Overview
Good news: There’s never been a better time to write Middle Grade. With the YA market as saturated as it is, editors aren’t acquiring as much of it as they used to. This has been tough on YA authors, but great for MG writers. Editors are hungry for good MGs to fill their lists. The other bit of good news is that the category is less restrictive than it used to be. Up until a few short years ago, MGs had to be squeaky clean and avoidant of topics that were deemed too dark. It felt like the industry was taking a step backward from the salad days of Judy Blume.
But, thanks to a renewed appreciation of transparency and honesty, and a cultural shift towards inclusion and acceptance, complicated subjects like parental alcoholism and incarceration, racism and LGBTQ issues are finally popping up in MGs.
What you'll learn in this course:
- How middle-grade fiction differs from YA
- How to get in the mind of MG readers
- How to write with the right voice
- Ways to identify whether your book has series potential
- Hints for writing narrative non-fiction
Brought to you by:
Judy Goldschmidt is an editor of bestselling and award-winning children’s books, the author of a middle-grade trilogy, and a book coach. She lives in Manhattan’s East Village. She is available to work with authors through the Reedsy Marketplace.
What are people saying about this course?
"Great course: gave me a clear idea as to what MG readers would like to read!"
— Amy M.
"Great summary of information about MG fiction and the developmental changes of readers."
– Martin C.
