All Things Middle Grade

PhilipCK

Registered
Joined
Feb 2, 2019
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Hi all, I am a MG writer and will definitely be looking for advice on how to fascinate that elusive age range!
 

triceretops

Banned
Flounced
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
14,060
Reaction score
2,755
Location
In a van down by the river
Website
guerrillawarfareforwriters.blogspot.com
It's worth saying that the MG writing crowd might be in a slightly better position since the semi-shut-down of the YA, which has been observed to be "saturated." I am seeing the YA category completely cut from some of the largest publishers and imprints. I've heard that this has opened up the gate for NA and MG. The proof will be in the pudding. Toothpaste, have you heard of any of this?
 

Toothpaste

THE RECKLESS RESCUE is out now!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 18, 2006
Messages
8,745
Reaction score
3,096
Location
Toronto, Canada
Website
www.adriennekress.com
I think MG is definitely hot right now. But there is a slight problem with that. Because it's hot suddenly YA authors are writing MG, adult authors are writing MG, everyone is trying out MG. The good news is I don't think everyone realises just how tricky writing MG can be. Capturing the voice is especially difficult and people sometimes don't respect the challenges as much as, I feel, they should. So yeah, them's my thoughts. Ultimately though, I don't feel like any of that matters. It's not about the competition or who else is doing what, it's about writing a compelling authentic MG. :)
 

owlion

Absorbing inspiration from the moon
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 8, 2010
Messages
2,475
Reaction score
2,376
Location
United Kingdom
I've been trying not to pay too much attention to the trends, but the fact YA is saturated and MG may well go the same way after a boom is worrying me, as I've only written for those age ranges so far. I decided to put my YA fantasy aside for a while to avoid it being rejected because of market saturation (I had a few agents saying they had YA fantasy fatigue while I was subbing it) and focus on MG, which I also love writing. Hopefully that market won't become saturated too.
 
Last edited:

t0dd

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 10, 2011
Messages
2,007
Reaction score
891
Count me as another who hopes the market for MG won't get saturated.
 

kujo_jotaro

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 10, 2019
Messages
251
Reaction score
133
Every genre in a lot of ways is 'oversaturated' really, isn't it?

You'll go mad worrying about stuff like that! I think if your work is deemed good enough it'll make it, regardless.

How's everyone enjoyed MG writing?

I used to write YA for a while but to be honest I found it a bit depressing after a while. Two years ago I decided I just wanted to write the most fun, wacky, adventurous space adventure I could possibly think of and went balls to the wall. Regardless of what happens with it, I really did enjoy writing it and felt like I really grew as a writer. Really love the humor in MG.
 

The Second Moon

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
3,391
Reaction score
347
Website
mimistromauthor.com
Every genre in a lot of ways is 'oversaturated' really, isn't it?


How's everyone enjoyed MG writing?

I used to write YA for a while but to be honest I found it a bit depressing after a while. Two years ago I decided I just wanted to write the most fun, wacky, adventurous space adventure I could possibly think of and went balls to the wall. Regardless of what happens with it, I really did enjoy writing it and felt like I really grew as a writer. Really love the humor in MG.

I LOVE MG humor as well. Honestly, I didn't set out to write MG, my characters made me. Now I can't write anything else. I just fell in love with the wackiness.

What's the wackiest thing in your book(s)? Mine would be a side character named, Baaston. He's the clone of the United State's president (not based on any real president), but there was a fluke in the cloning process and now he thinks he's a goat.
 

kujo_jotaro

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 10, 2019
Messages
251
Reaction score
133
I LOVE MG humor as well. Honestly, I didn't set out to write MG, my characters made me. Now I can't write anything else. I just fell in love with the wackiness.

What's the wackiest thing in your book(s)? Mine would be a side character named, Baaston. He's the clone of the United State's president (not based on any real president), but there was a fluke in the cloning process and now he thinks he's a goat.

Haha really? Does he have talking ability too or does he just make goat sounds? Nice to hear its not after the current president either. Feels like that has pretty much been the whole focus of the entire entertainment world for the last three years!

I guess for mine I'd say it's something called spirit shadows. A handful of characters in my novel who have a certain amount of 'spiritual energy' are able to make it manifest into a physical form and each one has a unique ability ie one demon-like one can stop time for a couple seconds while another pink owl with pink hearts for eyes can read thoughts just by making physical contact with someone. Named them all after my favorite songs like 'Final Countdown' and 'Before you GoGo'!
 

The Second Moon

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
3,391
Reaction score
347
Website
mimistromauthor.com
Haha really? Does he have talking ability too or does he just make goat sounds? Nice to hear its not after the current president either. Feels like that has pretty much been the whole focus of the entire entertainment world for the last three years!

I guess for mine I'd say it's something called spirit shadows. A handful of characters in my novel who have a certain amount of 'spiritual energy' are able to make it manifest into a physical form and each one has a unique ability ie one demon-like one can stop time for a couple seconds while another pink owl with pink hearts for eyes can read thoughts just by making physical contact with someone. Named them all after my favorite songs like 'Final Countdown' and 'Before you GoGo'!

Cool!

Baaston just makes goat sounds, but his inventor friend, learned how to speak goat, so he translates Baaston's bleats.
 

GeneBWell

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 28, 2016
Messages
186
Reaction score
55
Location
Indiana
I’ve been reading a lot of Japanese MG while I’m over here and I got to thinking it might be cool to do a review blog so English MG fans could see what kind of stuff is in the market here. Does that sound interesting? Also, if/when I make it could I make a thread about it here or would that be too much like shilling?
 

owlion

Absorbing inspiration from the moon
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 8, 2010
Messages
2,475
Reaction score
2,376
Location
United Kingdom
I’ve been reading a lot of Japanese MG while I’m over here and I got to thinking it might be cool to do a review blog so English MG fans could see what kind of stuff is in the market here. Does that sound interesting? Also, if/when I make it could I make a thread about it here or would that be too much like shilling?
I'd be interested in that :) Do you mean going over the plot/themes etc.?
 

kujo_jotaro

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 10, 2019
Messages
251
Reaction score
133
I'd definitely love to see that. Might wanna check with the admins whether a thread would be okay, just in case.

What's popular there at the moment? Do you know if any of it gets translated to English?
 

GeneBWell

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 28, 2016
Messages
186
Reaction score
55
Location
Indiana
I'd be interested in that :) Do you mean going over the plot/themes etc.?

Yes, that's what I was thinking. Also sort of a compare/contrast with the English MG I've read. I just want to give MG fans an idea of the kinds of stories and characters and themes that are happening in Japanese novels for kids and also introduce some interesting series that folks may never hear about otherwise.

I'd definitely love to see that. Might wanna check with the admins whether a thread would be okay, just in case.

What's popular there at the moment? Do you know if any of it gets translated to English?

Actually I see that there's a thread specifically for talking about MG blogs so I could probably just link it there.

It's hard to say exactly what's popular here, since most kids are just reading manga instead of books. There's still a good amount of kids' books being sold in stores, but I have no idea what sells well or not. I guess the only real way to tell is if a series gets its own manga or anime spinoffs but those happen with about the same frequency as MG movies (not completely 0 but very low compared to the number of series). Based on that rubric, I assume the 'Bokura' series is popular since it's about to get a new anime after already having a movie in the 80s and 90s. The series basically follows the hijinks of a group of middle school rascals, starting with them trying to create their own society, free of teachers and parents, at a construction site in the first book Bokura no Shichi nichi-kan sensou/Our 7-days War.

And of course there's always Uehashi Naoko, who is most likely the most popular fantasy author in Japan. Though her stuff appeals to folks of all ages I believe it's technically thought of as childrens' fantasy in Japan. Her Moribito series has been translated into English, as has her Beast Player Erin series. Both of which are absolutely amazing and everyone should read them, though I'm not sure how much traction they've gained in the West. Well, the Moribito series at least had a popular anime series that was even dubbed and shown on American cable for a while. Erin had an anime as well but it wasn't quite as popular.

Anyway I'm excited to share some insight into Japanese MG with everyone. I'll make sure to let folks know once the blog is up and readable.
 

owlion

Absorbing inspiration from the moon
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 8, 2010
Messages
2,475
Reaction score
2,376
Location
United Kingdom
Yes, that's what I was thinking. Also sort of a compare/contrast with the English MG I've read. I just want to give MG fans an idea of the kinds of stories and characters and themes that are happening in Japanese novels for kids and also introduce some interesting series that folks may never hear about otherwise.
That sounds interesting! :) It seems like there aren't many children's novels that get translated from Japanese to English for some reason.

And of course there's always Uehashi Naoko, who is most likely the most popular fantasy author in Japan. Though her stuff appeals to folks of all ages I believe it's technically thought of as childrens' fantasy in Japan. Her Moribito series has been translated into English, as has her Beast Player Erin series. Both of which are absolutely amazing and everyone should read them, though I'm not sure how much traction they've gained in the West. Well, the Moribito series at least had a popular anime series that was even dubbed and shown on American cable for a while. Erin had an anime as well but it wasn't quite as popular.
Oh, I actually picked up The Beast Player from my local bookshop a little while ago - it was good. I didn't realise it was part of a series!
 

kujo_jotaro

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 10, 2019
Messages
251
Reaction score
133
Thanks for the detailed info!

Just downloaded the first of the Moribito books that you recommended and looking forward to checking it out. Will keep an eye on the Bokura anime and see how it is. Hopefully they've done it faithfully if its as good as you think!
 

GeneBWell

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 28, 2016
Messages
186
Reaction score
55
Location
Indiana
One of the issues I've run into, though, is it's so hard to tell where a certain series starts! Most books like, say, the Our 7 Days' War series, will have information about the series order on the inside flap of the book. So you can at least tell what the first book of a given series is. What they don't tell you, however, is if that series is the first series in a given franchise. So I have two books now that I can't read yet because they're the first books of the SECOND SERIES in their particular meta-series and there's nothing to tell me that until I start reading and everyone already knows each other and there are footnotes saying 'check out our first adventures in this other series!'

So annoying!

Edit to add: Oh and just a note about the 7 Days' War anime; it's a sequel anime set 30 or so years after the events of the original book and I believe it's stand alone/original, not based off one of the novels.
 
Last edited:

Sage

Currently titleless
Staff member
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 15, 2005
Messages
64,524
Reaction score
22,214
Age
43
Location
Cheering you all on!

Sage

Currently titleless
Staff member
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 15, 2005
Messages
64,524
Reaction score
22,214
Age
43
Location
Cheering you all on!
Just a reminder that there’s one more week to go in the YA/MG spring writing contest.
 

Sage

Currently titleless
Staff member
Moderator
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Oct 15, 2005
Messages
64,524
Reaction score
22,214
Age
43
Location
Cheering you all on!
Deadline for the YA/MG Spring Writing Contest is the end of the day tomorrow. Odds of getting a prize right now: spectacular.
 

GeneBWell

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 28, 2016
Messages
186
Reaction score
55
Location
Indiana
I need some good comp title recommendations for my new MG idea. It's about a girl who finds a talking cat who says it's from Atlantis, and is now a part of the Society for Stopping Things from Sinking, which is made up of other ex-Atlantean critters. The tone is a sort of zany, sciency conspiracy thriller.

The Mysterious Benedict Society is probably one of my main inspirations as far as tone, so things in that vein would be much appreciated. Thanks!
 

Kjbartolotta

Potentially has/is dog
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 15, 2014
Messages
4,197
Reaction score
1,047
Location
Los Angeles
For zany conspiracy, you'd be hard-pressed IMHO to do better than The Secret Series by Pseudononymous Bosch. Gets some flack for being a Lemony clone, tho it has it's own totally unique sense of humor and kitsch and a surprising amount of effective, relatable tween angst. Also, I'm getting some (light) Artemis Fowl vibes, Colfer's sense of humor and adventure might be in your wheelhouse. Finally Cold Cereal by Adam Rex follows a ridiculously zany world-wide conspiracy involving cereal manufactures, hyper-intelligent magic children, King Arthur, and Ringo Starr. It gets more fantasy-related as the series continues, but is my gold star for readable MG featuring a truly bonkers secret conspiracy.
 

spoonlamp

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 25, 2020
Messages
57
Reaction score
2
Location
England, U.K.
I must admit, and I'm hoping I'm not alone here, I've started writing a story for "kids" based purely on my desire to write this story. I'm about one chapter in on a first pass, I have an outline for the book, and even an explanation which would easily lead to a series (if I ever manage to turn this into more than something I do when I can find the time).

My point is, I'm not aiming at a specific age group at this stage - I'm sure it'll all come out in the edit. If it ever were to get published, I'm happy to leave the labels to the marketers, or take advice from an editor.

Am I alone?? Am I crazy?!
 

The Second Moon

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
3,391
Reaction score
347
Website
mimistromauthor.com
I must admit, and I'm hoping I'm not alone here, I've started writing a story for "kids" based purely on my desire to write this story. I'm about one chapter in on a first pass, I have an outline for the book, and even an explanation which would easily lead to a series (if I ever manage to turn this into more than something I do when I can find the time).

My point is, I'm not aiming at a specific age group at this stage - I'm sure it'll all come out in the edit. If it ever were to get published, I'm happy to leave the labels to the marketers, or take advice from an editor.

Am I alone?? Am I crazy?!

You're not crazy. If a project of mine is MG that's because of how it came out on the paper. If a story is adult, that's just because of how it came out on paper.

My MG book, Barney and Mr. Thomas was supposed to be in the adult age range because I wanted to tell it from the adult's (Mr. Thomas) POV, too, as well as the kid's (Barney). Luckily the good people of AW helped me and I only went with the kid's POV. I think it would have been a disaster if it were adult.
 

Whitestone22

Registered
Joined
Sep 6, 2020
Messages
39
Reaction score
1
I'm writing a MG horror story. Also have plans for a series on under the radar humanitarians, intellectuals, and under appreciated significant Americans written for MG.