Writing for 9th Grade Level

[bestseller]

Are there any guidelines/directions when writing for the different grade levels? Want to make sure my document is written at the right level (9th grade) before I submit. I may only have one chance to make a great impression.

Thanks.

[arainsb123]

I'm entering 9th grade in just a few months, so I can speak pretty authoritatively on this subject. 9th graders who actually read for pleasure are generally at the adult reading level, so you really don't need to alter your writing style or the vocabulary you use.

[bestseller]

Thanks, Anders. That does make sense.

[katiemac]

If you mean publishing/submission guidelines, directed to a publisher, the standard would still be the same - Courier, 1" margins, etc. - or whatever the publisher/agent prefers.

If you mean by vocabulary and style, which Anders has already covered, think about 9th grade as high school. High school students are reading literature classics for credit - Twain, Dickens, Nabokov, Goldberg, Homer - which normally considered adult reading levels.

Even when I was younger (junior high, even upper elementary to an extent) and I was reading, it bothered me when I could tell the language was obviously altered to match my age. The characters would speak just like the age group - "Gosh, like, did you see that?" - which drove me nuts.

On average, like Anders already mentioned, high school students who read for pleasure are probably more interested in adult themes and looking for something a bit more challenging, so I wouldn't worry about the age group.

Good luck with your first impression! ;)