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Jul 22, 2016 · 3. Don’t turn your characters into a Cleaver.. Middle-grade authors often struggle with how to make their characters “sound young,” so they fall back on their own days of yore and reminisce about what youth sounded like—or what they think it sounded like—back then.
- middle grade - Writer's Digest
Barbara Dee: Writer’s Block Is a Normal Part of the Writing...
- How to Write Novels That Engage and Delight Middle School ...
The name “middle grade” is confusing because “middle grade”...
- middle grade - Writer's Digest
- Don't Go Too Emotional
- Sound Like Your Reader
- Create A Relatable Middle-Grade Protagonist
- Final Thoughts
Young adults are emotional. Middle graders are more literal. They don’t agonize about their feelings or go through a litany of what-ifs. The middle-grade mind doesn’t think like that. Instead, middle graders accept life as it comes to them. They grapple with self-doubt and fitting in, but they don’t have the emotional maturity to be introspective. ...
You’re an adult, which means that you traded in your tween card a long time ago. It also means that you probably don’t sound like a tween anymore (at least, I hope not). And if, like me, you haven’t been a tween since the 20th century, you have no idea how to sound like a current tween. You’re writing to 8 to 12-year-olds who live in the 21st centu...
As I mentioned earlier, your middle-grade reader wants and needs to see themselves reflected in the story’s protagonist. Young readers connect to protagonists in which they share something in common. Create characters who are on the same level of naivete as your readers. They should not think or react like adults. Instead, your protagonist should d...
Writing for middle-grade readers is challenging and rewarding at the same time. You can make a life-long impact on your readers, so use this opportunity wisely. Before you go, check out these related resources: 1. Do This Before Writing Your Next Novel 2. 100 Tips to Help You Become a Better Author 3. The Importance of Reading Other Genres
An 8-year-old is more viable to enjoy a novel targeted towards children, but a 13-year-old will be more interested in young adult fiction, for example. Trying to write a middle grade fiction novel means understanding the fact that if you become “too childish’’ in your novel, half of your intended audience will not enjoy it.
Apr 7, 2022 · Themes and What to Write About in your Middle Grade Novel. For a long time, the consensus was that themes in middle grade books should be fairly innocent and not overly controversial. But today we are seeing fantastic, relevant middle grade books that explore complicated themes and big ideas. I’ve got some great examples.
- Read books for young readers. If you're trying to write for kids, you need to know what popular middle grade authors are writing about! Read as many middle grade books as you can get your hands on.
- Take care with real-world topics. If your protagonist is between the ages of 9-13, they’re in the stage of life where they are starting to develop their own identities, and seeing the world differently than when they were young children.
- Remember what you were like at that age. You may be years (or decades) older than the readers you're writing for, but one of the best ways to get into the minds of younger readers is to remember what life was like for you during that time.
- Don’t preach or teach. We’ve all read books where the author harps a little too hard on the universal lesson of the novel. No one enjoys that— especially not kids.
Apr 11, 2024 · The name “middle grade” is confusing because “middle grade” doesn’t line up with “middle school.” Most middle grade novels are marketed toward ages 8-12. Meanwhile, young adult books are characterized as “age 12 and up” or “age 14 and up,” with more and more 14+ YA being published recently.
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Read a ton of middle grade fiction - You should always read a lot within your genre, anyway. Reading successful middle grade novels will help you write them better and keep you in the loop with current trends. But it’s especially important for getting to know the characters and voices that resonate with young readers.
