Three Things I Wish I’d Known

Do you ever stare at one sentence until your eyes start watering? Have you had to read that one sentence a few times before the words carry less sting and begin to make more sense?

That happened to me when I opened a rejection email, skimmed the courtesy introduction part, and then reached the paragraph that started with

“I’m sorry to say I stopped reading after chapter 7.”

Ouch.

After I put some ice on my bruised ego, I decided to send the offending manuscript to some trusted reader partners.

I truly did want productive feedback. But in the dark, vain corner of my heart I sought validation. I knew my readers would review my work, love (nearly) every word, and validate  They’ll prove this agent wrong and my pride will be healed and I will send this gem back out into the world and so on and so forth and what have you.

Let me tell you what actually happened.

I got some comments back that changed the way I think about writing for middle grade. Here are the biggest three:

1) Quick starts are the best starts.

If you think you need to set the stage for eight- to twelve-year-old readers by filling the first three (or more) chapters with character and location descriptions, think again. Start in the middle of action or they will get b-o-r-e-d fast.

Think of your book as a swimming pool. Middle grade readers don’t want you to hold their hand and walk them through the shallows. Middle grade readers are eager to jump in to the action of your world. If you try to show them their way into it, they will leave. For example:

My old writing: Susie Queue was the shortest girl in her sixth grade class. She had chestnut hair and dark eyes that observed every envious look the other girls shot her way.

My new writing: Suzie stretched to retrieve her books from her top locker. She tried to ignore the girls giggling next to her and focus all her energy on not being late to class.

The first two sentences were passive, observational. We were told about Susie, but nothing really happened to pull us in. The second two sentences dropped us into action. We learned about Susie because of what she did. As she does more, we will learn more.

2) More pages, more problems (but in the best way).

Protagonists need problems to solve. If those problems are too simple, a middle grade reader at best will become bored and put the book down. At worst, they’ll get offended and tell their friends not to bother reading it because “it’s for little kids.”

Good stories have main characters who have something to gain and something to lose. Know what those are for your characters. Make sure in every scene you’re using them to move the story forward. When your characters are comfortable, your reader is probably bored.

3) Humor is your friend.

I wrote a protagonist who lost his parents, his sibling, his best friends and then his dog over the course of three chapters. It was an overly intense, emotional mess that nobody wanted to finish.

I realize that I just wrote about giving your protagonist high stake problems to solve. Keep doing that. Also, give your reader a little laugh occasionally to let them breathe. Think about the times in your life where you’ve been in a low place. Having a friend to make you smile gives you the energy and encouragement to keep going. Write that smile to give your readers the emotional breather so they are ready to turn the page.

What are some things you wish you had known when you began writing for middle grade? Anything you’re still curious about?

Kell McKinney earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in documentary studies from the University of North Texas. She’s a part-time copywriter, double-time mom and wife, and spends every free minute writing and/or hunting for her car keys. Connect with her on Twitter @Kell_McK or kellmckinney.com.