Middle Grade Made Easy(er) | Kidlit Writing Craft Podcast

If you spend a lot of time worrying about how to write the perfect opening chapter for your middle-grade novel or whether you should end your chapters on a cliffhanger, then you're going to love writing in scenes! In this episode, we'll cover: the difference between scenes and chapters three reasons why it's best to write in a series of scenes rather than in chapters This episode is...

Word count may seem like the least of your concerns when you're thinking about writing a middle-grade novel. You've got story type, plot, theme, character development, pacing, and who knows what else to consider, right? But here's the thing: knowing industry-standard guidelines for the length of a middle-grade novel, and having a target word count in mind before you start drafting c...

You may have taken all the writing classes and read all the craft books on writing, and you may theoretically know everything you need to know to write your middle-grade novel, but if you have only managed the theory of writing without managing your mindset, you are going to encounter fear at some point .  And that fear will stop you from writing. So, what's the solution? In this podcast epis...

Books help kids make sense of the world through story, but they can only do that if the books they read have an underlying meaning to them . That's where theme comes in.  In this episode, we're going to look at how theme can help you write your novel , and create a story that will send kids on a journey in which they can fall in love with characters they care about and feel emotions they...

What's more important for your novel: great language or great story?   If you answered 'great story' , you've got it right!  While great language is important too, it won't carry your story idea through a full-length middle-grade novel and, by itself, it's not a story.  If you submit a novel to an agent without solid story structure, it will be rejected .  If you thin...

You have a great story idea but you don't know how to turn it into a fully developed middle-grade novel that publishers want to buy and readers will love. What to do? This episode on the ten universal story types will help you: identify your novel's story type find a way into your story get past your story's murky middle craft an effective character arc draft effective scenes and ev...

In this bonus episode, I will take the eight key questions we looked at in the last episode on how to get to know the ideal middle-grade reader for your novel, and apply them to Kate DiCamillo's middle-grade novel Because of Winn-Dixie .  This episode will show you what the process of fleshing out your ideal middle-grade reader looks like in action, and how it can connect your readers to your...

If you want to be the type of middle-grade writer who creates books with characters who feel like real people, and transports kids out of their own world into the imaginary one you have created in such a way that they lose themselves and actually feel some sort of grief when the book ends…  … then you need to start with understanding who middle-grade readers are, in general, and who the ideal read...

So, you want to write a middle-grade novel .  Maybe you have an idea that just won't let you be. Or maybe you've spent years writing picture books, and you'd like to try something different? But when you sit down in front of your computer … well, you don't quite know how to start .  That's why, in this episode, we're taking a deep dive into how reading like a writer w...

 Strong voice is important in all fiction, but it's vital in middle grade.  Why?  Because kids between 8 and 12, who are almost ready to leave early childhood behind and embark on big adventures, need a safe way to do so.  How do they do it?  Through the characters in middle-grade novels who are living the life they want to live. If your characters have strong voice, your book becomes memorab...

If you want to write middle-grade novels, you need to know what they are before you can put pen to paper. Knowing the guidelines will help you plot your story and write your book, and it will also increase your chances of being published. In this episode of Middle Grade Made Easy(er), we take a look at: What makes a chapter book What makes a young adult novel What makes a middle grade novel Where...

You've worked hard at creating an author newsletter, and you have some subscribers, but now the time has come to grow that list. How do you do that? How do you let more people know what you have to offer? This episode takes a look at ten simple, but effective, tips you can use to grow your list of subscribers and share your newsletter with more people. For show notes, transcripts and links me...

In simple terms, a freebie is a bonus that subscribers get from you when they sign up to your author newsletter. Should you offer one or doesn't it matter? In this episode, we'll look at:  three reasons why it’s a good idea to offer a freebie  the types of freebies you can create top tips for freebies For show notes, transcripts and links mentioned in the episode, visit my website You ca...

 The world is a busy place in which we're constantly bombarded by text messages, voice messages, phone calls, social media notifications and emails. There's only so much stimulation a nervous system can take! Many people are  filtering their sensory experiences to keep the noise out by toning down their time spent on social media or online. When you create an opt-in for your newsletter,...

"When should I send out my author newsletter?" That's one of the most frequently asked questions my children's authors ask. How do you know how often is too often and how much is not enough?  In this episode, we'll answer those questions by looking at: your subscribers your content your goal in writing a newsletter your statistics Bonus: When should you NOT send out a news...

Your voice is particular to you. It's a natural part of who you are. But a lot of authors find it difficult to access their voice and to decide on tone when writing their newsletter.  In this episode, we'll be taking a peek at: the difference between voice and tone why voice and tone are important  how to find your voice if it's gone missing how to choose the tone of your newsletter...

If you're not sure what you're meant to be talking about in your children's author newsletter, you're not alone! This is the most common problem all newsletter writers struggle with when they're starting out.  In this episode, we break your newsletter up into three parts to make the process easier: A featured topic Something you want to promote News Bonus: you get access t...

The most important investment you can make in your career as a children's author is to spend time nurturing your author newsletter mindset. If you’re thinking of a newsletter as something gimmicky or sales-y, this episode will help you shift your mindset  so you can bridge the gap between where you are today and creating an author newsletter.  We look at:  the benefits of an attitude of play,...

As a children's or young adult author, you need a newsletter. While you may feel that you don't have time to write a newsletter or even enjoying reading them, a newsletter will help you create deeper connections with readers which has a greater possibility of leading to sales at some point down the line. In fact, newsletters have a greater possibility of leading to sales than any other m...

As a children's or young adult author, you need to connect with both your ideal customer and your ideal reader who are not the same people. This is how marketing for children and young adults is different to authors of other genres.  In this episode, we'll be looking at: why you should connect with your ideal readers even if they're not the ones buying your books where and how to co...

Most authors and creatives love the work they do and they want to be left alone to do it. What they don't want is to have to market themselves or their work. Marketing feels like something shameful that shady authors do, and they don't want to be confused with pushy salespeople and the hard sell.  The good news is that marketing has nothing to do with selling. While it may be a means to...

In this episode, we take a look at the foundation of your children's or young adult book marketing strategy which consists of three elements: defining your target audience choosing your social media platform setting your goal In children's and young adult literature, who is your target audience? Is it children or the people buying books for them? Knowing where to find these people online...

How do you: create an outline for your middle-grade novel? know which story structure to use?  know what your theme is? create engaging characters? create authentic dialogue? revise your novel?  stay motivated to finish your novel?  These are just some of the big questions that we'll be digging into on the Middle Grade Made Easy ( er ) podcast. Each episode provides you with simple, actionabl...