Middle grade voice is considered one of the most difficult for a writer to get right. Maybe it’s because it’s been a fair amount of time for most of us since we were a middle grade reader ourselves. But short of time-traveling back to that period, there are things writers can do to make sure their middle grade voice is authentic.
Getting it Right
- Listen to how kids talk. Middle grade kids are just discovering the world, and they have lots to say about it.
Read a lot of middle grade.
- Use kids as gauges. “Have a kid read your manuscript out loud to you. Make note of the places they trip up, or make a weird face like they don’t get it. Write for kids. Not gatekeepers.” Shari Schwarz, author of Treasure at Lure Lake.
- Pay attention to how age affects worldview. Author Janet S. Johnson (The Last Great Adventure of the PB&J Society) says, “Middle grade voice is more open, while YA characters try to mask their feelings.”
- Make your characters complex. Bust stereotypes. Boys cry, girls are tough.
- Embrace humor. “MGers enjoy learning, yet can keep that part private. Silly is still a refreshing part of their building blocks.” Sheri Larsen, author of Motley Education.
Pitfalls to Watch For
- Talking down to the reader. Sometimes adult writers have a tendency to be “sermony.” They think, “It’d be GREAT to write an anti-bullying book!” or whatever, and then the book becomes all about that instead of the specific characters’ journey. Themes must be pinned to a character.
- A voice that is too mature. Even kids that have been through a lot still tend to be goofy and playful.
- Avoid flatness. The voice must have a stand-out characteristic that makes us want to keep reading. So, even if you’re writing a book about a shy girl who overcomes anxiety, her inner voice should have some sort of arresting quality.
Do you write middle grade? What are some suggestions you can offer writers just starting out?
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About Margaret Dilloway
Margaret Dilloway is the author of the new middle grade series MOMOTARO: XANDER AND THE LOST ISLAND OF MONSTERS (Disney Hyperion) and three women’s fiction novels. She lives in San Diego with her family and a big Goldendoodle named Gatsby. She teaches creative writing to middle schoolers and does developmental editing.
Margaret, I write MG short stories and boy are they tough. I seem to gravitate either to the youngest or YA. But there is a huge range in MG and once I get the voice right, everything falls into place. There is a certain can-do attitude with that age group, which I love.
Some of my favorite MG authors: Kate di Camillo, Richard Peck, Eoin Colfer, Clare Vanderpool, Rebecca Stead, Linda Sue Park. And so many others. I recommend going through the Newbery and Honor books — they’re all solid gold.
Vijaya, thanks for your comment. If I ever resurrect my abandoned MG novel, which has by now sunk to about seventh or eighth place on my to-write list, I’ll keep your recommendations handy. I still believe in the premise and storyline and still think the story has something to offer readers.
I don’t read much middle grade, but I adore the novels of Wendelin Van Draanen (Flipped, the Sammy Keyes detective series). I think her voice for the age bracket is spot on–not too immature, but not too adult. She’s probably so good at it because she taught high school math for fifteen years and spent a lot of time around 14-year-olds.
I remember two things about middle school. (1) Everyone was very confused, in a hurry to grow up with no idea how to do it. (2) Everyone was hypersensitive and terribly earnest. Kids don’t laugh about the same things adults do. Subtlety isn’t funny; social satire isn’t funny. In the reviews by preteens I see on Goodreads, a character who’s a little difficult is the biggest jerk ever. A character who’s a little awkward is sooo stupid and sooo annoying.
While you don’t want to write preteens like adults, I also think you have to make them “older” than real preteens are. If you were to write a preteen the way a real preteen acts and speaks, preteens would be offended. They’d say, “She’s supposed to be thirteen but she talks like she’s, like, ten. I’m thirteen and I’m way more mature than that.” The preteen reader doesn’t want realistic stories about kids acting like kids. She wants epic romances with idealized protagonists, like Twilight and The Fault in Our Stars. (Which are both YA…Come to think of it, when you’re writing middle-grade are you really writing for elementary schoolers?)
Middle grade is ages 8-12. So up until about 6th, maybe 7th grade.
And yes, kids want to read about kids older than themselves, always. So if your MC is a 10 year old, expect the younger MG readers to pick it up. A 12 year old is less likely to read it.
Great points. I write MG and YA. There are big differences. I often have to remind myself that middle graders who do read are apt to be very intelligent. My own vocabulary isn’t all that advanced for them, so I shouldn’t fear that they might not get it. Middle grade is also a wide range. I wouldn’t write the same story for both a nine year old and a twelve year old. And humor is a must. Even the darkest of MG stories will need moments of humor.
Thanks for posting. Glad to see more middle grade writers here!
I just completed my first MG manuscript. Writing MG dialogue did not seem to difficult, but the description was quite difficult. Since response to my queries has been dismal, it looks like I might have to go back and give the story a second look and a good rewrite
I recently unearthed a handwritten novel I began over the summer between sixth grade and Junior High, back in the 1980s. Granted I was considered a precocious young writer and had won a number of regional and national kids’ writing competitions by that time, but even knowing that had been the case, my present-day self was startled to discover how mature and thoughtful the writing was. If I didn’t know for a fact that the manuscript was written by a sixth grader, I would have sworn it impossible for “kids” to use such words and have such insights. The thing is, I wasn’t special. I remember having conversations with my friends back in Junior High, when we used to complain that adults were so condescending and didn’t take us seriously. I think we were probably right back then, and it’s probably still the case today. I often wonder if adults underestimate MG readers too much when we presume to know their level of comprehension and intellectual and emotional depth.