This is something I'm never really sure of. I've read many books and articles on what determines your story's potential audience, and still I'm uncertain in which age category some of my projects fall.
For example, in the MG novel I'm working on, I believe it's for ages 8-12 for the way I've written it, and how complex the writing is. But I've heard everything from it working for ages 7-10, to some who think it could make a nice picture book (If I cut it to ribbons, which I don't want to do).
Of course, I've read many books in the age group I'm writing for (8-12), and I'm finding the prose in some books are fairly simple, but powerful nonetheless.
But others are reasonably complex, and have an old-fashioned yet contemporary feel, which I'm finding is my style.
But this seems to have its problems because I end up wondering if I'm writing too far above my potential reader's comprehension.
On the one hand, I refuse to talk down to my readers, that'll naturally spell disaster. But I also don’t want my potential readers to throw my book at the wall because they don't understand what I wrote.
I'm concerned that if I make the story a chapter book, I'll have to sacrifice parts of the story, thus losing the richness and reasonable amount of complexity I want to convey.
I'm also petrified that I go for the YA set, that nagging suspension of disbelief will be too strong to overcome…
Any Ideas?
For example, in the MG novel I'm working on, I believe it's for ages 8-12 for the way I've written it, and how complex the writing is. But I've heard everything from it working for ages 7-10, to some who think it could make a nice picture book (If I cut it to ribbons, which I don't want to do).
Of course, I've read many books in the age group I'm writing for (8-12), and I'm finding the prose in some books are fairly simple, but powerful nonetheless.
But others are reasonably complex, and have an old-fashioned yet contemporary feel, which I'm finding is my style.
But this seems to have its problems because I end up wondering if I'm writing too far above my potential reader's comprehension.
On the one hand, I refuse to talk down to my readers, that'll naturally spell disaster. But I also don’t want my potential readers to throw my book at the wall because they don't understand what I wrote.
I'm concerned that if I make the story a chapter book, I'll have to sacrifice parts of the story, thus losing the richness and reasonable amount of complexity I want to convey.
I'm also petrified that I go for the YA set, that nagging suspension of disbelief will be too strong to overcome…
Any Ideas?
