The Beginning Middle-grade Novels

These are notes I took from a wonderful writing symposium called Life, the Universe, and Everything. We have a lot of talented people in Utah and visitors with a great deal of knowledge. Any Misinformation is the fault of the note taker.

– Middle grade> finding their place in (family) their world. YA is finding out who you are.
– Check out the book, boy. About a kid who has a lot around him. The man bought him and the man is stealing real religious artifacts. Boy needs to do what he has to do.
– The middle grade faced something that is hard. What is the right thing to do?
– Want to read books about people the child wanted to be.
– Some like character stories. Kids are learning to combat hard emotions.
– Who is your target audience: go beyond age such as the type of kid or interests. When you view a target audience> some books will also have a target audience would be librarians.
– Once you sell> pay attention to what the fans want the book to be.
– Some write books that they want to read, the horses don’t get killed.
– There is a shortage between chapter books to teen. There is not a lot of in between these two ages of books.
– The first audience should be you.
– Write for a group of kids who want to do things that are bold, but they’re too good to do it.
– Middle-Grade books are about actions that the kids would want to do. Book: searching for superheroes. Kidd tries to become a superhero by exposing with bad spider and other things superheroes became heroes.
– Middle Grade will accept they want to happen or imaging but not beyond like a moral issue of needing to kill someone.
– Melva’s book title: it seemed like a good idea at the time.
– A child Thief using a wad of chewing gum on a string to get things.
– Age reader wants to read up. 9 yrs. told will read up to 11 yr. old. Want to be cooler than you.
– Don’t have too powerful of a character. You don’t want someone who can do everything, has a bunch of powers and is a genius. He needs to have a flaw. Like a can fly but scared and throw up because they are scared of heights.
– Keep in a kids imagination suitable for their age group. They are not thinking of death but grounding or getting caught. Breaking a leg.
– In middle grade, one of the big places to be is in the library> how to make exciting and still pass the librarian check.
– Different publishers have their own taste. Other publishers are grittier.
– Was told by adhering scholastic book orders. They have very restriction
– Books can be dark as long as they win in the end.
– Violence on monsters is fine; but not a person on person. Fantasy violence is acceptable.
– Things that make an MG grey area (YA kill each other in Hunger Games) mg kill monsters. Or family.
– YA: speak imprint does YA of stronger themes.
– How balances: Want to be a responsible writer without being preachy?
– Have characters honestly trying to be good people.
– Apply consequences. The consequences should happen