Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Cinderella

Today’s pick:  Cinderella (As If You Didn’t Already Know the Story) by Barbara Ensor

Random House, 2006

From Amazon:

I know, I know. You’ve heard the story a million times before. Mean stepmother. Lots of sweeping. Fancy ball. You remember. Or do you? Did you remember that Cinderella was such a nice girl—so smart and funny? You probably would’ve liked her. Did you know that “Cinderella” was just a nickname? And that her handsome prince loved Jell-o and was a wonderful dancer?

Readers will delight in following Cinderella through all the usual happenings, presented in a most unusual way. And they’ll finally see what becomes of her after she marries the prince. So maybe you should hear the story one last time. Because it’s actually way different than you might have thought. . . .

Kids who have outgrown picture books and are ready for something longer—but still love illustrated texts—will gravitate toward this Cinderella, which was an IRA-CBC Children's Choice selection. Black-and-white silhouettes of everything from the ugly stepsisters to Cinderella’s slipper (actual size) are intermingled with Cinderella’s letters to her recently deceased mother in this totally original package. And don't miss the companion book to this fairy-tale reboot: Thumbelina, Tiny Runaway Bride.

My Take: 

This retelling of the traditional Cinderella story was fun to read. I agree with the cover which calls it “a quick read for smart girls”. I enjoyed the letters to Cinderella’s (dead) mother and the silhouette illustrations that broke up the text. The story doesn’t differ much from the traditional version, although there are some modern elements. What makes it stand out is author’s voice. I’d recommend this as a younger middle grade read, though it’s fun for any age. Because it’s short and illustrated, it would be a good choice for a reluctant reader, too.

Other Info:

Barbara Ensor is an author and artist. She created the cut paper illustrations for her story.

On her blog she says, “Everything in my books is kind of like a sandwich between something I completely know and something I have completely made up.”

Other books by this author include:

Thumbelina: Tiny Runaway Bride


For more, check out Barbara Ensor’s website.

Looking for more MMGM? Check out these links:

Joanne Fritz

Shannon Messenger

Shannon O'Donnell

Myrna Foster

Ally Beecher

Barbara Watson

Deb Marshall

Anita Laydon Miller's Middle Grade Blog

Middle Grade Mafioso

Literary Rambles

Ms. Yingling Reads

Jennifer Rumberger

Pam Torres

The Accidental Novelist

G.S. Prendergast

Gina Carey

Laurisa White Reyes

Marshall and Emiline

Dorine White

Temre Beltz

Physical Description and Character

As I work on my novel revision, one of the things I'm trying to do is to create stronger characters. There are a lot of elements that go into this, but one of the things I noticed is that I have almost no physical descriptions of my characters in my writing (though I do have a lot of scenes showing physical reactions and what they are doing). Does it matter?

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne & King advises me to include only enough physical description to help readers picture a character. As a reader, I tend to agree. I actually don't like reading too much about a character's appearance. I find it easier to put myself in the character's shoes if I don't have to keep noticing our physical dissimilarities (or put effort into ignoring them). And since I write MG fiction, I'm always being careful not to include too much of any kind of description. For the tiny amount that I do include I'm thinking about:

1. Using other characters. I like having other characters refer to details about the main character (or another character). Of course, these details need to be blended in where they fit with the story, not mentioned just for the sake of mentioning them. (The cliched device of having the character looking in a mirror to describe herself springs to mind.)

2. Showing. The old show vs. tell comes up here again. It's easy to throw in an adjective to describe; much harder, but more effective, to show physical characteristics through what the character is doing or through reactions (e.g., brushing long hair out of their eyes to avoid answering a question).

3. Giving out details bit by bit. I try to avoid info dumps of any kind, including descriptive ones. As a reader, I like the way the character develops in my mind as a story moves along. Part of that is learning more about what they look like, or, even better, what is significant about the details of their appearance the author has chosen to include (e.g., their eyes are the same colour as their grandmother's).

4. Being specific. I figure that if I'm only mentioning a few physical details, they'd better be the most relevant ones. Something that will help readers remember my character and something that helps show their personality, without seeming too unnatural or contrived.

Do you have any tips for writing physical descriptions? How do they affect your reading?

Links:

I notice that The Bookshelf Muse has a great post on writing physical descriptions you might want to check out.

The Sharp Angle has some great advice and examples for describing physical appearance.

Darcy Pattison uses Chris Crutcher's Whale Talk to illustrate how to use interesting details to create characters.

Agent Mary Kole talks about character self-description, and you can find some great points discussed in the comments to the post.

F is for Fear: What Children's Writers Need to Know

Whether you write scary stories or you just want to create a strong emotional experience for your reader, your character is likely to be afraid or anxious at some point in your story. What do children’s writers need to know about fear?

Fears are different at different ages. The things that terrify a 5-year-old (e.g., loud noises, imaginary creatures) may be different than what scares an 8 to- 12-year old. Some common fears for middle grader readers include:

- nightmares or scary dreams

- violent weather, like tornados or hurricanes

- death

- war and terrorism

- speaking in front of a group

- someone breaking into the house

- being late for school or class

- divorce

Not all fears have the same intensity. Fearful reactions are linked to personality and past experiences. One kid might be only a little anxious about starting a new school while another might be really scared. Think about what past experiences your character might have had to create or develop the fear.

Fears can be unique. Even though some fears are common to many, some children have a specific, unusual fear that continues through childhood. For example, someone I know was afraid of automatic flush toilets for most of his childhood, after losing a coin in one as a young child.

Because everyone has experienced fear or anxiety at some point, including a character’s fears in your writing can help you connect with readers. Fear may also be a way to provide a flaw or problem your character needs to overcome, or to increase the tension in your story.   

Some tips for including fear:

Show fear through actions. Behaviour is a big giveaway to fear, but beware of too much emphasis on physical reactions (there are only so many times a character can feel their heart pounding). In the real world, we often gauge our reactions through how other people react. If your secondary or minor characters act afraid, that can add to the reader’s fear for the main character.

Choose details carefully. Over-describing a scene might actually take away from the scariness of an experience because nothing is left for the reader to imagine. A little fearfulness can go a long way.

Add surprises and twists. Scary things sometimes burst out at us (like in a haunted house) or come at a moment when they aren’t expected.

Suspense. A slow build up of tension can create a feeling of “on the edge of your seat” or shared fear with the character. If you know the character is afraid of something, but not when he will encounter it, that can create suspense in a story.

Be clear on your purpose. Although parents often look for books to help children cope with fears, it’s an entirely different thing to create a story with fearful events for the purpose of entertainment. Readers of middle grade books may be looking for the thrill of reading something scary. Or maybe just to relate to a character because they share the same emotional experiences.

Have you read any good books where the writer has used fear effectively as an element in the story? Or, do you have any tips to share on using fear?

Links:

*As usual, if you know of any good links on this topic that would be helpful to writers, let me know in the comments and I’ll add them to this list of resources.

Teresa Frohock has some tips on Writing Creepy for Kids Without Scarring Them for Life

Sara Todd gives us some strategies for writing horror for kids.

Over at Paranormal Point of View, Lisa Gail Green gives us some ideas for how to create fear in the minds of readers.

At the Bookshelf Muse, Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi have a comprehensive list of ways to describe fear in their Emotion Thesaurus.

For a list of some scary middle grade books, check out Stacy Whitman’s Grimoire – Scary Middle Grade Books.

And, for some background info on real kids:

At Kids Health, kids talk about feeling scared.

At Anxiety Care, there’s lots of info on kids fears and phobias.

Scholastic.com tells us some of the biggest fears for kids starting middle school.

If you’re struggling with the issue of whether to include something scary in your novel, Jennifer Neilsen of From the Mixed Up Files writes about whether scary stories are okay for children.

Do You Need Backstory in Middle Grade Novels?

When you’re writing for middle grade readers, you need to keep the story moving. Backstory, or information about the background or history of characters and objects, can create an info dump that stops the action of the story, or at least slows it to a snail-like crawl.

Does that mean backstory is a no-no for middle grade novels?

I think you’d have a hard time finding a novel without any backstory at all. As middle grade writer Laura Pauling points out, we need backstory for helping to create characters with depth.

Knowing some background about a character can help develop a character’s motivation (e.g., Harry Potter’s backstory of surviving Voldemort’s attack as an infant). And knowing what a character has gone through in the past can sometimes help us feel more emotionally connected to characters. So the trick is to somehow include the backstory so that it doesn’t get in the way of the real here and now story of the novel.

Some strategies:

Weave it in gradually. This is the most common tip I see in articles about backstory. Avoid an info dump by giving key details about the character’s past in small pieces, rather than a long explanation.

Make sure it’s necessary. I think it’s so important to only include backstory where and when it’s needed.

Like other elements of your story, it has to be something that the reader really needs to know at that particular point in the story. Maybe it will keep the reader from being confused. Or maybe it shows why the character has made a decision. If it doesn’t have a purpose that helps move the story along, you might not need it. A lot of advice I’ve read (including Donald Maass) says not to include backstory at the beginning, when you’re trying to hook your reader.

Use only a little. Keep your backstory brief and to the point. (Remember, the Harry Potter novels, which at times seem to be built on backstory, are exceptions.)

Make it interesting or make it quick. If you are including some backstory and have found a natural place to bring it into your story, there are different ways to fold it in. You could just directly state it and quickly move on. Or you might bring it in through a brief memory, especially if you’re trying to develop an emotional connection to your reader. Flashbacks could be another way, but I don’t see those often in books for middle grade readers (they can be confusing).

Including backstory through dialogue is one way people try to avoid the “show not tell’ problem, but as author Elana Johnson says, this can be really awkward and unnatural sounding.

How much do you rely on backstory? Do you have any tips to share?

Links:

*As always, if you know of any great posts on backstory, please let me know in the comments and I’ll add them here for our reference.

Elana Johnson, author of the YA novel, Possession, has some thoughts on using backstory for world building.

Laura Pauling’s take on backstory.

Becca Puglisi of The Bookshelf Muse gives us some strategies for using backstory in this guest post at Sherry's Fiction Writing Tools.

At Writing While the Rice Boils, Debbie Maxwell Allen has a series of 4 posts by Randy Ingermanson that give us a thorough look at the topic of backstory.

Over at Literary Rambles, Casey McCormick posts a great tip on how much backstory to include from one of her blog readers, Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban.

Rachel Larow of Mommy Authors gives some tips on balancing backstory.

Literary Agent Rachelle Gardner gives advice on strategic ways to use backstory, especially in your novel opening.

Author Jody Hedlund weighs in on how much and when to use backstory.

Kristin Lamb on backstory as the 4th deadly sin of writing.

At the Query Tracker blog, Stina Lindenblatt talks about backstory.

Author Mary Carroll Moore talks about how backstory can help or hinder.

C is for Connecting to Readers

What makes you want to keep reading? Often, you feel a connection to a main character and his story so you care about what happens to him. How can writers create that connection?

Give your character a personality. A strong main character can often make me stick with a story, even if I don’t like what’s happening or the writing style. Notice that a strong character doesn’t have to be likeable, though I think 8- to 12-year-olds relate better to a character that has at least a few likeable qualities. But there has to be some reason why I want to see what happens to them, why I care to read their story. Sometimes, the reason might be simply that I see the character has the potential to change and I want to see if she does.

Use character voice. When the viewpoint character has a unique voice, it helps to create a sense that the character is real. But I think it’s important not to try too hard to play up the voice, because you can end up with forced writing that sounds like an adult trying to be a kid. Instead, tap into the character by getting to know them. Construct your character in the reader’s mind through showing how he acts and how he thinks. That’s when the character’s voice will emerge.

Add some shared interests. One of the reasons why you connect well with friends is because you have something to share—the same school, the same life goals, the same hobbies or interests. That's a good starting point for connecting to readers too. Make sure your story includes interests or hobbies that are relevant to middle-grade readers, then take it up a notch by adding a twist. Use things kids know about, like school and family, and add in something else that piques their curiosity, like dogsledding (Dogsled Dreams by Terry Lynn Johnson), having a zookeeper parent (Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs) or figureskating (Sugar and Ice by Kate Messner). Think: What would it be like to….?

Ultimately, you can’t predict whether a reader will connect with your story and characters. Not everyone wants to read every story. But if you can make the reader feel something for your character, chances are he’ll want to keep reading to see what happens next.

What do you do to help readers connect to your stories?

Links:

(*If you know of any other great articles on this subject, let me know and I’ll add them for our reference)

Lydia Sharp writes about how to connect with your reader.

Janice Hardy, author of The Healing Wars trilogy for MG readers, gives us strategies for creating characters that readers will care about.

Author Elana Johnson talks about the first thing a book needs — a character the reader can connect with. 

Tabitha Bird argues that connecting with the book you want to write is more important than connecting with readers.

Lucy Marsen at From the Write Angle writes about how slowing down can help you create connections with characters.

W is for Words: Choosing Right for Writing Middle Grade

Every writer knows how important it is to get the words right. The words you choose reflect the voice of your character and allow your reader to slip seamlessly into your story. Awkward wording, too many clichés, or word choices that don’t fit with the viewpoint character’s style can pull the reader away from the story.

Consistency. Choosing words to create a consistent tone or style is important. You can create a jarring effect by having adult characters use kid language, or by having kids use the wrong type of slang for the time period. Or even worse, to use slang inappropriately, showing that you are adult trying to sound like a kid.

Descriptions. The words you choose for making comparisons or creating imagery also need to resonate with your readers. That means it’s important to try to think the way kids think and notice what they notice.

These examples from the novel I’m reading now, Flutter by Erin E. Moulton, show how the author has chosen kid-friendly words: “whistley breath”, “frosting that I can lick off the tips of my fingers”, and “spilling a gob of seeds across the kitchen table”.

Vocabulary level. One worry for children’s writers is that the vocabulary or word level is right for different grade levels. I always think that for middle grade, if I’m using mostly words I’d use in ordinary conversation, then they will sound natural and be accessible to my readers.

But some writers are skilled at using a richer vocabulary, as in Lisa Yee’s Millicent Min, Girl Genius. The words you choose need to fit with your viewpoint character. The phrase “I appreciate the intellectual strategies some games involve” wouldn’t work in all middle grade novels, but it’s completely in character for Millicent.

How do you make sure your word choices are right for your novel?

A few fun sites to help you find the right word:

Accents – Here’s some help for getting accents right.

Metaphor – Ideas for common metaphors by category.

Onomaotpoeia or words that make noise
More words that make noise

Rhymes – This unique dictionary allows you to type in any word and it will generate a rhyme.

Slang - A unique dictionary to help make sure you've gotten the slang right.

TextMessage Lingo

Thesaurus Collections - A great online thesaurus collection for writers that includes ideas for describing emotions, settings, colours, textures and shapes, symbolism, weather and character traits from The Bookshelf Muse  

Urban Dictionary

Links:
YA author Vahini Naidoo talks about how choosing the right words helps you convey the voice and mood of the viewpoint character.

At Project Mayhem, Michael Winchell discusses vocabulary in middle grade novels.

Kid-lit agent Mary Kole discusses word choice and how it affects voice and interiority on her blog, and especially interesting are her workshop examples on snippets of reader submissions. Try Workshop #6 for some insights on word choice.

V is for Voice: It Might Sell Your MG Novel

Voice is tricky to define, and even trickier to pin down when you’re writing. But editors and agents often say one of the key things they look for in a manuscript is a strong or unique voice. What does that mean?

Voice has been defined as the specific way that you, the writer, put words together so that your writing shows some personality. In novels where the narrator has a strong voice, the writing sounds natural. As a reader, you don’t notice that you’re reading words on a page. You’re in the story and the mind of the main character.  And if that novel is a MG novel, the story sounds like it comes from a real kid, not an adult.

I know this sounds obvious, but if you’re not an eight- to-twelve-year-old yourself, it’s easy to write something you think sounds like MG, but actually doesn’t. How can you develop your middle grade voice?

Think like a kid as you write. When you’re writing, you really need to see the world of the story and the story events through the eyes of a middle grade character. Kids and adults don’t notice the same kinds of things. They don’t talk the same way. They don’t react the same way. As much as you can, you need to take on that “kid perspective”.

Read middle grade fiction. One of my best tips for writing MG fiction is to read a lot of it. It gives you a feel for the language structures and style of speaking that 8- to-12-year-olds actually use. I know my own writing took a huge leap forward when I started reading more books written for the age level I’m actually writing.

Practice. I practice writing with a MG voice. I write about issues relevant to kids from my character’s point of view. Even if I don’t use my character’s opinions on whether they should be allowed to play more video games in my novel, I find that writing about them really helps to build that middle grade reader perspective.

What do you do to bring out your middle grade voice?

Links:

Anna Staniszewski writes on finding your middle grade voice.

At the SCBWI 2010 Conference blog, you’ll find some thoughts on voice from Jennifer Rees.

Here's a great post on voice from Notes from the Slushpile called Finding Your Voice: An SCBWI Master Class with Beverley Birch by Addy Farmer (added September 2011)

Miriam Forster has an interesting series of blog posts on voice, beginning with the difference between a writer’s voice and the character’s voice.

At Word Play, K.M. Weiland also discusses the differencebetween author voice and character voice.

Alexandra Sokoloff began a great discussion about voice with her blog post That Elusive Voice.

Lynda R. Young gives some strategies for developing a unique voice.

At MiG Writers, Debbie Ohi talks (and draws) about writers and voice.

Jeff Hirsch writes about a strategy for developing voice at The League of Extraordinary Writers.

At Let the Words Flow, Jennifer Fitzgerald writes about the struggle to get the right voice.

And at Writer Unboxed, Juliet Mallier tells some of her thought processes for choosing the right voice.

Shannon Whitney Messenger offers some tips for finding your character’s voice.

Over at The Bookshelf Muse, Becca posted a list of three good reasons why you should work on developing the voice of your novel and some tips for creating a strong character voice.

For more tips and links on developing voice, visit Adventures in Children’s Publishing.

T is for Transitions: Avoid Confusing Middle Grade Readers

There are lots of places in a novel where you need to include information about a change in location, a change in time (e.g. it’s now two days later), or a change from one plot event to another. These connecting parts need to blend in or they can interrupt the flow of the story.

If you’re writing MG, transitions can be tricky.

Too much detail. If takes too long to explain how your character got from one place to another, or that it’s now the next day, you risk losing your reader’s interest. Sometimes, it’s best just to quickly tell the reader, rather than drawing out the movement by showing through actions. But at the same time, you don’t want to tell the reader too much. Long drawn out transitions can slow down the pace of the story. Some questions to ask yourself: Does the reader really need to know this? Does it matter to the story?

Too fast. A quick change of scene or time might easily confuse a MG reader. Make sure you have enough information to orient the reader, so they know where the character is in your scene. You can prepare the reader for a change in place or event in the last line of a chapter or paragraph. This allows anticipation of what might be coming next. Some questions to ask: Does the reader know where my character is? What do they need to know for this to make sense?

The key is to strike a balance between giving information while not slowing down or pulling the reader out of the story. Here are a few tips:

Make them natural. The transitions I use mostly fit in logically with what is happening in the story. For example, if your character doesn’t usually notice the way the light falls on the trees, then using that detail to show a transition will seem awkward or stick out to the reader.

Use sensory details. One effective way to signal a change is through a character noticing a different sensation, e.g. a change in light to signal the time of day, an unusual smell when walking into a new place.

Watch for repetition. Words signalling a transition can easily become overused in your story. Some examples:  “Suddenly”, “All at once”, “Then”, “Next”, and “But”.  

For more ideas, check out some of the great articles in the links below. Do you have any tips for how to create effective transitions?

Links:
*If you know of any other resources on this topic, let me know and I'll add the link.

Janice Hardy, author of the MG novel Shifter, blogs about why transitions are important and where your novel needs them, as well as some great tips for making transitions seamless.

In a guest post at Robin Lucas’ blog, Angela Ackerman from The Bookshelf Muse gives us strategies for helping writing flow from scene to scene.

Lydia Sharp gives some pointers on ways to show the passing of time.

Over at Mystery Writing is Murder, Elizabeth Craig and Riley Adams talk about some of the problems with writing transitions.

Allison Valentine Schrier shows us two ways of writing transitions, using examples.

P.C. Wrede, author of the middle grade novel Thirteenth Child, part of the Frontier Magic series, discusses jump-cut and narrative transitions.

Juliette Wade provides a few tips on using transitions to keep the story moving forward.

S is for Stereotypes: Are Your Characters Really Unique?

When we’re creating characters, one of the things we’re told to watch out for is stereotypes—simple, commonly held perceptions of people, like "smart kids are geeks". A few examples of stereotypes you might come across in MG novels:

The evil step-mother. Why is it always the step-mother who is a monster? It’s been done to death by Disney.

The smart older sister (or friend who’s a girl). You can’t top Hermione, so why not make your female characters stand out for another reason?

Teachers who get on a kid’s case because they haven’t done their homework. Believe it or not, teachers are not always cracking the whip. Is there another way you could show a teacher?

Girls with red hair. As the mother of a redhead, I know this hair colour is definitely not as common in real life as it is in novels.

And the list goes on. What’s so bad about stereotyped characters? They can come across as flat and dull because the reader has already met that type of character in other stories. Relying on a stereotype for a character can leave out interesting quirks, mannerisms, and personality traits that add depth and realism. If a character is too much of a cliché, it might be hard to connect with their problems.

Avoiding character stereotypes can sometimes be a challenge. Here are some ideas that might help:

Brainstorm. In the same way that you might not use the first idea you come across for your plot twist, don't settle for the first personality trait that comes to mind when you're creating a character. You could be choosing a stereotype.

Think about reader expectations. Are you writing about a hero or a princess? What does your reader expect? Change it up by adding an unexpected personality trait or hobby. Instead of the smart older sister, make it an older brother. A brunette. Try to create the opposite of what you’ve been seeing a lot of in your reading.

Use point of view. Remember that characters are seen through the eyes of your point of view character. Maybe your narrator sees the world in stereotypes. If not, the details your narrator notices can help to make your characters seem more real, and less like a stereotype.

Should you always try to get rid of stereotypes? Maybe not. Including a stereotyped character in a MG novel might sometimes be useful.

Short cuts to understanding. If your readers are familiar with “kindly old grandfather” they can make a quick connection between the book and their background knowledge. This can sometimes serve as a “short cut” that eliminates a lot of explanation. Or, it can serve as a starting point for developing a unique character when the story takes the character beyond the stereotype.

Adding humor. Intentional use of a stereotype can be a way to add some fun into your story. The stereotyped character can be exaggerated, giving the reader a chance to poke some fun.

Do you try to avoid stereotypes when creating your characters? If so, how do you make sure your characters are unique?

Links: *As always, let me know if you find a great article on this subject to add for our reference.

At Buried In the SlushPile, read about how seemingly unimportant details can lead to stereotyped characters.

Writing tips for avoiding stereotypes by Matthew Arnold Stern.

Over at The Character Therapist, Jeannie Campbell posts about ways to rejuvenate character stereotypes, for example, The Tomboy.

Janice Hardy discusses how to avoid stereotyping whenwriting characters of a different gender than your own.

Susan Kaye Quinn of Ink Spells writes about moving past stereotypes in kid lit and gives us a look at a teen’s perspective on stereotyping in YA novels.

Blogger and book reviewer Meg talks about stereotyped highschools in YA novels and gives us the real life scoop.

Are boys stereotyped in MG and YA books? Hannah Moskowitz gives us one perspective.

Julia Daines writes with humor about how stereotypes can be useful.

R is for Rules: Creating Tension for MG Readers

If you write middle grade fiction, it helps to have a good picture of the life of a nine- to twelve year old. One big part of that life is rules. There are rules for home, rules for school, rules for friend’s houses, rules for sports, rules for games…Everywhere they go, kids have to follow rules.

Explicit rules. There are rules that kids hear around them all the time, like “Homework before computer” or “No talking during the quiz” or “No friends over when a parent’s not home.”

Implicit rules. Some of the “rules” kids follow might not be stated but are learned from the reactions of other kids in social situations, for example, “rules” about how to dress or where to sit in the cafeteria.

What are some key things to know about rules if you’re writing MG?

Think hard about which and how many rules a character will break. Some kids might enjoy reading because the characters in books can escape some of the rules in their lives and do things the reader themselves might not be allowed to do.

On the other hand, parents are still a big part of the lives of middle grade readers and may still be helping to make choices about reading materials and book purchases. Characters that break too many rules might be frowned upon, or depending on what the rules are, push your book more towards YA.

Take a kid perspective. Adults have a totally different perspective on rules than kids do. Have you ever tried to explain your logic in making a certain rule only to see a blank stare from your child? Because adults and kids value different things, there are some rules that kids just don’t get (e.g. Why do I have to keep my room clean again?)

Kids use rules too. Because they are still figuring out how rules work and which ones apply to them, rules are big in kids lives. They care about whether other kids follow the rules in the games they play. They also compare rules and use them to try to influence parents (e.g. “Well, Sophie is allowed to….”)

Rules can be a great way to bring in some tension and conflict in MG novels. Think about your main character’s attitude towards rules. Do they try to break them, maybe in a creative way? Or grumble about them but mostly go along? Which rules bug them the most? Does your story world have any unusual rules?

Do your characters have any rules to follow? How have you used rules in your stories?

Books where following (or not following) rules creates tension:
*If you can think of any others, please let me know and I'll add them to the list.

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne
The Girl Who Owned a City by O.T. Nelson
The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau

Links:
Sorry, I couldn't find any on this topic. If you come across a related link, let me know and I'll add it for our reference.

Q is for Questions: Keep MG Readers Hooked

You probably ask yourself all kinds of questions as you develop and write your story. You might ask questions about:

Characters, to get to know them better (e.g. What does he look like? What does like to do for fun? What are his nervous habits?)

Wants, to develop motivation (e.g. What does the villain really want? Why does he need to stop the main character?)

Events and reactions, to develop plot (e.g. How does the reader want this to be solved? What else could happen?)

Something to keep in mind as you write is that readers ask questions too. You need to nurture that curiosity, both on a smaller, scene by scene scale and on a larger, whole book scale. The questions that pop into a reader’s mind keep them hooked on your story.

Big picture questions. Your story problem will generate questions for your reader that won’t be answered until they read the whole book, e.g.“Will the MC get what she wants/find a solution to that huge problem?”

In the moment questions. Other smaller questions emerge as stepping stones to keep the reader moving towards the solution, such as “How will the character get out of this situation?” Scenes that make the reader wonder, even about something small, can help to keep the reader interested.

These smaller questions often get answered in the next scene or next chapter, but the answers don’t need to be too obvious or easy. You want your reader to think, “Now what?” and make guesses about what might happen next before they find out what really does happen.

One way to know if a scene is working is to think about the kinds of questions that might come to mind as a reader. If there's nothing to wonder about, maybe the scene needs to be cut or revised.

Do you think about the questions a reader might have as they read?

Links:
*As always, if you know of any other useful links on this topic, let me know so I can add them to the list.

Janice Hardy discusses the importance of considering “why” as well as “what” in creating a story.

A.J. Hartley at Magical Words blogs about big questions that extend beyond the book.

Over at Cheryl's Musings, Cheryl Reifsnyder has an extensive list of questions you can ask yourself when creating villains.

And the Doubts Creep In...

I'm working on creating a "wow" ending for my MG novel. I actually haven't started changing any words, though that's my goal for today. As I tried to come up with alternative endings, I hit a road block. I began to doubt.

Maybe I'm putting too much pressure on myself because I want it to be good. Or maybe it's because I'm so close to the end, I really, really, want to get finished.

I think self-doubt is a writer's biggest enemy. Once it starts creeping in, it can snowball, until pretty soon you think your whole story is garbage. When I start feeling this way, my best solution is to go away from my story and do something totally not related to writing. Then the next day (or whenever) I can come back with a fresh perspective. So that's me today. Taking a chance on one of my endings, determined to make my story bigger and better.

How do you deal with your self-doubts?

P is for Parents: Dead or MIA

If you write or read middle grade books, you’ve probably heard about the “missing parent” phenomenon. That’s the situation where the parents of kids in middle grade novels are MIA: either dead (a Disney favourite), away on a trip, too busy to have any clue what their kids are up to, or out of the picture in some other creative way.

Why? Because in middle grade books, you want your main character (a kid) to solve the story problem.

Whether or not parent characters contribute the conflict or to the problem solving in the story, you still need to consider the parent-child relationship and how it affects your character. In the life of a ten- or eleven-year-old, parents are pretty important. Even if your main character is an orphan, not having parents will colour his experiences and emotional reactions (just look at Harry Potter).

Some things to consider about the role of parents in middle grade fiction:

Be consistent. If the parent is a workaholic, they should be a workaholic right from the start, not just conveniently when there needs to be an obstacle to the main character getting help.

Add some realism. Book parents sometimes come across as either being stereotypes (e.g. the deadbeat Dad in a divorce situation) or perfect (e.g. Mom always knows how to make the main character feel better). Like any other characters, parent characters have goals, emotions and flaws.

How do you deal with the parents in your novels? Any tips for creating realistic parent characters?

Books that include involved parents (*let me know if you have any more to add):

Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs (MG)
Sugar and Ice by Kate Messner (MG)
Ramona and her Father by Beverly Cleary (MG)
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A. S. King (YA)

Links:
*As always, if you know of any other great resources on this topic, let me know and I'll add them here.

For a humorous take on different ways parents are handled in YA novels (which also apply to MG) read Frankie Diane Mallis over at First Novels Club.

Anna Staniszewski discusses 4 different ways to deal with fictional parents.

In a guest post at Laura Pauling’s blog, Kate Messner author of Sugar and Ice talks about writing a story where parents don’t disappear.

Mary Kole discusses how family relationships are related to creating tension in MG or YA novels.

Robin Fevers has some thoughts on parents in children's fiction and meeting the needs of readers.

For different opinions and thoughts on this issue by other writers, check out the What to Do With Parents thread at Nathan Bransford’s forum.

More Links:

Tracy Marchini on the role of parents in middle grade and young adult fiction.

Reading Middle Grade: Two Great Examples

Last year, I noticed that my 100 book challenge was weighted more towards YA than MG, even though I write MG. So this year, I'm making more of an effort to read middle grade books. And I love it. (I also think it's helping me strengthen my writing, but that's a topic for another post).  I recently read two books that strike me as really great examples of MG.

Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve delighted me from the beginning. What kid wouldn't love to live on a farm with jewels in the garden, talking bugs and a treehouse-like room? Eleven-year-old Polly is friends with a plant and has a mystery to solve about her family farm. This is truly a story for children, not a teenaged story masquerading as one for kids. I'd describe it as magical (and not just because there is magic in the story).

Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs hooked me and I just had to keep reading. Again, it seemed like a kid's dream come true. Who wouldn't want to live at a zoo adventure park? Having a hippo at the centre of a mystery was unique. I also loved the fact that the main character's parents were in the story and actually part of solving the mystery at times, instead of too busy to notice what their son was up to (or dead).

Reading these books made me think about:

1)  how the setting can really become part of the story and help to bring it alive

2) the importance of having a really good story

Of course, good writing is important, but it was really the story that first captured my attention for both of these books. The authors made me curious about what would happen in the story, and what life was like for characters living in these settings.

F is for Firsts

Although it may seem like “firsts” are prime subjects for picture or chapter books (think losing a first tooth or going to school for the first time), there is plenty of scope for “first time” experiences in middle grade books too.

Do you remember your first dive into a swimming pool? The first time you walked to school alone with a friend? The first time you stayed home alone? Likely, those experiences happened during your middle grade years. Writing about a "first experience" and how your character feels about it offers a great opportunity for character development. Here are a few ideas I came up with:

- first sleep-over
- first time staying at sleep away camp
- first trip to ________________(fill-in-the-blank!)
- first ride on a roller coaster
- first day of middle school
- first time wearing braces
- first pet you are completely responsible for
- first time baking or cooking independently
- first time staying home alone
- first crush
- first time playing laser tag

Some of these "firsts" are easy to think up, because as adults, we recognize or remember the significance of the experiences in our own lives. But there are a couple of things to remember when digging into the past:

1. Firsts that are significant to middle graders may not always be something we adults think of as being significant. For example, my 11-year-old came home all excited the other day because she'd learned a new rule for drawing portraits. Even though I know she likes to draw, I never would've seen that coming.

2. Times have changed. What may have been significant to you as a middle grader may need to be updated. Money is a good example of this. When I was a kid, it was a big deal to see a $5 or $10 dollar bill. Now it might be a $20 or a $50.

3. What makes a "first" significant is the emotions that go along with the experience. And that's what makes a "first" good material for your writing.

4. Adding a "first experience" may be a chance to showcase a character's unusual or interesting hobby. For example, the first time your character finds a whole sand dollar to add to his seashell collection.


Links:

Cheryl Reif writes about the joys of firsts.

At her blog Writing Like Crazy, Maribeth Graham discusses how to add a unique element to your story through using your own experiences in your writing.

While these next two are more oriented towards YA, it might be useful to check them out to see what might be too mature for an MG novel (beyond the obvious sex, drugs or alcohol):

Over at Magical Words, Carrie Ryan writes about teen firsts and their emotional impact, and why she's made a conscious decision to write YA.

From a parenting perspective, here are some thoughts on firsts for tweens and teens.

Have you ever used a "first experience" in your writing? How did it strengthen your story?

C is for Characters

If you pick up a novel from any middle grade series, one of the first things you’ll notice is that it has a strong main character. With so many things competing for a middle grader’s attention, your reader needs to start becoming attached to your main character right from the beginning of the story.

How can you create a character that your readers will care about?

Get the age right. How old should your main character be? In most middle grade novels, the main character is slightly older than the target age group – around 13 for upper middle grade, maybe 11 or 12 for younger middle grade. But just stating their age in your story isn’t enough. Your character needs to have the perspective of a middle grader. This is so hard to do. As an adult, there are lots of things you know that a middle grader wouldn’t. The way a middle grader thinks and how he or she solves a problem is going to be different than the way an adult would.

Think about their interests. What does your character really love? If they have a passion for something, that can fire up a passion in your reader, too. It’s like sharing an interest with a good friend. You both like spaceships or trying on makeup. Did I say spaceships? Well, we’re talking about middle graders here, so their interests are the ones you need to tap into. This is also the age where there really starts to be a distinction between “boy books” and “girl books”.

Be choosy about details. Middle grade readers don’t want to read too much detail, they want to find out what happens. And the details that do you do include about a character should be specific. Like a unique hobby or interest. Is hair and eye colour important? Maybe, if it's something your character is proud of or hates about themselves. Sometimes character details are things you need to know to create the character, but don't necessarily need to be included in your novel.

Some of the best advice I’ve gotten about creating character comes from The Plot Thickens: 8 Ways to Bring Fiction to Life by Noah Lukeman. He suggests that creating a character doesn’t stop at generating a list of characteristics and traits. A key step is to go further and think about how these characteristics will affect the plot of the story.

Links:

Creating Compelling Characters by Jodie Renner over at the Blood Red Pencil.

Seven Ways to Develop Compelling Characters, notes from Gail Carson Levine's keynote speech at the 2010 SCBWI conference in LA, by Ingrid Sundberg of Ingrid's Notes.

How to Avoid Creating Plastic Characters by Jody Hedlund at her blog.

A whole slew of links to great posts about creating character in The Best of the Best: Character, Plot, Dialogue and Structure from Adventures in Children's Publishing.

MG. vs YA Characters by Beth Revis gives us an interesting take on what lies under the surface in middle grade and YA characters, and what makes them compelling.

Do you have any tips for bringing characters alive for middle grade readers?

B is for Birthday

As a writer of middle grade fiction, do you need to think about your character's birthday? Definitely. Birthdays are hugely important to kids. This is especially true between the ages of 8 and 12, when kids start to think more about planning parties and who might be invited. Kids in this age group may have themed parties, e.g. animals, Harry Potter, or go on a special outing, e.g. bowling, cooking class, laser tag.

Even if you aren't including a birthday party in your story, thinking about when and how your character celebrates their birthday can help you to develop their personality. Some ways birthdays may be significant:

1. A important life event may occur when your character becomes a specific age. Think about about family traditions -- when you got your first watch or were allowed to stay up later. Or how characters may develop special talents or powers at a given age. Characters may dream or talk about what they will be able to do, once they get to that next age.

2. Birthdays are a rich source of conflict or power. Kids may say "I’m not going to invite you to my birthday” to be hurtful or when they are feeling hurt. Or they might tell a friend "I'm not going to come if you have a _______ party" as a way to show power.

3. Birthdays reveal something about a character's relationship with their parents. For example, a kid may ask their parents to invite kids they barely know, just to get more presents. Or they might bargain for not having a party if they can have a bigger gift.

4. Birthday gifts can help reveal attitudes and emotions. What does your character want for their birthday? Something big and expensive or small and meaningful? How do they act when they receive something different than what they wanted?

There are many books where birthdays are significant or the beginning of something new in a character's life. A few examples:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Faires and the Quest for Neverland by Gail Carson Levine
The Indian and the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
Savvy by Ingrid Law

Links:

If you want to include some birthday party details in your story, this site might give you some ideas:
http://www.birthdaypartyideas.com/html/party_ideas.html

Has thinking about a character's birthday helped your writing?

A is for Attention

Writers of children’s fiction are told over and over about how kids have short attention spans. If they don’t get hooked on your story or characters right away, they’ll put down the book and move on to something more exciting, like their latest video game.

This is definitely true. But I think it’s also true that if kids are interested in something, they can spend hours doing it. Think about all the time they spend building Lego structures, hunting for bugs, or imagining they are in the world of Harry Potter.

How can you get your story to be that engaging? Here are some ideas:

1. Include a strong main character. Your readers want to identify with your character. They want to be inside the character’s head, helping them make decisions.

2. Keep the story moving. Things that kids do for long periods of time are usually active. In writing, that means your characters need to be doing things. Something always needs to be happening. Use active words, dialogue and only small amounts of description.

3. Create problems to solve. Ever watch kids playing? They are curious and love to discover new things. Building, imagining, or even playing a video game allows them to use their skills and creativity. Good stories do that too. If new sections or chapters bring something new to the story, like a new twist, a new problem, or a new idea, readers will stay with the story longer.

Links:

Over at the WriteOnCon site, a great article by J.S. Lewis called Writing For Middle Grade…Or, Welcome to Neverland highlights the way middle graders think and gives you tips for getting their attention.

Livia Blackburne at A Brain Scientist's Take on Writing writes about How to Get and Keep People's Attention using knowledge gaps and the element of surprise.

What's your best advice for coping with a short attention span?

What Do You Want From a Story Ending?

Now that I’m getting close to writing the ending of my first draft, doubts are starting to get in the way of my writing. The ending is tricky. What do I want it to do?

1. Achieve something significant for the main character. As one of my MG readers pointed out, “The mystery should be solved.” Even if there isn’t a mystery, feelings of suspense and tension need to be released. Loose ends need to be wrapped up.

2. Make sense. The solution shouldn’t come entirely out of the blue. For me, this means the main character needs to have a key role in resolving the problem.

3. Include something unexpected. Even though I want the ending to follow logically from previous story events, I don’t want it to be predictable.

4. Leave the reader feeling positive. I don’t think MG readers like stories that end with too many unresolved issues. Readers in this age group like to have something good happen to the main character at the end.

What do you want from your ending?

Quick Writing Link: The Ideal Middle Grade Reader

I loved this description of a middle grade reader from guest poster Suzanne Selfours over at Cynsations. It reminded me of why I love writing MG fiction. Like MG readers, I like to believe that everything (including mermaids, invisible creatures, books that talk) is possible in the world of stories. Occasionally, I do wonder if there is a monster lurking in the hallway late at night. And I'm wondering what my superpower is, since I'm sure I have one too.