All Things Middle Grade

71writer

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I am still trying to decide the genre I am going to write in. I am rethinking things as I am the world's best procrastinator. :) I have been reading YA and just brought home some MG to read. I have read both in the past and been leaning more towards YA but while looking through the MG at the library I was pleasantly surprised to find a much broader selection of genres than in the YA section. In our YA section it is mostly Distopian and Vampires, Werewolves, and Magic. In the MG there's everything from Steampunk to Westerns. This encouraged me as I've wanted to write MG also.
 

Supergirlofnc

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71Writer - that is one of the things I love about MG. It feels like there is so much freedom for so many different types of stories. I think that's one of the things that really drew me to it.
 

GeneBWell

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I suggest going with "Epicure"; "Friand" could too easily be mistaken as a typo for "Friend", and cost you a lot of time explaining to editors and proofreaders.

After some consideration I decided to switch the chefs back to just being chefs because all the alternatives weren't the kinds of words that roll off the tongue. For the animals I've chosen Pards. Like partners, but short and with interesting alternative meanings to play with. Plus it's short and simple. I like it.
 

Supergirlofnc

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After some consideration I decided to switch the chefs back to just being chefs because all the alternatives weren't the kinds of words that roll off the tongue. For the animals I've chosen Pards. Like partners, but short and with interesting alternative meanings to play with. Plus it's short and simple. I like it.

Oh - I like Pards - easy to say and to remember!
 

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It makes me think of "leopards" (or even "camelopards" - that's an old fashioned word for "giraffes"), though I don't know if that's the kind of animal you imagine them being.
 

Supergirlofnc

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Triceretops - I'm glad to hear things seem to be getting better. And sense you're back in the saddle, I hope you gallop right along with your MG ;)

:Hug2::Hug2:
 

Captivatedlife

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@triceretops - Glad that you are ok. It's hard when you face set backs. When you feel you cannot write the story, maybe pull out your phone or voice recorder and play with your characters. Have them take you on a journey, have them show you stuff, have them explain their emotions to you... it feels stupid (you're talking to yourself........:) ) but it might help you when your body cannot PHYSICALLY work on the story.

Good luck!

**** I'm happily working working away on my story. I am interviewing the characters and right now, they have been taking me around the world. I am still in the world building part! I hope to be ready to go by NaNo Camp time in April! I am drawing maps and determining what types of fantastical animals, castles, biomes and more will be in my story. I started out writing a mg with a ya setting - kinda angsty - but as I've played with it, the story, the characters, the setting has all fleshed out to be more fantastical. I'm loving it!
 

triceretops

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Thank you sweet folks. The recovery is slow, but I am visiting the book every day in the hopes that I can keep my motivation and aspirations up and steady. I'm out of the agony stage and on a slow mend. Watched tons of Anne Rice writing videos which really gave me some strength and courage. I'm beginning to find the magic in the book again. I hope you are all doing well and having an exciting time with your works or querying stage.

I need another operation. Drat! But this one doesn't scare me. It's a rather routine but doable open surgery.

Now, enough of this med stuff and back to work! Ha! Whoorah!
 

RonMF

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Hi fellow MG'ers! I apologize for cutting in on the ongoing conversation, but can anyone point me toward a resource for finding an agent? I have a finished MG that I've revised SEVERAL times :) and am ready to sub...but where do I even begin in a sea of agent-possibilities? It's an endless horizon in all directions.

Thanks for any navigation help! :e2steer:
 

SuperKate

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Hello and welcome, RonMF! Many congrats on the finished book! I like Query Tracker to get a list of agents, or Publishers Marketplace, which can give you an idea of who is actually selling in MG (though some agents don't report their sales, so it isn't completely accurate, and you do have to pay for PM). Once I have a list of names, I google around to find interviews and see who else they represent. MS Wishlist and other similar sites compile what different agents are looking for. Twitter is also good for getting a sense of agents' personalities and the work they like.

I assume you have a solid query? And a synopsis? Those are both good to have in hand before you get to the sending out phase.
 

triceretops

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I've used Query Tracker at first and then picked up the links for the agents in the Bewares Forum. Publishers Marketplace is also a great guide (one of the best) but it requires a hard copy purchase ( or library) or online membership.

MG is going along very slow. Searching and trying to maintain that certain voice.
 

Tchaikovsky

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I'm wavering on the line between YA and MG for my book. Originally I meant the book for tweens (12-14 age range) but have been told that it is a very small niche in the market.

For those of you writing upper MG or lower YA books, is it safe to write "down" in terms of voice? For example, the first lines from the MG novel Shug by Jenny Han are what I'm aiming for:

It is the end of a summer afternoon and the sun will be setting soon, our favorite part of the day. We're eating Popsicles, cherry ones. My shirt is sticking to my back...

Overall, you can tell it's aimed toward younger audiences. Would this be fine for tween novels?
 

RonMF

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Hello and welcome, RonMF! Many congrats on the finished book! I like Query Tracker to get a list of agents, or Publishers Marketplace, which can give you an idea of who is actually selling in MG (though some agents don't report their sales, so it isn't completely accurate, and you do have to pay for PM). Once I have a list of names, I google around to find interviews and see who else they represent. MS Wishlist and other similar sites compile what different agents are looking for. Twitter is also good for getting a sense of agents' personalities and the work they like.

I assume you have a solid query? And a synopsis? Those are both good to have in hand before you get to the sending out phase.

SuperKate & Triceretops, thank you SO much for your replies. I do have a solid query that's been revised many times, and a synopsis. I was really inspired/guided by the info I found on QueryShark, and I had it reviewed by an author to make sure it was up to standard.

I just checked out MS Wishlist and was blown away. I've seen the Tumblr before, but not the website. There is SOOOO much good information on there. :e2cloud9: Wow. And I thought it was only for editors/agents, but it seems like hopeful authors are welcome to get info there, too. QueryTracker and PM are great ideas. I've been confused because I hear of some authors sending out queries in batches of 10-12 at a time and I think, "How did you get that many personalized, researched queries together so quickly???!!!"

I appreciate your replies. Thank you, and I look forward to many more posts!
 

suziquaif

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Hi Everybody. I hope I'm not pushing in here, but I would be interested to find out, in the world post Harry Potter, to what extent do authors believe that writing for children has changed ?

I co wrote a 40K piece with my 12 year old son in 2002, aimed at children his age and above. The concept is the corruption of a perfect society of Teddy Bears. I chose Teddy Bears as they are perceived as innocence. Its basically a morality tale about good over evil and explores human frailty and the worst of human traits. The love child of Enid Blyton and Poe with a dash of Animal Farm. My son approved the plot, created the characters and his direction was 'please don't dumb it down'.

At the time I had it critiqued, but was told that it fell between markets, neither adult nor child and the concept of a Teddy Bear Society was beyond the bounds of suspended belief.

My children have now grown up and I've lost contact with childrens literature. Is dusting this concept off still a pointless exercise?

Many thanks
 

Stylo

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Hi Suzi, IMHO the concept sounds more middle grade, but without seeing it its hard to tell. The film 'Ted' was definitely adult, and that featured a teddy bear as its main character. I'd recommend checking a few contemporary teen books from the library and gauging the level yourself. I've written a teen book before and it proved a tough sell -- I got a lot of positive comments from editors but I think they struggled to pinpoint the market. If you enjoyed the experience of writing back then, perhaps give it another go, and write something brand new? Good luck!
 

suziquaif

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Hi Stylo. I saw 'Ted' the film on the hoardings - it made me smile.

I have heard that getting a foothold in the market in any product aimed at the children, both literature and the visual medias, is extremely difficult. Apparently storyboards for new childrens TV programmes are stacked high. None of them bad, according to Radio 4, but none of them quite right either.

I will take your advice and look more closely into what kids are reading today. I don't think I'd even heard of MG in 2002, it was either children of young adult.

The interests of children do seem to have become more sophisticated and there does seem to be fewer taboos and more exposure to the world at large. I will have to find out just how that inerprets into fiction writing. Whether I try my hand at childrens fiction again is certainly uncertain at the moment. It was massive fun to write at the time. Maybe there's a retro trend bubbling away in the backgrouind I could tap into when and if it emerges :)

Many thanks for your help.
 

LittleSimon

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Middle grade is fun, but my wordcount always ends up being way to high lol
 

Quiet Melody

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Middle grade is fun, but my wordcount always ends up being way to high lol


Yes, me too! I managed to get my 82k MG novel down to under 67k, but I don’t know what else to cut! I do want it to be shorter though to give me a better chance at landing an agent when it’s time to send it off.
 

Quiet Melody

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Not really a problem if you're writing fantasy. Plenty of MG fantasy novels are in the 80k range.

It’s not a fantasy. It is upper middle grade though, on the cusp of YA. So maybe I can get away with it? But I’m still going to see if I can trim it down some.
 

maghranimal

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It’s not a fantasy. It is upper middle grade though, on the cusp of YA. So maybe I can get away with it? But I’m still going to see if I can trim it down some.

You could maybe call it a "MG/YA crossover" when you query. I've seen that in query letters that've been successful in securing representation.
 

Foolster41

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(Well, I guess I'm back. I forgot I had an account here, and someone suggested I come back. )

I write what I've been told is more MG, and so I've been trying to aim more that direction (I didn't really have am age range in mind when I started writing them)

One, which I'm calling "Boy Between two worlds" or "Skin and Scales" is based on a world I spent a lot of time building the customs of, a race of lizardfolk, and more recently writing a story.

The story is about a human boy who moves to this lizardfolk country, and experiences the customs and tries to fit in, finding them strange. Perticularly the customs of clothing, or rather lack of as the sort of main plotline, with smaller "slice of life" conflicts and happenings between.

Another story tentively titled "Dawn Bird, Dusk Bird" is set in 1934 Seattle about a boy who's planning on running away to ride the rails East for work and adventure (and maybe meet his hero, a stage magician). But then a bird flies into his window and turns into a girl, and he has to help her get home and evade the clutches of an alchemist.
 

triceretops

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Welcome back, Foolster. I've been around but have not visited this thread. I totally quit my MG WIP about half way through the story because I had to put a hold on writing activity and start submitting my polished books. My agent has four of them and she is submitting them in kind of a stagger-like pattern--this will take a very long time. I have four myself, and I'm sending out to the largest independents and notifying agent of all or any activity. I did this because of time restraints and my critical health issues. I won't explain, but agent and I have been hard at work. I've also sold a book since then and I'm currently promoting the heck out of it. I haven't written a word in the MG since I was last here. I miss it. I have a feeling I'm going to send what I have to agent and have her take a look at it. I believe I really have something, something akin to the Narnia world. We'll see what happens.