tweens who are bullied who can help me please?

Are there any bullied tweens I can pick the brain of for my current WIP please? If there are, can they set up a totally anonymous email address and email me about it at amanda@stories4childrengroup.com please? Just wanna know about the threats that are being made is all Thank you!

Book Review: Storm Shelter by April Sali

✰✰✰✰ out of 5

This is a wonderful little book - I couldn't stop reading it!  The only reason I'm giving it four stars instead of the full five is purely because it is so short.  Needs to be oneheckuva lot longer than it is... Amelia could have had a lot more adventures before she found her gift and expanded on how the bully seemed to go from someone that everyone was scared of to suddenly feeling able to confide his deepest thoughts in the Amelia.

The author has an amazing way with words, she just needs to put a lot more into the book to help the reader go on the journey with Amelia... really tug at the heart strings of the readers and let them grow really attached to Amelia.

If you want a feel-good, very quick read, then get yourself this book... you won't regret it!

Copyright question

Me an' 'im have written a picture book together this evening... his ideas, my words and I've included his name as the author but are we both owners of the copyright or just one of us please?

New look Stories site is...

Wiv Steve's help I've changed the look of my Stories 4 Children site and it's ready to go as soon as Steve's got the app finished off, so as soon as that's ready, I'll announce the new-look site!

Yay!

You can all breathe a sigh of relief now, because...

I've just written the final word in this year's NaNo novel and it's finished at exactly 51k words too.

No more anger or frustration or questions... just another MS in the "To Edit" folder now and after only 12 days too, including a couple of day-long breaks in writing.

Feeling so proud of myself now and I'm gonna use the rest of November to edit my other MSs in the "To Edit" folder now that I'm in the writing zone.

Need to ask if a parent/tween combination on SCBWI can have a read of a couple of chapters to make sure I don't scare the tweens is all now... you watch me forget though!  lol

Last chapter of the whole novel

Just finished writing chapter 67 with Kris being scared shitless by the first half an hour of a certificate 15 film.

This final chapter will see him storming into his parents bedroom in total anger that they'd only got him a card with a weird message in it.  His 3 friends and all 8 parents will go into town for a birthday burger then all 12 of them will squeeze into Kris' house to give Kris his surprise real birthday pressie to leave a happy ever after for the last paragraph of the novel.

As of right now...

I'm at exactly 50k words so as of right now I've finished the NaNoWriMo challenge for 2017 and I've got exactly 1k more words to write to finish the MS in just under 2 weeks!

Yay me!

🏆

4 down, 2 to go

I'm so going to finish the MS before it even gets dark today!  Only got two chapters left to write now and 500 words before I complete NaNo for another year.

I'll be finished at 51k instead of the 50k necessary to finish the challenge so might aim for a YA novel with 75k words next year with the hope of finishing around the 20th then 100k the year after to finish by the end of the challenge...

You watch me forget though!  lol

3 down, 3 to go

Just written chapter 65 so I'm almost there now, just starting to tie up loose ends now ready for the surprise in the last paragraph to finish the whole novel off.

2 down, 4 to go

Just written chapter 64 so I've only got another 4 to write now and it's only 12.30pm.

I'll be finished by about 4pm hopefully, then I can celebrate with the big bottle of J2O!

1 down, final 5 chapters to go

Finished the first chapter of the day, so I'm up to chapter 64 of the 68 and it's not even lunchtime yet!

Met today's target too!

Just gone 9pm and I've finished today's 7 chapters, so I've cracked open another J2O to celebrate then I'll take me prescription and head to bed before 10pm for the first time this week!

Just got another 6 chapters to write tomorrow and it's finished in under 2 weeks for the first time since I started doing the NaNo challenge all those years ago!

👍

6 down, 1 to go

After a slow start I've really worked hard to write all afternoon and evening which means I've only got one more chapter to write tonight then I can have a J2O and celebrate finishing tomorrow in only 12 days!

5 down, 2 to go and...

Just finished chapter 60 so I've only got another 2 chapters to write for my target 7 chapters a day and it'll take me a couple of hours to write them so I might hopefully get to bed at a decent time tonight too!

4 down, 3 to go

Just finished chapter 59 so I'm on the final stretch now... only another 9 chapters to write then it's finished for another year!

6,750 words to write and counting down!

3 down, 4 to go

Just finished chapter 58 and the final 10 chapters are going to be the build up to the happy ever after.

6.5k words left to write now, so I'm in single figures at last!

2 down, 5 to go

Three of the four main characters are yawning their heads off or asleep now.

The build-up to the big reveal of Kris' birthday pressie is going to start in this chapter.

1 down, 6 to go

Started off the day with a chapter before lunchtime, so I'm gonna keep going until lunch is cooked then I'll eat and carry on to see how much I can achieve today!

Met today's target... yay!

I've got 8,750 words in 12 chapters to go and it's finished!

If I can have a couple of intense writing days tomorrow and Sunday I'll be able to get it finished and be able to celebrate on Sunday.

Now?

Now I'm gonna crack open a bottle of well-deserved bottle of J2O, then take me prescriptions and head to bed!

6 down, 1 to go and...

Just written chapter 54 and I'm at 40,500 words now so I've got less than 10k to write to finish it!!

Gonna write one more chapter tonight to take me to 41,250 then head to bed to finish off the whole MS by Sunday night... the end is in sight now!!! 😀

👍 👍 👍

5 down, 2 to go

It's just gone 8pm and I'm not even remotely tired yet so I'm on track for doing the 7 chapters today like I was hoping for this morning.

The trio are about to leave the library with armfuls of books they've borrowed, a new-found love of literature for Louise and the awesome news that Louise's parent's are going to get her a basic mobile in this chapter.

4 down, 3 to go

I seem to be more creative just before bed time when I'm cream crackered instead of first thing in the morning for some bizarre reason!

Written more since lunchtime than I did all morning!  Wrote one chapter until 2pm and the other three since then!  Very weird!

It was the same yesterday... didn't write anything until 2pm then kept writing easily until 11pm!

I'm at 39k words now so I've only got 11k left to write to hit the target of finishing the whole manuscript in under 2 weeks and I'll be unscrewing the J2O lid on Sunday to celebrate for sure!

3 down, 4 to go

By the time I finish this chapter I'll have written 39k in 10 days including a couple with no writing at all so I'm feeling pretty chuffed with meself!

2 down, 5 to go

Just finished chapter 50 and I'm back into the zone now so I'll keep writing until I've done all the chapters tonight.  It's Saturday tomorrow so it doesn't matter if it's another late night again.

1 down, 6 to go

Just written my first chapter of the day, six more to go and I'll be happy and allow myself my first J2O of the challenge.

I'm hoping for having written chapter 55 by the time I go to bed tonight to allow myself a J2O.

Me mug shot is stewing right now, so I'll make a start on chapter 50 while I'm waiting.

Hoping for...

I've worked out my writing aims... I'm hoping for getting up to chapter 55 today, 62 tomorrow and 68 on Sunday.  If I don't at least write that many chapters I won't get a J2O, but if I do I'll have it at the end of the day and celebrate with the big bottle of sparkling J2O on Sunday.

Wish me luck!

Aksherley...

The drinking chocolate is almost finished, so I'm gonna take me prescriptions and head to bed now which leaves me with 16 chapters left to write, so I'll do 6 tomorrow and Saturday then the last 6 chapters on Sunday... less stressful and more doable that way.

6 down, 1 to go before I'm allowed my first J2O

Got a mug of drinking chocolate on the go, so I'm going to write the seventh chapter so that the drink doesn't go cold, then take me prescriptions and head to bed for a late night.

Up to 36k out of 50k now though, so if I write another 7 chapters tomorrow and Saturday I'll have 5 chapters to write on Sunday, et voila!

👍

5 down, 2 to go

Steve's put Masterchef on so I'll work on chapters 48 and 49 while it's on then I'll be able to treat myself to a bottle of J2O by the end of Masterchef.  If I can do another 7 chapters tomorrow and Saturday, I'll only have 5 chapters to do on Sunday and I can celebrate finishing within 2 weeks which ain't bad going... just need to get started every day!

👍

46th chapter done and dusted

Don't reckon I'll get the required 3 additional chapters done before bed time so no J2O for me today  😔

3 down, 4 to go!

Not bad going - about an hour and a half per chapter which is good going I reckon!

Up to chapter 46 out of 68 in 9 days which is pretty good going I reckon... might aim for 75k words next year instead of the 50k!

Second chapter of the day done and dusted

As long as I keep going at this pace, I'll have written the seven chapters I'm hoping for by bed time, so I can treat myself to the first bottle of J2O and have another early night, ready for an early start tomorrow morning.

17k words left to write now... I'm nearing the end now and we're not even half way through November yet!

First chapter of the day done and dusted

Gonna work on chapter 44 until I have me lunch, then I've only got another five to write before bed time to be rewarded with my first J2O.

18k words to write before the whole manuscript is finished now, thankfully.

There's no way I'll be finished by tomorrow now, so...

I didn't write anything yesterday and I've still got 25 chapters to write, so there's no way I'll get it finished by tomorrow, so the new target is Sunday instead of Friday.

Bit disappointed but I'll still be finished a whole manuscript in less than 2 weeks which was what I was aiming for when I started and it's only 7 chapters a day which was my average for the first week so it's definitely doable!

Just taken me prescriptions so, in theory...

Just taken me prescriptions at about 4.30pm so, in theory, I'll be awake by about 5am tomorrow and it'll still be dark, so I'll get 4 hours of writing in while it's still dark then I'll walk the pup and carry on writing after The Bill.

It's the getting started that's the most difficult part, but I've got 20k left to write, so even if I only write 1k a day I'll still be finished by the end of November which is what I'm aiming for.

Only managed to get to chapter 40 all day :-(

Only managed 5 chapters today so I've gotta do at least 10 chapters tomorrow to stay on track for finishing on Friday  😟

Aiming to get to at least chapter 40 today

I'm writing chapter 36 right now, but I'm hoping to get to at least chapter 40 by the time Steve gets home from his medical appointment, then I'll have me lunch and aim for another four before bedtime... wish me luck!

Hoping for at least another 7 chapters today

After a very creative weekend, I wanna try and write at least 7 chapters today but 8 would be great!

I wrote 16 chapters over the weekend which was awesome and I just want to do that again today and tomorrow so that I can relax on Wednesday and only write a few chapters without worrying about not hitting my 10 day target on Friday.

Up to chapter 36 now!

Considering I didn't wake up until 9am then took the pup for her walk as well as stopping for about an hour for me lunch, I've still written another 8 chapters today!

I would have been happy with 6 chapters to take me to half way but I just kept writing and writing because of my muse getting into what I was writing again.

Means that if I write another 8 chapters tomorrow, I can safely leave off writing anything at all on Wednesday and still be finished on the 10th!

I'm now, officially...

Just written my 25,000th word so I'm now officially over half way to finishing my NaNo novel in only five days!!

👏

That means, even if I don't write anything on Wednesday, I'll still have finished the whole MS in under 2 weeks!!

Half way through the days target and it's not even lunchtime yet!

Came downstairs this morning and worked out that I needed to write 6 chapters today to be half way through NaNo.

It's just gone mid-day and I've already written 3 of 'em so I'll prolly be half way by this afternoon and keep writing until bed-time so that I'm still on track for finishing on Friday even though I'm not going to be around for a few hours on Wednesday because of getting our hair cut!

I can so do this within less than 2 weeks!

👍

Up to chapter 28 now

20,250 words written in the last 4 days, so I've only got 4,750 to write today to be half way to winning NaNo again!  👍

New personal best tonight!

Up until now my personal best was writing 7 chapters a day.

I've written 8 chapters tonight which is a new personal best for me!

If I write 5 chapters tomorrow I'll be half way through the NaNo challenge in less than a week which is so totally awesome!

As long as I keep writing 7 chapters a day, I'll have finished the MS on the 10th and I'll have 20 days to get out of Kris' head and back into my own then!

7 chapters written so far today

Just made a start on chapter 27 which'll be what I was hoping for first thing if I complete it before I head to bed.

I'm equalling my personal best right now.  Chapter 27 will be my personal best and I'll be almost half way through by bed time tomorrow which ain't bad going for less than a week of writing!

4 chapters written so far

Already half way through today's target, but Steve's just gone to put our lunch in the oven so I'll read my emails and forums and SCBWI while I'm waiting for it otherwise I'll be half way through a chapter when it's ready and I'll have to stop which will put me in a bad mood.

Gonna start on chapter 24 after lunch though so I'm a third of the way through and hoping for being up to chapter 35 by the end of the weekend.

Only wrote 6 chapters yesterday, so...

Gonna aim for 8 chapters today to get me back on track.

In theory I'll be a third of the way through by lunchtime which will be so cool then I can write the other chapters after we've eaten and I'll put myself under less pressure.

If I do write 8 chapters today, I'll only have 40 chapters left to write to finish NaNo and it'll be another Personal Best too!

Just gotta get into the zone now.  lol

Just started on chapter 18

I'll be a third of the way through the MS tomorrow which ain't bad going for 3 days!

Means that I've already written 4 chapters today and it was another slow start because I woke up late.

Gonna take me prescriptions at 6.30pm, write at least one more chapter then head to bed at 8pm to see what time I wake up tomorrow.

On track for finishing my NaNo novel on...

... 10th November even though I'm getting my hair cut on Wednesday morning so won't be able to do the full 7 chapters that day, but as long as I write at least 2 chapters on Wednesday I'm still on track for finishing so early.

The way I worked it out was that if I write 7 chapters a day, that's 70 chapters in 10 days.  Take off one chapter that I didn't write yesterday makes it 69 chapters, take off 5 chapters for not spending all day writing on Wednesday makes it 64 chapters but I'm setting off the virus scan tomorrow so will have more writing time because I leave it running all night.  Monday is our grocery delivery day so I'll be able to write more then too, so just gotta find time to write an extra 4 chapters is all.

If we get home by lunchtime on Wednesday I'll be able to write the extra 4 chapters as soon as we get home though as well as having extra writing time tomorrow, Saturday and Monday.

An entire MG novel in 10 days is definitely worth celebrating and I've got a big bottle of sparkling J2O in the kitchen that will be my version of Champagne to celebrate putting the final full stop in the novel in less than 2 weeks without putting too much of a halt on my life or having a go at Steve the whole time.

I can so do this!!

👍👍😁

7 chapters written today

Up to chapter 14 now... not bad going considering I only started yesterday morning, slept for 12 hours, walked the pup twice and had 1.5 hours off for me lunch today!

As long as I keep writing at least 6 chapters a day, I'll be totally finished in less than 2 weeks!  Yay!

👍

Written 3 chapters in 3 hours so far today

Me belly's rumbling so Steve's going to make a start on our lunch then I'll start on chapter 10 after we've eaten.

I'm averaging about a chapter an hour now so, in theory, I'll have written another 4 or 5 chapters by bed time, then I can read me emails and forums and stuff then head to bed for an early night.

Started writing at 9am today

Started writing chapter 7 at just gone 9 o'clock this morning, so in theory I'll have written another 6 chapters by 6pm but I'm gonna stop for a cooked lunch instead of sarnies today, so add on another hour means I'll be finished by 7pm hopefully!

6 chapters written in 9 hours

After an incredibly slow start this morning, I've churned out 6 chapters aka 4,500 words in under 10 hours which is double the minimum I was going to reward myself for, so I'm going to crack open a bottle of J2O and Steve's treating us both to a burger for tea in celebration of surviving the first day of NaNo and he's promised me another burger on the day I complete NaNo too.

If I write 6 chapters every day it'll be finished in about 2 weeks though, instead of the month that's set aside and I thought finishing 5 days early was good... I'm gonna feel lost for the last 2 weeks of November if I keep writing the same amount every day!  lol

4 chapters in 6 hours

Started on NaNo at 8.30am.

It's now six hours later and I've written 4 chapters so far and made a start on chapter 5.

I definitely deserve a bottle of J2O when I finish for the day... cracking start and it gives me hope for finishing NaNo even earlier than last year!

I can so do this!

Got the new look of my S4C sorted last night

Just waiting for the logo to put at the top of each page then that's it until the new design is released officially at the end of January!

Gonna be a very quiet month on the blog because of NaNo but I'm still around, just concentrating on writing at least 3 chapters a day is all.