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Hey guys!!
So as I step away from one project for a while to let it simmer before I tackle the third draft, I need another longer length project to work on. I thought about starting on an idea that’s been rolling around in my head for a couple months, but I’ll need to do a lot of research and don’t feel like doing that yet, lol.
So! I’ve been wanting to dip my toes into the realm of MG fiction for a while and I thought now would be a great opportunity. But I need your help! I have barely any ideas, and only concepts and vibes, lol. So I have some questions for y’all. Don’t feel like you have to answer all of them, but this is just to guide your feedback.
– What did/do you enjoy about your favorite MG novels?
– What do you think the MG category needs more of?
– What do you think it needs less of?
– If you have any plot or character ideas that you won’t use, I’d love to hear them!!
Also, I randomly wrote this out the other day when I had a strike of vague inspiration, lol, so if you want to know what kind of vibes I’m going for, this should tell you:
Beauty for the sake of beauty
Joy for the sake of joy
Laughter for the sake of laughter
Friendship for the sake of friendship
Childhood for the sake of childhood
Love for the sake of love
Anywho, that’s all I’ve got for ya. I know I’m asking kinda vague stuff, but I’m starting from ground zero here, lol.
Time for tags! (Don’t feel obligated to reply, btw :))
@freed_and_redeemed @godlyfantasy12 @savannah_grace2009 @theducktator @theshadow @keilah-h @smiley @grcr @the_lost-journal @whalekeeper @loopylin @ellette-giselle @highscribeofaetherium @traiblazer @everyonebecauseiknowi’mmissingpeopleiwantedtotaglollllWrite what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende
Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende
Write what should not be forgotten. — Isabel Allende
– What did/do you enjoy about your favorite MG novels?
Mm, probably the general sense of wholesomeness. The stories weren’t deep by YA standards, as YA tends to be emotional and brooding. But the MG novels I enjoyed had, rather, a sense of appreciation for the good things in a kid’s life. And even if bad things were happening to the protagonist, the story was written in a way that appealed to hope or whimsy.
– What do you think the MG category needs more of?
More cozy environment descriptions!! I would say the same for YA. I like it when every element in a novel has some artistic effort put into it – not just the characters. So many other parts of a book are underrated. And MG is a great genre to do that because many cozy MG books have succeeded in the past.
– What do you think it needs less of?
Less ‘the adults can’t do anything’ without plausibility, please. If the kid can’t explain the problem to their adults, make the adults bad, absent, or too busy to be in the right location.
There you go. XD
"If I don't like something, it's probably sanctification. Ugh." -E.C.S.
*Literally comes out of nowhere*
MG!! My genre. Yes! We need more good MG fiction.
– What did/do you enjoy about your favorite MG novels?
Action, but not necessarily what you’d first think of. I wanted my heros to do something that mattered, even if it was sitting in a dark closet for hours, bravely taking hardship and fighting their own fears, because then I could do something that Mattered, even in a fictional world. I wanted heros I could look up to and admire, like Peter and Lucy and Sara Crew. I wanted characters I could identify with, that I could feel like I knew. And yes, I wanted them to be victorious in their great fight for good (which doesn’t mean fantasy. I adored The Trumpet of the Swan growing up, as well as Green Ember and Narnia).
I absolutely could not stand Elsie Dinsmore. Still can’t, actually. She makes me positivity furious.
– What do you think the MG category needs more of?
NobleBright fiction. Stories with loving families as well as lonely orphans. Stories where the darkness never really wins the war. True stories. Hopeful stories. Stories that glorify God’s love.
And of course, chocolate. How many characters do you know that get chocolate?
– What do you think it needs less of?
Um. Romance. I don’t mind adults falling in love and getting married in the background of a kid’s book. I don’t even really mind young teens liking each other, or decided that they will one day marry someone (Sarah and Janner, for instance). But really, kids today are under so much pressure to pair up, that they aren’t allowed to live their childhoods. MG covers the age where abstract thinking is developing, where kids are just starting to understand emotions and things they can’t see. Be careful. These kids will pick up on the emotions and turmoil of characters, even if they don’t understand what’s going on.
– If you have any plot or character ideas that you won’t use, I’d love to hear them!!
It’s not really a plot idea I’ve worked with in particular, but what if your MC is currently in this transition of Concrete to Abstract? You could show the confusion and stress that comes with this, how the world can be a very scary place (but that it’s okay, because we’re never really alone). Think of the characters you related to as a kid. What were their struggles?
However you want to approach this, it would add a depth to your MC that your young readers would relate with. 8-14 are some crazy years. Yes, you’re growing up, but more than that, your mind is changing. That’s terribly stressful.
Anyway, I hope some of that was helpful. Go forth and write good things!
First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)
Fork the GorkOh, sounds fun! Middle grade is a great genre. I was just thinking the other day about how there needs to be more actually good books for tweens and kids. [I was helping my brother look for some books, and he’s pretty specific in what he likes, but I could barely think of any Christian books or ones that were completely wholesome (good attitudes, Godly characters, etc. He won’t read WFS 😣.) But twelve-year-old boys is probably not the genre you’re aiming for. XD.]
I like how middle-grade is usually pretty chill. Of course, there are some high-stakes adventures, but the genre doesn’t carry all of the mature topics, teenage romantic drama, and violence that YA books tend to have. Maybe because I used to read so much of it, the genre feels like … comfort books. Does that make sense? It’s, in a way, simpler.
What could the genre use more of? I think good role models for kids. Wholesome humor that isn’t making fun of teachers or parents or other kids. Good sibling relationships (they may fight, but they still love each other.)
For less… I’d say kind of the opposite of my other answer. Less sarcastic and disrespectful kids. Less annoying siblings. Less “Chosen One” stuff.
For inspiration, I would suggest reading some MG books. I have a lot I could probably recommend to you. Explorer Academy and City Spies are series I reread in the past year and enjoyed a lot. Then there’s also Wonder, WFS, and Greetings from Witness Protection. (Some of the ones that come to mind immediately.)
Also, here’s two vague prompts I pulled out:
A ship that flies above the ocean.
A girl who paints flowers on her family’s run-down home.
Also, you can look up prompts if you want. I don’t know what genre you were thinking, but I’m assuming contemporary.
Hopefully some of that is helpful!
"Don't shine so that others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see Him." ~ C. S.
Um. Romance. I don’t mind adultsfalling in love and getting married in the background of a kid’s book. I don’t even really mind young teens liking each other, or decided that they will one day marry someone (Sarah and Janner, for instance). But really, kids today are under so much pressure to pair up, that they aren’t allowed to live their childhoods. MG covers the age where abstract thinking is developing, where kids are just starting to understand emotions and things they can’t see. Be careful. These kids will pick up on the emotions and turmoil of characters, even if they don’t understand what’s going on.
GREAT point.
"Don't shine so that others can see you. Shine so that through you, others can see Him." ~ C. S.
I definitely think you can either leave out any romance, or if you do mention the subject of boys and girls liking each other, do it in a way that is appropriate for the readers based on Biblical standards. I remember reading books when I was ten/eleven that gave me the idea that boy-girl relationships were normal at my age and that’s all that pre-teen girls think about. While it is something that this age group is becoming more aware of, and in public schools, yes this is normal, the message that came across to me was that I’m the weird one if I don’t have a crush or I’m not looking for a boyfriend. I don’t think we should ignore what the culture is pushing, but I think we should counter it with healthy, Biblical truths and conversations- like hey, maybe this is what your friends in school are doing, but here is why it’s not healthy for you, and here is what you can be focused on in this season instead. I work with middle school girls, and I see a huge difference in the spiritual maturity of the homeschoolers vs. the public schoolers. As someone who was a homeschooler and often found myself feeling like I was more spiritually mature than a lot of my peers, I was still negatively influenced by the books I read that sent the wrong messages about love (especially young love that was “clean”- crushes and maybe minor kissing), and I would have loved to have more wholesome fiction to read that aligned with my family’s values and sent the message that while those emotions and hormones are normal at that age, it is okay (in fact, it’s wise) to learn to handle them in a healthy way and wait to pursue those relationships until you’re older.
Anyway… that’s my long rant lol. I don’t know if that gives you any helpful tips or just dumps a bowl of my thoughts all over your table and isn’t actually that beneficial. I get a little passionate about this because there are things that weren’t told to me as a pre-teen that I wish were, and things that were told to me that I wish weren’t.
"Real love is for your good, not for your comfort." -Justin Whitmel Earley
-What did/do you enjoy about your favorite MG novels?
Humor. Slapstick sparingly and good wit whenever it’s needed.
I liked characters I could connect to (although considering my personality, I could empathize easily) I liked it when the suffering was real. Kids can be some of the most melodramatic people on the planet, but like Koshka said, it’s not all talk. 6th grade was the best. 7th was the worst. I personally was a fairly self-conscious person. I can see roots of many of my current struggles going back to my preteens. The world is suddenly huge, and you wonder where you will fit in it, if you even do I wanted to do something remarkable. Maybe that’s why I liked the Adventures Down Under, Young Underground, Green Ember, and Chronicles of Narnia.
However, Doing Things shouldn’t always be saving the world. Maybe the daughter makes something for her mother who is a stressed and lonely homeschool mom. Maybe it gets dropped somewhere before she can give it to her and she has to go on a quest of sorts to find it. In the end, even though it’s scuffed, it makes her mother’s day. Let the plot points make impact throughout the story.
Also, a good lesson that’s woven so deeply into the story that it gets “past the watchful dragons” and hits the mark.
-What do you think the MG category needs more of?
God. Not in a preachy way, and not in a random-prayer-at-doomsday way. Remember, kid’s have the same size soul as an adult. When facing the mixed up years leading into the food processor of Teenhood, God’s friendship can make the difference between a suicide victim and a missionary. Include God. Make the story and character descions Biblically sound. God is not the excuse to do the mad thing, but the power to rise above the past. Tell the True Story in all the little reflections you can. Kinda like WFS, Narnia, The Wilderking Trilogy, and Passages (Marus Chronicles).
*gets off soap box*
Also, healthy family relationships that work through issues. Less frienemies and more friends. Really fun settings. Realistic limitations. Neat weather. Biblical gender identity because that’s the world we live in.
-What do you think it needs less of?
The “adults are useless” trope. I think Whaley mentioned it. It just bugs me. Also, less lying and getting away with things. Mistakes should have consequences. And please no humorous situations that serve no point but to humiliate characters. That’s just the author being a bully. XD
– If you have any plot or character ideas that you won’t use, I’d love to hear them!!
The story I described with the homeschooled girl.
A young boy who becomes a squire in the early medieval age.
A Protestant hiding in Wales during the reign of Queen Mary.
Dragons are good…. Or not. Depending on who they serve/worship. A young dragon who wants to do right. Protects a Hermitage that shouldn’t be important, until suddenly it is, and the Big Bad dragons are coming for it and him.
You have listened to fears, child. Come, let me breathe on you... Are you brave again? -Aslan
GREAT point.
Why thank you. XD
Honestly, if you do want to write MG fiction (and I hope you do) I recommend doing some research into the psychology of 8-13 year olds. Not only will it help your writing, it will help you understand your readers, and your own memories. (On that note, try to remember what it was like to be a kid, not how you remember remebering what it was like. A lot of “kid’s” books I’ve read had childish adults in children’s bodies because the author forgot what childhood is like through a child’s eyes.)
First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)
Fork the GorkAlso, there’s a difference between the Chosen One trope and a For Such a Time mentality. I would love to see the true value of humanity, of the reader, addressed. That we are made with purpose and by intention. There is hope. God doesn’t waste His time making and loving children just to destroy them in Hell. This is why we cannot decide to be a cat or a nonbinary person. I’m stirring up a hornets nest here, but I am so mad at what I see in children’s books. We were made special, with a story. We were not meant to be the things the world tells us we are. We were meant to be what He tells us we are. And that’s victorious, blood-bought, redeemed from our filth, and crowned with his love in heavenly places.
And how in the world did she just connect Chosen One tropes with redeeming salvation into one rant, you wonder? Mayhap we’ll never know.
You have listened to fears, child. Come, let me breathe on you... Are you brave again? -Aslan
Sorry, I don’t read Middle-grade fiction, so I won’t be much help
You need French Toast.
#AnduthForever (💕)I love MG! That’s the age range I read most! I would assume this novel would be contemporary too?
What did/do you enjoy about your favorite MG novels?
Kids were allowed to be kids and have fun adventures outdoors, with minimal parental supervision. The MCs were independent, intelligent, and realistic. They’re more relatable than YA, which flings all these adultish public school issues in that I, being a very sheltered homeschooler, don’t care about. Their lives revolve around their family and friends. One thing I always love is when they have hideouts someplace free of grown-ups where they go to meet, e.g., Quigley Woods in the Penderwicks, Clarinda’s room in the Melendy’s, Goneaway Lake in Goneaway Lake, etc. Also humor.
What do you think the MG category needs more of?
Smart and loving parents that aren’t dead or divorced. Parents who will punish their kids when necessary. One of my little sisters got a book in which the MC lied about her sight to get glasses and the parents were like “Oh, well, we love you the way you are.” No consequences whatsoever, never mind the fact that she lied and wasted 100+ dollars of her family’s money. My parents would have spanked me and then made me pay for the glasses. Realistic and living parents are greatly lacking in MG. My family is doing the Geraldine Woolkins series as a readaloud, and the parents in there are excellent.
We also need more homeschoolers who like being homeschooled. I can’t think of a single MG novel revolving around homeschoolers.
What do you think it needs less of?
NO ROMANCE. Crushes are okay, but 10-13 year olds in actual relationships is disgusting and unnecessary. No children running around at the mall shopping for make up and crop tops. No social media drama. That’s bad enough in YA, but I immediately lose all respect for the author and the character’s parents when I find out that their 12 year old is on instagram. No weird social justice agenda pushing. Most 8-12 year olds don’t care that much about politics. No friendship drama revolving around stupid stuff.
If you have any plot or character ideas that you won’t use, I’d love to hear them!!
I swear I do, but I can’t think of any of them right now.😅
Also, I have a HUGE amount of MG recommendations if you want them.
To err is human; to arr is pirate.
I see a huge difference in the spiritual maturity of the homeschoolers vs. the public schoolers.
Seriously. My sister has a Christian friend about her age who’s public schooled, and my sister, who is NEVER someone I’d consider mature, seems more mature next to this friend. The friend is 9 and she’s already dating for one thing, and she talks about her exes like it’s normal.😭
Public schoolers scare me, to be honest.😅 They’re so…worldly.
To err is human; to arr is pirate.
Biblical gender identity because that’s the world we live in.
I would say keep any gender issues out of MG. I was reading MG at 7ish, and my parents never told me about any of that stuff until I was a teen. Finding out about it, even from a Biblical perspective, would have traumatized tiny me.
To err is human; to arr is pirate.
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