I recently pulled out my notes on writing for a middle grade audience. I had tons, scattered through different notebooks and I thought it would be nice to have them in one place.
Middle grade is a wonderful age to write for. Your readers are hungry for new adventures and it doesn’t hurt that schools often offer incentives to keep children reading. So what do you have to know if you’re writing for this age group?
Middle grade readers are 8-12, sometimes 13. One of the first things you’ll need to do is determine if you are targeting the younger readers in this range or the older readers. Once you know this, you can determine how old to make your main character. For instance, if you are targeting younger readers, then you may decide to make your mc eleven. For older readers, have your character be thirteen.
Middle grade themes are also very different than young adult. In middle we think how does the main character fit into the world. Whereas in a teen novel, the character is exploring how they fit in with their peers. Middle grade also has strict lines on what you can and cannot do. You won’t find sex, cursing, or drugs in a MG novel.
I once heard an editor say that hook is not plot. To me, this made sense. Hook is what draws your reader in. Plot is what carries your reader from page one to the end of the book. Some notes on plot and voice in a middle grade novel:
Plot: Think what matters to a twelve-year-old.
- Are the conflicts what make sense to a twelve-year-old?
- Do they center on relationship?
Voice: The narrative voice should be what the character notices in the scene.
- Children this age often talk in fragmented sentences and half thoughts. Does your dialogue reflect this?
- Watch that your character is not too self aware. He or she shouldn’t have emotional maturity that comes with age.
On last note, while drafting your novel, remember to have the kids create problems that they will later solve.
I’m sure I’ve missed something and I’d love to hear from you if you have tips to share.