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

#21 Should You Write Your Middle-Grade Novel in Scenes or Chapters?

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, t

#20 Does Word Count Matter in Your Middle-Grade Novel?

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 devel

#19 Middle-Grade Mindset: Why You’re Stuck and What To Do About It

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

#18 3 Ways to Find Your Middle-Grade Novel's Theme

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

#17 The #1 Reason Agents Reject Your Middle-Grade Novel

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 i

#16 Use Story Type to Unlock Your Middle-Grade Novel

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 d

Bonus: Get to Know Your Ideal Reader with Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie

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

#15 Getting to Know Your Ideal Middle-Grade Reader

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 imagina

#14 Writing Middle Grade: How Do I Start?

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&apos

#13 How to Nail Middle-Grade Voice

 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 behi

#12 What is Middle Grade Anyway?

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 y

#11 How Can I Grow My Author Newsletter?

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 m

#10 Should I Offer a Freebie with My Author Newsletter?

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

#9 Creating an Opt-In for Your Author Newsletter

 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 onl

#8 How Often Should I Send My Author 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 of

#7 Voice and Tone in Your Author Newsletter

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

#6 What Do I Talk About in My Author 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 n

#5 Nurturing Your Author Newsletter Mindset

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

#4 Starting an Author Newsletter

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

#3 How Marketing Kidlit Is Different

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