The point of this exercise is not to write autobiographical middle grade fiction (though you certainly can). What do they show you about your experience of adolescence? There’s a reason those memories resurface. Make a note of memories that don’t answer these questions but spring to mind, anyway. What was my greatest source of joy? Comfort? Entertainment?.What kind of life did I dream of? How did I think I’d get there?.Did I experience any sudden awakenings to tough issues? (This could be personal, like a divorce in the family, or a news item, like a school shooting.) How did I feel? Did I have a theory about the cause or solution to the problem? What do I understand about this topic now that I couldn’t understand then?.Were there any contradictions between the values I learned at home and the values of people I went to school with?.What were my family relationships like? Was I especially close to one relative? Did I have any complicated relationships or rivalries with other family members?.What assumptions did I make about grown-up life?.Did I see myself as having a nemesis? Why did I consider this person my enemy?.Did I ever willingly go against the flow? What would have mattered so much to me that I’d be willing to look like a loser to my classmates?.Did I feel like I fit in at school? What did I do to try to impress or connect with other kids?.Who was my best friend? Why were they my best friend? What did we do together?.Questions to Put You in Touch With Middle Grade You So be bold, curious, and a little reckless. Most of us are happy to leave our bad haircuts, gym class humiliations, and sleepover drama firmly in the past.īut dipping your toe back into the well of youth will help you connect with this audience authentically. This may not be the most comfortable exercise. A good way to do that is to look back on your own childhood feelings and perspectives. So keep that in mind as you build your plot.īut when it comes to the way you explore and present that plot, let your reader’s feelings and perspectives lead the way. Kids like to read about big kids with their big kid problems and big kid freedoms. Now, MG protagonists are typically between ages ten and thirteen. To clarify “that age”: MG readers are between eight and twelve. When writing middle grade fiction, one of the best ways to get inside your reader’s head is not to ask what kids are like, but to ask what you were like at that age. Once you’ve got your reading list set up, you’re ready to start investigating the mind of a middle grade reader. The first will help you recognize the themes that stand the test of time and the second will help you maintain your stoke. I recommend tossing in a few middle grade classics as well as books you’re excited to read. They’ll also help you get a feel for age-appropriate vocabulary and writing styles. These give you the best insight into popular tropes, as well as the themes and characters that resonate with today’s young folk. Then, prioritize bestselling middle grade books in your genre. Are you writing realistic middle grade fiction? Fantasy? Mystery? Read MG fiction throughout the entire writing process, from planning your novel to completing the final revisions.įirst, narrow it down to your genre. If you want to write something well, you have to read a ton of it. I’ll also drop additional tips for keeping young readers engaged, as well as some story-building resources you should check out. ![]() ![]() I’m about to give you all the tools you need to accomplish this. The secret to wielding this kind of power is to understand and empathize with your audience. You could be the reason a child barfs in the car on a family road trip… in a good way. Your book could be the one keeping kids up past their bedtime-the one they’re reading at the breakfast table, at the pool, or at their sibling’s interminable baseball game. You could be the reason a child becomes a lifelong reader. While the potential errors of writing middle grade fiction can be cringy, the rewards of doing it well are massive. This distance can result in a wide range of writing disasters, from using over-simplistic diction to creating conflicts middle grade readers don’t care about. Really, this is crucial for writing anything, especially if you want your books to sell.īut it’s especially important for middle grade authors who are years-if not decades-removed from adolescence. Knowing your audience is crucial for writing middle grade fiction.
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