M = MIDDLE Grade for ME!

The first inkling I had that I wanted to write seriously was after rereading some classic English lit novels, most of which I'm sure you'd be familiar with. Then I moved on to YA books possessing a paranormal edge with a romantic flare. So it was natural I started out writing paranormal romances.

But while writing and editing my YA work, I was reading MIDDLE Grade books with my children (those who were age appropriate). I discovered a love for MG lit and a desire to write it as well. There's something about taking a character of said age (11-14ish) and watching them balance life, parents, and friendships--not to mention puberty. And yes it does help that two of my four children are of MIDDLE grade age--one boy and one girl.

My brain became an overactive playground of MG ideas. I wrote half an MG story and realized that writing MG needs a different approach then writing YA. Firstly, the manuscript must be dramatically shorter, ranging somewhere between 20,000 and 40,000 words. Most MG characters seem to be written on the lighter side--meaning the issues of life (such as death) are handled with a bit more delicately then in YA. Language (cursing) and mannerisms are also elements to be cautious when using. And humor, at one point or another, is really important in MG literature. It's engaging to kids of that age.

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Writing MIDDLE  Grade Literature affords me the opportunity to be a bit zany on my own all while teaching lessons to kids who are in the midst of their life-lessons learning process. As a writer, that is a humbling place to be.

What do you write and why do you write it?