10 Rules for Middle Grade Novelists

Not long ago Johnathan Franzen wrote a list of 10 Rules for Novelists, and writers all over Book Twitter had things to say about it. Following that same thread, let’s take a look at the idea from the perspective of middle grade writers.

1 - Remember there aren’t any magic formulas or checklists you have to follow. If you come across advice that seems useful, sure, give it a try. Ultimately though, you have to do what works for you. 

2 - Focus on where you are in the now. Don’t spend too much time looking longingly at what you hope could be the next step you reach on this never-ending staircase of writing and publishing. If you think too much about why the things beyond your control haven’t happened yet, you will carve out your own personal spiral down the darkest and smelliest of rabbit holes. 

3 - Remember that the publishing world has one of those light-speed time differential things going on. What might seem like endless weeks or months to you as you wait to hear back about query letters or manuscript requests, or submissions, is the everyday passage of time for the people on the other side of your waiting. They aren’t trying to tie you in knots; they’re just doing their jobs and living their lives. (The opposite of this could also be true if you ever end up with tangible writing deadlines in front of you and the calendar seems to flip forward at double speed.)

4 - Read a lot of middle grade books. Find the ones that reach you the most. Enjoy them for what they are, and think about why they work so well for you. Try to figure out why you connect to those stories and what you can do about that as a writer. 

5 - Don’t just read middle grade. Read all over the spectrum, and soak in everything you can that will help you find your best voice.

6 - Write every day or don’t. It doesn’t matter. If you have the luxury of being somewhere in life that allows you to make that choice, figure out what kind of schedule works best.

7 - Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that all you need to do is insert dragons or graphic-novelly illustrations or robots or narwhals or fart jokes into your work to guarantee it will have wide middle grade appeal. Be genuine. 

8 - Please don’t underestimate middle-grade readers. They are absolutely merciless when it comes to abandoning books they don’t find interesting. Seriously. It takes most of them mere paragraphs before they decide.

9 - End your chapters with good mini-cliffhangers. Teachers around the world will appreciate this. It makes read aloud time much more engaging, and fills the classroom with disappointed groans every time the story has to stop.

10 - Remember what your true, core reasons for writing in the first place are. No matter what successes you ever have along the way, you’re going to have setbacks and disappointments, too. Some of them will be absolutely crushing. Knowing your reasons to write will give you the purpose to keep moving forward when that happens. 

Finding Your Perfect Agent Match

I always thought I knew what people meant when they said wait for the agent who is the right fit for you, the one that gushes over your manuscript, and has the right vision for your work and your career. It seemed like a simple enough concept and yet for just over 5 years (5 years and 1 day to be exact) I wondered why I hadn’t found that right fit yet, why finding an agent was so difficult. Something about this idea of the prefect agent match didn’t fully click until I recently signed with my agent.

Getting an offer from an agent can be tough. It comes with a lot of rejection, A LOT. I had around 150 rejections over two manuscripts. It also comes with a lot of work. Writing, then editing, then having critique partners weigh in, followed by more editing. And once you start querying you may pull back, revise your submission package or your manuscript as feedback comes in. And through all that you wonder if that yes will ever come, the yes I want to see more, and even better that yes I want to represent you.

But even while you’re querying, there’s things you can do to prepare yourself for that moment when an agent says they want to offer you representation.

Figuring Out Your Priorities

What do you want in an agent? No really. We all want someone that can represent our work, and sell it to publishers, but what do you really want from your agent?

Are you looking for a hands on agent that is editorial, or would you prefer to take care of that on your own?

What kind of communication style are you looking for? Do you prefer to talk on the phone or via email? How frequently do you want to communicate with your agent?

What kind of publishers are you ultimately trying to attract? Does the agent’s submission strategy and industry connections match your writing career goals?

Those are just a few short examples, but the list goes on and on. Figure out what your strengths are, and what things are nonnegotiable when finding your perfect agent match. Then start assembling a list of questions to ask. I had been compiling questions I saw on twitter and blog posts for literally years. When it came time to have THE CALL, having all those resources plus reaching out to other writers for thoughts definitely made it easier to prepare and a lot less frantic.

The Importance of THE CALL

Going into the call I knew what I wanted. I wanted an editorial agent who would work with me to hone my craft. I wanted an agent with wide submission strategy that included bigger and smaller houses. I wanted someone that kept me in the loop throughout the process because I hate surprises and ultimately hate just waiting forever. I want to know the instant there’s something to tell. I also prefer virtual communication but see the value in getting on the phone from time to time when necessary. And lastly I want someone who would represent my career not just this book, someone that liked the other things I was working on.

Based off what I wanted I was able to pick and choose what questions would help me best understand the agent and how they would approach my work and career.

What I ended up with was two very different conversations. Both were good, but it quickly became clear that one agent would be better for my career than the other. Not that either were bad agents, just that one was a better fit for my needs and what I was looking for in an agent.

Here’s a quick rundown

Agent 1 I had met at a conference. We got along well, and her ears perked up when I mentioned the logline for my manuscript. When I talked to her on the phone she mentioned that she wasn’t overly editorial but was happy to look at changes or bring in outside help if necessary, but in the case of my manuscript felt it was pretty clean and ready to go. She also mentioned she liked to get involved in the marketing side of things and assist her authors with promotions and blog tours. We got along great and have a lot in common. She mentioned she was open to communication via phone and email but preferred email.

Agent 2 had requested an R&R and had already sparked some great ideas and pushed me in ways I didn’t think possible. When I talked to her on the phone, she mentioned she preferred email but was happy to talk on the phone as well. She expressed that she was very editorial and explained what she liked about my story and what she thought needed work. Her submission strategy included sending to small groups of editors and spreadsheets to update with what material was out there and current progress and responses.

By the end of the conversation Agent 1 felt like she would be a really good friend, and Agent 2 felt like she was someone who would push me outside my comfort zone and help me continue to grow and develop my writing career.

So can you guess which agent I picked?

If you guessed Agent 2 you would be correct. I really loved Agent 1 and will continue to reach out to them and be their friend, but at the end of the day, I wanted someone who would work with me to improve my craft and my stories. And if I hadn’t really thought about what I wanted ahead of time, in the heat of the moment I may have made a decision that wouldn’t have taken my writing career in the direction I wanted. It's important to note that I didn't pick the person who would be my friend, I picked the person that was best for my writing career. And because I had spent so much time considering what was important to me, the decision that was best for me became clear pretty quickly.

So for all of you hopeful writers out there looking for their perfect agent match, keep working, keep pushing, and keeping thinking about what you want in an agent. And when the time comes you’ll be ready!

Reflecting and Rediscovering Your Reasons

I had a busy summer this year. 

Back in March I had an idea for a new manuscript. It was one of those moments several writers have experienced, just walking around and living life when the brain goes off on one of its semi-frequent divergent meanderings and BAM!, you stumble on one of those golden “What if” questions that sets off an avalanche of possibilities. Before long, you start to realize that, yes, there is a legitimately viable story idea coming together. 

It was exciting to have something new come on so strong. I decided immediately I wanted to do it right. I was going to have tons of writing time available in the summer, so I gave the idea the rest of the spring to percolate. I filled the whiteboard in my office with comp titles coming from other books, movies, television shows, video games, and even podcasts. I began tapping idea fragments into a massive list on my phone. I sought out middle grade titles that felt similar to my idea in one way or another, to measure what the boundaries were for the story I was planning and figure out how I might be able to push them.

Once the work started, it came fast. I wrote chronologically with only a rough outline in my head, something I’ve never done before. When the draft was finished, I stepped away for a few weeks, giving my head some time to clear while waiting for feedback. When I got back to it, I powered through the revisions at a challenging pace with an approximate deadline in mind. There was a day or two of sweet relief when I finally reached that goal, but then I started feeling an itch….

I knew NaNoWrimo 2017 would be starting in less than a week. I've been a semi-regular participant over time, but have sat out the past two years due to other writing projects and different commitments. I thought about giving it a try this year, and came up with a number of reasons why it seemed like a good idea: I’ve always enjoyed participating; it would be an amazing feather in my cap if I could lay claim to drafting two complete manuscripts inside of the same calendar year; I had been hit with another idea — not exactly a new idea but one from the vault I wanted to try someday, and the time was feeling right. Since I thought it could be at least a few weeks until I was in a position to do any other revisions on the new manuscript, I decided to sign up.

The thing was, as much as I love this new idea, there is little reason for me to think it will ever see the light of day. I’m a writer of middle grade fiction. This new project would be a memoir, based around one particular area of my life, and not really directed at a middle grade audience. I have no nonfiction platform in this area, so as far as publishing aspirations go, it seems like it’d be a tremendous long shot. Really the only reason I would have for taking on this project is because I want to write it so much.

I felt just as passionate about my middle grade story earlier in the year when I was working on it. The big difference is I wrote that knowing it had a decent chance of eventually being ready for submission, and hopefully would get as far as publication someday. This new one might end up only being something for me and, hopefully, friends and family to enjoy.

It has me thinking:
*Why do we write?
*Is it for the love of it? 
*Do we let goals dictate or influence which projects we commit to?
*Would we still throw ourselves into the work as completely, even if we knew nobody else would ever read it?
*What benefits are there for jumping outside of the box and exploring new areas, just for the sake of exploring?

Not everyone would have the same answers to these questions. Maybe it’s not such a bad thing to occasionally consider the reasons we have for choosing this life. It might reveal something about our choices, or it could provide us with a renewed focus. 

All I know is that right now, with literally hours until NaNoWriMo begins, I’m looking forward to whatever self-discovery comes along with this new project, both personally and from the perspective of pure writing. I think it’s going to be a good month. 

To anyone else out there about to take on NaNo this year, or just entering a new stage of a current work-in-progress, I’d encourage you to reflect on it. You might discover some interesting things.

The Changing Tides Of Social Media and How To Keep Up!

It's long been known that social media is the behemoth of book promotion... okay, any promotion. It's a wide open opportunity to access your target audience in their natural habitat!

What's interesting about social media, though, is that it's always changing. Like, one day Myspace was hot and the next no one even knows if it still exists. It's also important to note that different demographics tend to hang out on different social media platforms.

It's not enough to have a Facebook page and call it a day. It's probably not enough to have a decent Twitter account anymore. Why? Because your target audience very well may not be using those platforms (even if they were two years ago).

This means that what works for an author of a different category, or even genre, may not work for you.

Keeping up with the changing times can be tough because it means learning a new platform and building an audience all over again.

Since I've learned about the rise in popularity of Instagram (particularly for teens), I've been working on ways to build my audience and content there. A few ways I've done that:

1) Use it! Dig around on the site and learn what's working for other people. I've found that pretty pictures of books is actually a thing that pulls in lots of people! Fun!

2) Learn the ins and outs and how to reach people. Every platform is different so learn what makes this new one tick. For me, this meant a lot of googling! (Google never goes out of style). Example: hashtags rule Instagram! So learn the good ones for what you want to post/who you want to reach and use lots!

3) Find your "thing". You want to have a focus if you want to build an audience (this is like branding. They follow you because they want more of what you’re giving. They probably don’t want tons of selfies unless you’re really good at makeup!(which is also a thing!) For Instagram that one is pretty easy since as authors we all tend to LOVE books, and there is a huge community of book lovers who want to see things ALL ABOUT BOOKS (but make sure the pictures are *pretty*). For other Platforms that can be a bit trickier. If you don’t have something specific you know you want to post about, tag onto what someone else is doing well and try to make a twist on it. With my Instagram I’m doing the bookish things but also I started doing book page crafts along with it.

4) Start posting! Every day! One of the keys to being successful in social media it consistent content. Most of the pages with higher interaction post more than once a day. You can’t build an audience if you only post every once in a while.

5) Interact! Remember that this is SOCIAL media. Be social! Look at other people’s posts, see what’s out there and tell them when you like it! Answer questions. Give advice if they ask for it and you have something to say. When you interact with them, they’re more likely to turn around and interact with you.

In the end, social media is a beast. It can boost your chances of a book deal, it can sell books once you’re published—but boy can it be scary to approach. Take it one step at a time and have fun. It won’t happen in a day so don’t stress. If you use it to show off something you love to do you will do just fine!

What has been your experience with social media? Do you have any additional tips? (I’d love some for Instagram! ;) )

What's Your Reason?

About a year ago, almost to the day, I wrote a post here breaking down the differences between having writing dreams and writing goals. As I looked back at it recently and began wondering how many of my own had been reached in 2016, a realization came to me: Dreams are fine, but they’re almost always beyond your control. Goals can be useful, but they’re constantly evolving.

This year I decided to reflect on reasons for writing — not wondering so much about our hopes or ambitions related to it, but why we have them at all. What’s the point of investing so much of ourselves in this? What do we hope to accomplish from it? With all the frustrating moments that pile up along the way, why even bother, really? 

I came up with a fairly predictable list of my own reasons that, when taken as a whole, weren’t very convincing. As I thought about why each was on the list, I found that every reason could be traced back to either insecurity or arrogance. I felt I had to prove I was worthy of my dreams and goals — both to myself and to other people — or I was too quick to believe that not only was I worthy, but I deserved seeing them happen. Here are some examples of what I mean: 

*I want to see something I wrote on a shelf in a bookstore. (Insecurity: Why would being on a bookstore shelf make me, or my writing, any more valid? Why would it take that to make me feel I was good enough?)
*I want to write something that will be meaningful to people. (Arrogance: What makes me think I have anything noteworthy to say in the first place?)
*I want to write something that people in the publishing industry would respect and take seriously. (Insecurity: Why should this mean so much to me, if I’ve lived any kind of a life that, hopefully, has already earned me the respect of other people for different reasons?) 
*I want to be successful enough at writing so I can devote myself to it full time. (Arrogance: I must have a pretty high opinion of my work to think I could possibly be one of the few to ever see Royalty Dollar #1, much less go full time, someday.)
*I want to publish a book so the people in my life will be proud of what I’ve accomplished. (Insecurity: If anyone is going to be proud of me, why does the reason need to be so specifically defined? Why would it take an achievement like publishing for that happen at all?)
*I want to write something great someday. (Arrogance: So now it’s not just stopping at meaningful? And where did I get the idea I was capable of anything great?)

That writer brain can set some nasty traps and dig some twisty rabbit holes for you if you let it.

One of the reasons it was so important to me to reflect on motivation was the preparation I had going for a new manuscript. I’d spent nearly all of 2016 in a back-and-forth revision dance that finally felt like it had paid off with a solid manuscript, so it was time for a new one. I had an idea I felt strongly about, so I immersed myself in the mindset that planning it down to the most minuscule detail was the way to go. Between my character sketching, my setting descriptions and the pre-synopsis I wrote of where I expected the story to go (it was too comprehensive to be called just an outline), I had a planning word count nearly equal in length to the manuscript I’d just finished revising. I’ve always been a planner, but this was a new level.

The work started pretty well, and I saw things coming together in positive ways. However, having this road map to adhere to made the writing feel different. I wasn’t getting caught up in the excitement of what I still believe is a great idea for a story, and I couldn’t figure out why. So eventually, I stopped. Not just working on that story; I pretty much stopped writing. That left me feeling like a hole was opening up inside me, which is not how things are supposed to happen. Writing had always been a retreat, if not an escape. It was something I could rely on to help me process what I had going on in life. Without that, the hole kept getting wider and deeper, because I wasn’t filling it with a very specific purpose. 

So, I made the difficult decision to put aside the project I had invested so much planning into and started a different story, one that had been rattling around in the vault for years. I only had vague ideas about it, but felt like it would be more fun. Days later, without even trying that hard, I was thousands of words into a new manuscript and felt that part of me coming back to life. I was writing like I always had— just telling a story because I wanted to. It was fun again. The hole was filling. My head was clearing. The emptiness wasn’t there. Instead I was carrying around a growing collection of ideas I wanted to try. Nothing structured, all random. I wanted to see what was going to happen next, and began planning out just far enough ahead.

I felt like had my answer. Why write? What’s my reason?

I write because I feel wrong if I don’t. I don’t feel complete without it. Whether I’m writing something that only a few dozen or potentially thousands of people might read someday, or something that I’ll never show another living soul, I simply need to do it. Any hopes or dreams or goals beyond that just have to exist separately.

I imagine this is probably true for a lot of us. Whatever goals you set for yourself in 2017 — reach for the stars, but keep your purpose in mind. Write because you need to. Write to fill the hole. Write because you love it. Respect the hopes and dreams and wishes that happen as a result of that need, but put them in their proper place, and let them resolve themselves along the way.

Social Media and Social Change

Let's be honest here for a minute. I've seen a lot of discussions lately on various forms of social media about representation of minorities in children's literature. I think it's amazing that people are coming together and bringing these issues to light. We can't change the current culture if we remain silent. That said, as a member of some minorities and not others, I still often feel like I'm in a lose-lose situation, even in cases where I am the minority. I feel stuck, like I can't win when it comes to discussing and representing diversity in literature. Not that it's a competition, but that it's so hard to gain any ground.

I 100% agree that there isn't enough representation of a variety of scenarios that we see around the world. But sometimes it seems that if you don't try to include representation you are ignoring the world's current state. And if you do include diversity, there is always someone who has a situation that doesn't agree with your representation of said character or situation. Darned if you do and darned if you don't.

So what are we as writers to do when it comes to changing the culture of diversity?

Research

First and foremost like any other topic, do your homework. You wouldn't write a novel about the Spanish Civil War if you knew nothing about it. Same goes for minorities. Take the time to research what it's like, the struggles those groups have gone through and the triumphs they've made. And then talk to people who represent those groups. Lots of people. No two people's experiences are the same. While sometimes you will find trends and similarities that may not always be the case. So make sure you get members of those minorities to proof your stuff. Get their perspective. But like any other critiques realize this isn't a one size fits all scenario.

Be Respectful

We are all human, we all make mistakes. If you see an error or something offensive, don't just fly off the handle and gang up on someone. It might be an honest mistake. Politely engage and discuss the situation. We are all here to learn and do better. The old adage you can catch more flies with honey applies here. Honest discussions can be tough, and locking down emotions can be hard as everyone is entitled to their feelings, but I've found a quick, hey did you realize this might offend people in this group goes a lot further than hey jerkwad. A lot of times people don't even realize what they said was offensive and bringing it to light gets the problem corrected quickly and prevents future issues from that person.

Listen

Just as we should be respectful when approaching others with issues, we need to listen when people tell us something is a problem. It's hard to understand the situations that each unique person has gone through. We couldn't have possibly experienced them all. So when dealing with minorities that's often our time to shut up, listen, and try to understand what it's like to walk in their shoes.

Keep Talking

Have honest discussions and chats. Bring issues and information to light. Challenge those unconscious biases. We all have them, myself included. I've caught myself in phrases that directly conflict with my ideals sometimes and it's because those thoughts are so ingrained in our society and our thoughts. Awareness is the first step. Recognizing that we have biases and that we can do better is tough, but the more we realize what biases we have and work to correct them the better things will be.

Social media is a great place for bringing issues to light and raising awareness. Ideas spread quickly online and people take notice. So do your homework, keep talking, keep listening, and most of all respect one another. It is our unique experiences that make us all such wonderful and interesting people. Diversity isn't a competition. It's something to be celebrated. Because at the end of the day, when we bring all of our differences to the table, the world becomes a much stronger place. Social media is the perfect arena to come together and honor our uniqueness. Enjoy the discussions and learn from them. Spread the knowledge and make the world better.

MG Minded Talks - What We've Learned & New Goals

For today's post, the good people of Middle Grade Minded are reflecting back on (1) what they learned about themselves as writers in 2015, and (2) thinking over their writing goals for 2016:

Tom Torre

I learned that I don't need to keep myself restricted to one genre but instead open my eyes to new ones.
To complete two genres that I've never tackled before and hopefully then make them into something epic.






Jamie Krakover

It's okay to put writing aside when life gets in the way. Sometimes life really is more important. You will lose momentum, it sucks, but it wont be gone forever. It's okay to ask for help. Never think you are a bother. There's so much about publishing that is out of your control, but keep at the things that are within your control. Write more, query more, keep persevering. Your time will come.
Read more, without reading there can be no writing. Write more, without writing there ca be no forward momentum. Finish this WIP. Work on things I've put aside because I'm afraid of them and don't think I'm qualified to write them. Give myself permission to fail (especially on those things I'm afraid of). Fix what I can, do better next time.

Dan Gemeinhart

That, sometimes, the inspiration isn't there. That, sometimes, you just keep slamming your head into the concrete without getting anywhere. And that is where the real work comes in, and the real determination. And that when you finally do break through and once again find the words with spark in them, they are even sweeter (and you are even stronger).
My goal is a simple one on the surface but tough in practice, and it is one I have failed at before: I will write, at least a little bit, every single day. And, less tangibly, I want to work at becoming a more thoughtful, intelligent writer: less of following whim and just riding a story to its finish, more of employing craft and making smart, artistic choices.


Jason Rust

That it's easy to say you understand perseverance, but a whole different thing to ACTUALLY demonstrate it.
My goal for 2016 is to a) stay focused on the one thing I can control:my writing and b) do a better job of representing kid lit as a whole.





Stacey Trombley

Life as a published author is pretty much exactly the same as life as a "pre-published" one. Just with a few different worries and added guilts. Also, like Jamie, it's ok to take breaks. When life gets crazy take some time for yourself to recoup.
Definitely read more. I've been slacking in this area. And I'll be agent hunting again soon so that's a goal, though  I know better than to make it a "resolution" because it's not actually something I can control.


Brooks Benjamin

I learned how important it is to listen to others. This especially applied to me last year when I was researching info on a topic that I didn't have much experience with. Putting off diving into words so I could contact some incredibly gracious people who were willing to share how they had experienced exactly what my MC had gone through allowed me to bring so much more honesty to the story. And I can't thank those people enough.
To listen, to write, and to read with all of my heart. And to finally spell Massachusetts right on the first try.


Stefanie Wass

I learned patience. And the importance of leaving the internet and focusing on my own work instead of feeling envious of other writers farther along the journey.
Goals for 2016:  Write more, Tweet less. :)





Tom Mulroy

I learned how important it is to let go of the things you can't control, and how much more productive it is to focus on the things you can. It's good to have passion and anticipation and excitement about your writing, but you also need to let the rest of the world run its course around you and keep your own life moving forward at the same time. Also that Fallout 4 is entirely counterproductive to all things writing.

My goal for 2016 is to narrow down my idea list to one, build that one idea into a new project and see it through to its conclusion by the end of the year.

Writing Dreams vs. Writing Goals

I know of at least three people in my social network who have debut novels coming out in 2016. As happy as I am for each of them, and as much as I’m vicariously taking in their excitement as their respective release dates approach, a tiny voice inside my head will occasionally whisper, “So when is that book deal going to happen for you?”

When I describe the steps involved in becoming a published author to people, I’ll compare the process to trying to jump through a series of hoops, when each subsequent hoop is roughly half the size as the one before it. As generous and supportive as the writing community is, we all know how easy it is to compare our progress through those hoops with people who are further along than we are. It’s a trap I’ve fallen into many times myself, and it’s not a fun place to be. There are enough frustrations involved with writing and publishing already. What good does it do any of us to create even more stress for ourselves by internally ranting about things we can’t control?

It’s important to remember that dreams and goals are not the same thing. Dreams are things we hope will happen someday; goals are the steps we take as we work toward making those dreams into something real. Hope is nice and it keeps you going, but it’s not enough by itself. Idle hope is a cruel joke people play on themselves. Hope with action behind it stands a chance. Any writing goals you set for yourself in this new year have the potential to bring you closer to realizing whatever dreams you may have.

Nobody’s journey to publication is ever the same. No matter where any of us are on that journey, there will always be more hoops to jump through. If you’ve decided to commit yourself to this writer life for the long haul, that ultimate finish line you’re hoping to cross someday probably doesn't exist. No matter what goals you achieve or what dreams you manage to realize along the way, there will always be more milestones further down the road waiting to be reached. And really, isn’t that one of the things that keeps us doing this?

As for me, I’m starting off my 2016 in a good place as far as writing dreams and goals are concerned. I have faith in my manuscript, and I have faith in my agent. I believe that the right editor will cross our paths and things will come together in ways that will seem downright surreal. Meanwhile, all I can do is accept there are certain things beyond my control and happily move forward with a new project. In the big picture, that’s all any of us can do.

So when that tiny voice starts in on me with that question of “When is that book deal going to happen for you?” I can smile and think, “Shut up, tiny voice. It will happen when it’s supposed to. Now let me get back to work.”

New Year, Same Old Problems

Writing is hard, yo. Getting your story, your characters, your ideas from that mushy, over-caffeinated (and potentially alcohol-muddled) grey lobster meat you call a brain is a task daunting enough that Hercules himself would likely throw up his hands and wander off in search of something a little less difficult. You know, like lopping off all the heads of the Hydra, or taming Hades’ little three-headed puppy.

The worst part is, once you’ve triumphantly slayed your story, and gotten it all down into well-disciplined rows of Times New Roman soldiers, well, that’s when the real hard part begins. Writing is easy, compared to getting your shiny new work of middle grade genius published and out into the world for thousands of appreciative readers. There’s that querying of agents step and praying the query letter you spent three weeks writing-hating-and-rewriting catches the perfect person’s eye. Then, even after that works out, there’s a seemingly endless string of hours, days, weeks, months, years, millennia spent wait for your agent’s matchmaking magic to turn up the one editor who both loves your manuscript like a fuzzy brand new kitten and has just the right hole in the following year’s publication schedule to slide it into.

All that together? Well, it’s enough to make any normal, well-adjusted person want to bite through a cast iron frying pan in a fit of HULK SMASH-ness. And let’s be honest, how many writers start out normal and well-adjusted, anyway?
We all have moments, well, days, more like, when no matter where we find ourselves along the patience-wrenching path to publication, we’re ready to both throw up and throw up our hands, and call that truck driving school that advertises in the middle of the day during Judge Toby.

Luckily, I’ve got the answer to surviving the Long Painful Road.

But you’re not going to like it.

I didn’t either, when it occurred to me.

The solution to preventing that transition to driving freight cross-country? It’s stupidly simple. You kinda know it already.

Go back to the reason you started this nonsense for in the first place. In the beginning, when we have no words, no shiny manuscript, no hopes or dreams of bestseller lists, most of us have little more than an idea. A thought. A character. Maybe a scene playing out in your head. Whatever it was, it was just a tiny spark of story, and you fed it and nurtured it and worked it until it was a roaring blaze of something real, something you could feed all your adult wants and wishes into. But whether or not that story can or will fulfill any of those dreams and wishes is now largely beyond your control*.

Because you’re the fire maker. You take the spark and you build it. That’s your only role in this chain of events. It’s the only part you can manage yourself. The only part you truly control. All the rest depends on forces beyond you. Might as well lament the weather or the rising of the sun as bemoan the pace and complications of trying to get published.

So, here at the start of a new year, it’s the perfect time to think back to why we got started with this writing business in the first place. Time to stop shaking our collective fists at the sky in pointless frustration while the fire behind us grows cold. It’s time to get back to feeding that fire, to doing what we came here for.

It’s time to write more and complain less.

Because with writing, like everything else in life, the easiest way to solve a problem is to recognize that it was never your problem to fix in the first place. But if you focus on the fire, the words, eventually those other problems will sort themselves out without you.

Pud’n

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*Not including self-publishing, of course. But that's a horse of a different color, and an entirely different post.

How NaNoWriMo Made Me a Better Writer

I’ve participated in National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo) every November going back to 2008 (even though I’ve recently decided to remain on the sidelines for this year). For anyone not familiar with this event, people commit to putting forth their best effort to write an entire novel in a thirty-day span. If you reach that goal and report your word count to the NaNoWriMo website for verification, congratulations! You’ve won!

Producing that many words so quickly might seem like a daunting task, at the very least, but I promise it can be done. I’m seven-for-seven on NaNoWriMo wins myself, so I’m living proof. I’m not saying everything from those collective 350,000+ words has been brilliant, but I’ve managed to drag my tired bones across the finish line every time I started, and each of those wins was very satisfying.

Some people would probably tell you that’s half (or all) of the fun in participating — diving in head first with your eyes closed, writing with a process that isn’t even in the same area code as your comfort zone, and discovering if you really can meet that goal. I suppose those things are true, but I think a much bigger take-away from NaNoWriMo has been what I’ve learned about myself as a writer, and not just how I operate under the self-imposed pressure of a month-long sprint. 

I think anyone who decides to accept that challenge and manages to learn something about themselves or their process, whether they “win” or not, can say the experience was valuable and worthwhile. If you’ve never taken on the challenge before, I’d certainly encourage you to try. And if you do, here are a few bits of advice I have to offer: 

Set the Stage

A lot of writers create playlists to listen to for writing certain scenes, specific characters, or for entire projects. Anything that will help you find your way into the story more quickly is a useful tool. For a lot of us, that’s finding the right music to establish the scene, or define the character, or complement the entire book. If you aren’t a music fan, maybe you need the right drink, or the lucky sweatshirt, or perhaps a collection of various scented candles that perfectly reflects the personalities of your characters. Whatever gets you where you need to be is worth cultivating.

Find the Clay

I’d imagine some people might disagree with me on this, but I think writer’s block is a self-indulgent excuse for not getting words on the page. During NaNoWriMo, it’s not a luxury you have if you want to reach the goal. If you decide to make it a priority, you WILL find a way to build your word count. I tend to see writing a first draft as something similar to a sculptor getting her or his hands onto a nice new slab of clay, and all of the editing and revising that follows is when the artist molds that clay into the figure they carry in their head. You can’t sculpt until you have the clay. You can’t revise until you have the original words. No matter how tragically awful those words might seem at first, you need to give yourself something to work with.

Freeze the Lake

Forget chronology. You don’t have to start with “It was a dark and stormy night” on November 1st and finish with “They lived happily ever after” on the 30th. Write whatever part of the story is poking at you the most. I’ve described my NaNoWriMo process (which has really evolved into just being my process now) to non-writers by comparing it to how a lake freezes over in the winter: Big frozen chunks and ice floes begin forming independently of each other in the cold water until everything eventually comes together as one big sheet covering the lake. I’ll write the scenes that have the most energy, then let the gaps between them fill in along the way as those bigger scenes naturally develop outward until they connect. 

Work the Community

Writing is solitary. No news there. But encouragement can be motivating, and the writing community is (especially here in middle grade territory) very supportive. NaNoWriMo has different levels of social networking built into it, like writing buddies, online forums, and even local real-world events. You don’t have to go through it all alone.

Use the Tease

Try to end your writing day at a place when you would really like to keep going. That will make getting back to work the following day something to anticipate.

Ride the Flow

I hope a lot of writers out there are familiar with flow state, that mindset when everything feels effortless and your productivity is off the charts. You’re going to put in some serious hours if you want to write 50,000 words in a month, and sooner or later the flow is going to grab you. Try to recognize when it does, and take advantage of it for as long as you possibly can.

Take the Punches

Not every day will be golden and full of word count. This is okay. Remember that 1,667 words is an average daily pace and not a requirement. As long as you keep moving forward, you’re still approaching the goal. If a day doesn’t turn out to be a good one, take your hits and move on.

And Finally, Make the Effort

One month is plenty of time to accomplish some great things if you set your mind to it. The manuscript that first caught my agent’s attention began as a NaNoWriMo project, and I know I’m far from the only writer (or even the only Middle Grade Minded contributor) who can make that claim. Some of the bigger regrets in life come from the things we never dared to try. The worst thing that could possibly happen would be that you wouldn’t reach the goal, but would still walk away with some new ideas. 

Where’s the downside?