[Music] who doesn't love a good story the characters the illustrations losing
yourself in an adventure there's nothing as exciting as picking up a new book especially
if it was written by you we're launching a brand new Blue Peter competition giving you
the chance to become an amazing author by writing your very own short story
and the amazing prize for the winner of this competition is definitely a story worth sharing
it will be brought to life by one of the biggest children's authors in the UK Tom Fletcher you'll
meet Tom and go behind the scenes to see how books are published and receive your story
in print plus your story will be read by Tom to become an audiobook and an animated story and it
will even be recorded as an incredible CBeebies Bedtime Story the competition winner will also
win a framed picture from the animation as well as one of these an orange competition winners badge
and who better to help us out with some top tips for entering this competition than the
man himself best-selling author of books like the Christmasaurus and The Creakers
plus singer-songwriter in the band McFly it's Tom Fletcher hey Blue Peter fans I am
so excited about this competition all you need to do to enter is to write a short story or poem
think about your characters you could write about just one main character or maybe have
lots involved they could be human or animal alien or maybe something completely made up
remember as well to think about where your story is set your adventure could
take place on Earth underwater or in the skies or in a made-up world it's totally
up to you so let your imaginations run wild and as this is going to become a CBeebies
Bedtime Story really think about how your story could be enjoyed by the whole family
and if you want some top tips and advice for your story let's see what Tom has up his sleeve [Music]
so Tom you are a super successful author you've written loads of books but I want to know if you
have any tips for anyone who's getting started writing a story just read as much as you can
because you learn from reading all of these books and all these stories do you have any
tips on how to create a character well I think I quite like writing about ordinary people who
have extraordinary adventures so I like you know coming up with someone who might feel familiar
might feel like oh I can that I can see myself in that person or that's a bit like my friend
or so we're asking the viewers to write an adventure story do you have any advice for
someone writing an adventure well I would say they're a good place to start is what adventure
would you want to go on because quite often the things that I want to read about are the things
that I would want to do myself it's good advice I like that so the winner of the competition will
have their story turned into a CBeebies Bedtime Story is there any advice you have for someone
writing for that magical time at night just before bedtime you know that's such a special
time when you're reading the story before bed and really I feel like it's the time when you want to
just start calming down as well so I think if you're going to write a bedtime story it's okay
to go on a you know an adventure that's full of excitement as well but by the end you want to be
at a place where it's nice and calm and happy and peaceful and so you're ready to go to sleep you
don't want to keep them up no you don't to be kept up you don't be on like a cliffhanger as
well we're like what happens next have you any advice for how to structure your story out is
there a formula you follow so I write just this is how it starts this is what happens in the middle
this is like the main event and then this is how it's going to end and then I expand on that so Tom
for anybody that wants to enter the competition what do they need well I think that's the great
thing about this competition is you don't need anything you don't need any fancy equipment you
just need an idea for the story I think it's a great opportunity for kids all around the UK
to really tell us some brilliant stories and I genuinely think kids have the best stories
hidden away inside their imaginations so it's a great chance to release those stories out into
the world and absolutely anyone can enter plus it's an amazing prize as it is it's absolutely
awesome I'm genuinely really jealous of whoever wins this competition and here's the important
information you need to know on how do you enter make sure to use your imagination we want to read
your original ideas and your story must be all your very own work don't write more than 400
words and if you need inspiration getting started there are lots of ideas on the blue Peter website
ask your grown-up's permission to enter and to read the competition rules and privacy notice
and if you want to enter by post just fill out an application form on the Blue Peter website
your short story should be 400 words or less and only use the space on the form to write your story
put your entry into an envelope with the correct postage and send it to Blue Peter Bridge House
Media City UK M50 2BH and remember if you're sending an A4 envelope like this you'll need
a large letter stamp like this one you can also enter online by signing into the Blue
Peter website and sending in your story by the CBBC uploader make sure your entry arrives in
the Blue Peter office before 5 PM Wednesday the 8th of March 2023 there you have it our
brand new Blue Peter amazing authors competition really is amazing me and the rest of the BP team
are so excited to see where your imaginations take you and I am too of course Tom's excited
to remember get your entries in before five o'clock on Wednesday the 8th of March good luck
thank you I loved that Mwaksy but I want more Blue Peter then all
you have to do is download the free and incredible BBC iPlayer app onto
your phone and you can watch it again and again and again and again and again