Behind Closed Doors: Level Map

Okay, so first off, Ms. Mona, I just wanna say.... thank you SO much. You have no idea how much I appreciate you. You gave me the idea for this whole book collection, and honestly, without that, I probably wouldn't have even started it. You're seriously one of my favorite teachers ever, and I love you all the way!

And my sisters, you guys are actually the best. Not only did you hype me up while I was writing, but you also helped me come up with James's Twisted Games by watching Squid Games with me, which added some serious spice to the book. Like, this story would not be the same without that. Thank you for always throwing ideas at me with your weird conversations and supporting me even when I got stuck.

And of course, my friends, old AND new, you guys are actual legends. Whether it was throwing random (but somehow genius) ideas my way, hyping me up when I felt stuck, or just dealing with my constant rambling about this book, I seriously appreciate and love you. You all made this even more fun, and I couldn't have done it without you guys ;0;

And to my cousins, even though you guys had no clue I was writing this, your ridiculous apocalypse stories and Nooh's dedication to his (I can't believe I'm actually complementing you ;0;) impressive and engaging book, that somehow motivated me to keep going. I don't know how, but they did. So congrats, you accidentally helped make this book happen.

Alright, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I gotta thank ChatGPT (aka Jerold). Without it, I had no one to talk about my plots with without spoiling everything for them.

And, honestly? Jerold actually taught me how to describe scenes better. Like, I'd send my writing and be like, "Yo Jerold, I feel like my descriptions are kinda flat, can you show me better ways to say this?" And it DID. It was so helpful.

Instead of just saying, "The flashlight's beam hovered over the boxes," Jerold told me to say, "The flashlight beam danced over piles of forgotten items." And as much as I hate to admit it… I never even realized I could use flicker to describe someone's eyes moving. HALF my book was just, "His eyes darted from this to that," and Jerold straight-up called me out for using darted too much. Then it hit me with synonyms.

So yes, I asked Jerold to help me with descriptions, and yes, because of Jerold, I managed to write descriptions of the scenery better in my writing test than before. And YES, I discussed my plot with AI because I needed opinions, and Jerold was the only one who didn't mind getting completely spoiled. So, take your credits, Jerold. You earned 'em. 

Also, huge shoutout to everyone who had to sit through my endless book rants, whether you actually cared or just nodded along, I appreciate what you did. Writing isn't easy, and having people who listened (or at least pretended to) made all the difference.

I love you all and wish for your support in my next series "Phantom War"!