All Things Middle Grade

CheG

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I don't think you need to worry about chapter length, so much as putting in chapter breaks when it will keep the reader reading. Look for cliffhangers, or scene changes, or location changes.
 

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Actually I think chapter length does matter especially for MG, and shorter chapters tend be preferred. Also that's exactly how I do chapters, I do them once I"m done, not as I go. So don't think you are doing something wrong doing it that way. We all have what works for us. I do agree that you should look less at word count and more at the stuff CheG recommended. That being said, I would hesitate having chapters too much longer than 2K.
 

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Thank you both.

Breaks are coming fairly naturally c.1500 +/- 20% for the most part, but the odd one comes in c.3000 and that instinctively felt too long; 2000 does seem more reasonable. That would put the total number of chapters somewhere between 30 & 40 though, which seems like a lot?
 

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Number of chapters though is kind of irrelevant. It's about the general pacing of the book. Does it feel stop and start having that many chapters? Does it flow? Does it get tedious waiting for the end of the chapter? That's all. My first book that was 80K had 44 chapters in it. I have 26 chapters in my latest MG that tops out at 47K :) (btw, both sold :) )
 

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I'm over-thinking this a bit aren't I? I've just got to get them all in before the next edit and see how it reads. It is really helpful to have your numbers though; it gives me somewhere to start (btw, that's an impressive sig :) ).
 

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Yup! Sometimes it's just a gut feeling :) . I think also sometimes we are so scared of doing the wrong thing and screwing up our chances, but ultimately this is our work. We need to do what feels right for it. Btw, when I got my agent, my chapters were way longer. She was the one who worked with me to cut them in half etc. Ultimately chapter length is one of the easier things to change, so don't worry too much about making the wrong choice. If the writing is solid, the story compelling, an agent/editor will be happy to sort out chapter length with you.

(and thank you! I have to confess I really enjoyed making the teeny tiny banner at the bottom, it's so . . . cute :) )
 
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jlmott

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I've been skimming through the MG thread, and don't know if this point has been touched on yet. I've written 3 MG novels so far (none published though I am exploring the waters for the third one), starting a fourth, and I find that none of them are really related to each other. That is, they could not be bundled up into a single genre. The first is an cute anthropomorphic story, the second an adventure set in 19 century Italy, the third a silly comic sci-fi, and the current one more a gothic horror. Now I write these because they happen to be the ideas that pop in my head. As someone who getting ready to seriously enter the choppy waters of publishing (unlike the awkward floundering I've been doing up till now) is there an expectation of a new writer that they be identified with a particular genre or type of story? This concerns me sometimes, because I hope, assuming I make any headway, to have some freedom to write what I want to write. It's possible I am getting way ahead on myself at this point, but I was curious.
 

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Interesting article for new authors in the Guardian, if anyone's interested: Top writing tips for new children's authors from top editors

I've been skimming through the MG thread, and don't know if this point has been touched on yet. I've written 3 MG novels so far (none published though I am exploring the waters for the third one), starting a fourth, and I find that none of them are really related to each other. That is, they could not be bundled up into a single genre. The first is an cute anthropomorphic story, the second an adventure set in 19 century Italy, the third a silly comic sci-fi, and the current one more a gothic horror. Now I write these because they happen to be the ideas that pop in my head. As someone who getting ready to seriously enter the choppy waters of publishing (unlike the awkward floundering I've been doing up till now) is there an expectation of a new writer that they be identified with a particular genre or type of story? This concerns me sometimes, because I hope, assuming I make any headway, to have some freedom to write what I want to write. It's possible I am getting way ahead on myself at this point, but I was curious.

Hi! Sounds like you're in a similar boat to me, so I can only offer you my opinion, but it seems like what you're describing is what happens when someone's learning any craft: you try everything, see what you're good at, and eventually narrow it down to a type or genre you're confident you can sell, much like painters or sculptors do. The only time I have heard of someone writing like that was when I was given some information way back when about a 'hot-housing' company that takes proven writers on to write individual books in a series about, say, fairies or dragons or vampires etc.

Do you perhaps have a central character/world that runs through them all?
Which one do you think is your strongest?
 

jlmott

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Interesting article for new authors in the Guardian, if anyone's interested: Top writing tips for new children's authors from top editors



Hi! Sounds like you're in a similar boat to me, so I can only offer you my opinion, but it seems like what you're describing is what happens when someone's learning any craft: you try everything, see what you're good at, and eventually narrow it down to a type or genre you're confident you can sell, much like painters or sculptors do. The only time I have heard of someone writing like that was when I was given some information way back when about a 'hot-housing' company that takes proven writers on to write individual books in a series about, say, fairies or dragons or vampires etc.

Do you perhaps have a central character/world that runs through them all?
Which one do you think is your strongest?

There isn't a central character that runs through any of them, and the worlds described in each are unique to themselves and do not overlap. As for which is the strongest, I think the sci-fi comedy is the most commercially viable, and it is the one I plan to submit to agents as soon as I can get the query letter I've been working on just right (which may take as long as writing the novel!).

Don't get me wrong. I love the book and hope to have the chance to write many more like it. I just don't want to be stuck writing only that. Now there are authors who can explore a single world and find endless variations within it. The Discworld novels are an exemplar example of that. But I'm no Terry Pratchett (now there's an understatement).

Of course, fretting about being stuck publishing books in a similar vein is a little rich considering how very unpublished I am, but it's my nature to fret about things past, present and future.
 

heza

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Interesting article for new authors in the Guardian, if anyone's interested: Top writing tips for new children's authors from top editors
http://www.theguardian.com/children...ce-for-new-childrens-authors-from-top-editors
Thanks for the link. I found it interesting.

But choose your editor carefully. We’re like a strange breed of midwife who come and live with you and are often there at the conception, the delivery and through a lot of the nurture. So you have to get on with your editor. You have to like them, respect them and trust them. And if you don’t then you need to look for another one.

For people who've published (or just know), do you get to pick your editor? I had gotten the impression that once you sign with a publisher, you're assigned an editor and don't have much say in it.... or do they mean that you need to take into account who your editor will be when deciding whether to sign with a publisher?
 

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Hello, I have recently written 2 MG novels and am working on YA novel right now. I am going to be looking through this thread to see what other MG writers have going on. I am very excited to be part of this forum.
 

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Hello, I have recently written 2 MG novels and am working on YA novel right now. I am going to be looking through this thread to see what other MG writers have going on. I am very excited to be part of this forum.

Hi jenn - It's great to meet you! I think this is a great forum with great MG people. Welcome! :)
 
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SheilaJG

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Hi heza, In answer to your question about whether writers pick their editors, I can answer from my experience. For me, my agent submitted my book to the editors she thought would be interested in it. I got two offers, so in that respect, I got to decide which of those two publishers/editors I wanted to work with. My editor left her job after all the heavy work was done on my first book, and my publisher assigned me to another editor for book 2 in my series (and now, books 3 and 4).
 

heza

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Hi heza, In answer to your question about whether writers pick their editors, I can answer from my experience. For me, my agent submitted my book to the editors she thought would be interested in it. I got two offers, so in that respect, I got to decide which of those two publishers/editors I wanted to work with. My editor left her job after all the heavy work was done on my first book, and my publisher assigned me to another editor for book 2 in my series (and now, books 3 and 4).

Thanks, Sheila! That's pretty much what I figured. Thanks for confirming it.

(Gave my niece a copy of your book, btw. She loved, loved, loved it. My brother-in-law said they couldn't bother her while she was reading it because she was verysrs about it. She's telling friends about it, now.)
 

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Hi All,

Just jumping on the thread as I'm now identifying myself as a middle grade writer. I always thought I was a YA writer who was working on a MG book, but now that that book is revised and out on query, I've gotten feedback on all my other ideas that my voice is MG and that every YA idea I've been working on would be better suited if fitted to MG audience. So...that's kind of cool to realize! I have a voice! Haha. Any who, hi all.
 

heza

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Hi All,

Just jumping on the thread as I'm now identifying myself as a middle grade writer. I always thought I was a YA writer who was working on a MG book, but now that that book is revised and out on query, I've gotten feedback on all my other ideas that my voice is MG and that every YA idea I've been working on would be better suited if fitted to MG audience. So...that's kind of cool to realize! I have a voice! Haha. Any who, hi all.

Welcome aboard!
 

SuperKate

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Hi All,

Just jumping on the thread as I'm now identifying myself as a middle grade writer. I always thought I was a YA writer who was working on a MG book, but now that that book is revised and out on query, I've gotten feedback on all my other ideas that my voice is MG and that every YA idea I've been working on would be better suited if fitted to MG audience. So...that's kind of cool to realize! I have a voice! Haha. Any who, hi all.

Hello and welcome! I've only ever written MG or PBs, but I think it'd be fun to try a YA sometime. Glad to have you here!
 

Supergirlofnc

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Hi All,

Just jumping on the thread as I'm now identifying myself as a middle grade writer. I always thought I was a YA writer who was working on a MG book, but now that that book is revised and out on query, I've gotten feedback on all my other ideas that my voice is MG and that every YA idea I've been working on would be better suited if fitted to MG audience. So...that's kind of cool to realize! I have a voice! Haha. Any who, hi all.

Nice to meet you, HannahKarena!
 

CheG

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Hello and welcome! I've only ever written MG or PBs, but I think it'd be fun to try a YA sometime. Glad to have you here!

LOL! I think I'm the opposite! Everything I've managed to get published has been either adult or YA and I can't seem to get a MG career off the ground! Though well over half my ideas are all for MG books! I call my a MG writer but I'm not sure that's true! But it's what I REALLY want to do!
 

CheG

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I'm doing some research into lower Middle Grade novels. I've never considered writing any before, but since I LOVE the "Just Grace" series I thought I'd look into it some more. So far I've read a couple Geronimo Stilton, Galaxy Zack and one of the Fairy Bell sisters books. They are very different from the MG I usually read and I'm still pondering trying out a lower MG book. I guess time (and ideas) will tell. (Need ideas and plots and characters! LOL!)

Anyone else out there write lower MG? Have any advice??
 
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dorkelf

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I'm a librarian in a K-5 public school and I recently had the pleasure to cross paths with Lou Anders when he spoke at some writing panels at DragonCon. Lou is specifically writing for Middle Grade right now and he has been on a variety of podcasts like Adventures in Sci-fi Publishing and Speculate! talking about middle grade fiction, what it is and ought to be, and how it is distinguished from YA. Search for his name in the podcast feed and download a few if you are interested. :)