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Mastering Middle Grade

Mastering Middle Grade
Three Tips for Middle Grade Historical Fiction Authors

I once asked New York Times bestselling author Melanie Benjamin her top tip for writing historical fiction. She gave…
May 16, 2021
Mastering Middle Grade
Getting Started on Instagram, part 2

Part one of this two-part article covered how to get started on Instagram. This second part explores growing your…
April 16, 2021
Mastering Middle Grade
Getting Started on Instagram Part 1: Sign Up, Bio, and Engaging Posts

Today’s authors must have a platform to market their books. In addition to a personal website, email lists, speaking…
March 28, 2021
Mastering Middle Grade
10 Epic Middle Grade Book Series

I read a ton of great middle grade series in 2020 and I’m excited to share just a few…
February 16, 2021
Mastering Middle Grade
New Year’s Writerly Goals

Happy 2021, my MG friends! Anyone else excited about having a fresh, clean, slate of months ahead in which…
January 16, 2021
Mastering Middle Grade
Ringing in the New with Great Resources

As we look ahead to a new year and a new opportunity to write and learn, I wanted to…
December 16, 2020
Mastering Middle Grade
Talking New Traditional Children’s Books with Chicken Scratch Books’ Kiri Jorgensen

As a writer, a teacher, and a SCBWI regional advisor, Kiri Jorgensen has observed an evolution in children’s publishing…
November 16, 2020
Mastering Middle Grade
Ten Ways to Be a Great Critique Partner

It cannot be overstated: Critique groups are vital for writers. The critique group is to a writer what coaches…
October 16, 2020
Mastering Middle Grade
Middle Grade Goes Back to School

Ready or not, September means it is time for heading back to school. As an adult, the phrase “back…
September 16, 2020
Mastering Middle Grade
Write Like a Kid

When your critique partners tell you (more than once) your middle grade fiction sounds too adult, how do you…
August 16, 2020
Mastering Middle Grade
Mentor Texts for Authors

I love having family and friends who teach at elementary schools for lots of reasons, but especially because of…
July 16, 2020
Mastering Middle Grade
The Benefits of Oatmeal Brain

I don’t know if this happens to you, but when stress piles up in my life, my body starts…
June 16, 2020
Mastering Middle Grade
Real talk: When to submit your manuscript

Writing a book is the literary exercise equivalent of taking a cross-country road trip. No matter how beautiful the…
May 16, 2020
Mastering Middle Grade
A Conversation with Rebecca Balcárcel

I had the privilege of meeting award-winning children’s author Rebecca Balcárcel through my local chapter of the Society for…
April 16, 2020
Mastering Middle Grade
CHECKING in with YOU

This blog has been such fun. I’ve truly enjoyed writing it, reading what others on A3 wrote, and occasionally…
March 16, 2020
Mastering Middle Grade
My Fifth Anniversary

As an adult, writing has been a mainstay of my professional career. I majored in journalism, interned at newspapers,…
February 16, 2020
Mastering Middle Grade
New Year, New Goals

It’s a brand new year. That means a new start to achieving new goals and a fresh clean slate…
January 16, 2020
Mastering Middle Grade
The Six Reads of Middle Grade Christmas

One of the things I love most about writing for young readers is reading books written for middle grade…
December 16, 2019
Mastering Middle Grade
Writer, Educate Thyself

Last month we talked about the basic steps involved in getting your manuscript ready for submission. This month, I…
November 16, 2019
Mastering Middle Grade
You Wrote a Middle Grade Book. Now What?

You had an idea. You wrote. You slept. You wrote some more. You edited. You cried. (Just me? Oh.…
October 16, 2019
Mastering Middle Grade
My Fall TBR List

I may ruffle a few feathers here, but my favorite thing about fall is NOT pumpkin spice. My favorite…
September 16, 2019
Mastering Middle Grade
Doing the Next Right Thing

Once upon a time, during what feels like another lifetime ago, I took my masters’ of science in documentary…
August 16, 2019
Mastering Middle Grade
In Which We Use Memes to Represent the Writing Process

We all know what a distraction the internet can be for a writer. In the space of a split-second,…
July 16, 2019
Mastering Middle Grade
Staying the Course – Interview with Author KA Cummins

As an occasional reader of speculative fiction, I had seen the name KA Cummins in Havok Magazine. She is…
June 16, 2019
Mastering Middle Grade
An Interview with Katie Carringer Baker

Many aspiring authors hope to write a successful series, but our author interviewee for this month is living the…
May 16, 2019