by Penny Lockwood

1. Do start by reading middle grade fiction written by other authors.  Be sure to read both those which have won awards as well as those with poor reviews.  Look at the differences to determine what makes one book a winner, while the other is only mediocre.

2. Don’t be afraid tackle difficult subject matter. Young people today are very savvy about what’s going on in the world.  Middle-grade fiction can include content on lying, bullying, jealousy, sibling rivalry, divorce, peer pressure, drug abuse, domestic violence, and suicide. These are all subjects many kids have had to deal with either directly or with family members, friends, or classmates.  Just be sure to deal with these subjects in an appropriate manner.

3. Do make your characters slightly older than your targeted audience. Kids like to read about other kids a year or two older than they are. When I taught a writing class to 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th grade students, I was always surprised by how old the characters were in the stories they chose to write. Growing up intrigues this age group.

4. Don’t preach to your readers or talk down to them. They aren’t toddlers or preschoolers. These are kids who know a lot about the world they live in and are exposed to so much through television and the Internet. Treat them as they want to be treated.

5. Do create three-dimensional characters. Know what your character looks like: keep a descriptive page handy so your character doesn’t have red hair in chapter one and brown in chapter five. Know what they’re good at: keep a list so you’ll know if you’re character is a computer whiz or can hit a baseball to outer field. Know what flaws your character has: make a chart listing things like easily angered, a poor student, too thin or overweight, etc.  Know what quirks your character has: list things like a stutter, eye rubbing if she’s tired, allergies which make him sneeze, an eye twitch, etc.

6. Don’t forget to use the five senses: sight, smell, hear, taste, and touch. Bring your story to life with vivid descriptions: enticing aromas or horrific odors, owls hooting or cars crashing, Mom’s yummy spaghetti cooking or the moldy sandwich the homeless guy pulls from the trash, and the soft velvet fur of a puppy or the slimy trail of a slug.

7. Do inject humor into your story, even those dealing with difficult topics. For example in Ghost for Rent, while our characters are adjusting to the fact their parents are separating, my main character’s brother teases her by putting fake spiders in her sandwich and fake worms down her back. 

8. Don’t leave your characters hanging.  Move your story forward by creating obstacles for your characters to solve by themselves, without an adult’s help, and be sure they solve those problems by the end of the story.

9. Do spend time with children in your targeted age group.  Listen to their conversations. Observe their clothes and their behaviors. Without this first-hand information, it will be difficult for you to create a story and characters to which your readers will relate. Even if you don’t have children in your immediate circle, volunteer at a school, community center, church, or scout group.

10. Don’t ignore guidelines.  After your story is completed do a search for publishers who might be interested in your work. Check out their catalogs to see what kinds of books they are publishing. Read their submission guidelines carefully. They are there for a reason. If they want Times New Roman, font size 12, be sure that’s what you send to them. Edit your rough draft. Put it away. Edit it again. Ask unbiased people to read the manuscript and comment on it. Take their comments and make necessary adjustments. Let the manuscript sit for a week, then re-read it and make final edits. Be sure the manuscript is formatted to the specifications of the submissions’ guidelines and send it off.