One Piece of Advice From 9 Middle Grade and Picture Book Authors in 2023
As with young adult fiction, both middle grade and picture books are weird writing genres, because they’re not really writing genres; rather, they’re focused on a target audience. Both include the full spectrum of subjects, including mystery, romance, horror, fantasy, and more. What sets them apart is the younger ages of their target audiences.
(Defining Picture Books, Middle Grade, and Young Adult.)
Here I’ve collected one piece of advice from 9 middle grade and picture book authors who were featured in our author spotlight series in 2023. Be sure to click the author names if you’d like to read their full author spotlights from earlier this year.
“With every new book, try to break something you know. Try to teach yourself a new way to write a book. And write about what truly matters. If writing the book doesn’t change your life, how is reading it going to change anyone else’s?” –M.T. Anderson, author of Elf Dog & Owl Head (Candlewick)
“I would say, make sure you love the story you’re going to tell because you are going to be working on this story for a long time.” –Augusten Burroughs, author of My Little Thief (Christy Ottaviano Books)
“Ask for an extension. Seriously, I know so many writers, especially greener writers who are terrified of asking their editor for more time. But sometimes (actually, most times) it’s necessary. If you’re considering pulling an all-nighter to meet a deadline, ask for an extension. If you’re making yourself sick with worry, ask for an extension. If you’re not happy with the story in its current state, ask for an extension. Suffering serves no one and you deserve to work at a pace that is comfortable for you and that allows you to create something you’re truly proud of.” –Laekan Zea Kemp, author of Omega Morales and the Curse of El Cucuy (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
“Don’t be afraid to write outside your comfort zone, and never give up on good ideas. This book is truly a testament to trying, trying, trying, and trying again! It took me over a decade to get The Umbrella Maker’s Son exactly right, and now it’s a book I’m so, so proud of. If you have an idea you love but it’s not quite working in the moment, put it away and come back to it. You never know what amazing things it might develop into.” –Katrina Leno, author of The Umbrella Maker’s Son (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
“If you want to write, make space for it. That’s the main reason that I write by hand. I have four children, and so life is busy, but, while working on Back to the Bright Before, I carried my writing notebook everywhere I went. Even on days when I couldn’t devote an uninterrupted two hours to writing, there was still 20 minutes in the morning, before breakfast, or 15 minutes before dinner, in the evening. I’m not sure an entire novel could be written in such small pieces—and to be honest, I prefer to write for far longer stretches—but sometimes, you just have to use the time that the day gives you.” –Katherin Nolte, author of Back to the Bright Before (Random House Books for Young Readers)
“Don’t do it alone. It makes all the difference in the world. I would say find a group of writers you like and then a group of writers you trust to give you serious feedback. Those might be different people. Finding your community is important—they will help you manage the ups and downs and frustrations of the industry. They’ll help you deal with the flood of rejections you’ll get, because you will probably get that at every stage of the process. It’s hard being a writer. It’s already such a lonely endeavor. But the kidlit community has some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met—kind, giving, smart. If you write for children, tap into that. And then find the writers who will tell it to you like it is; that’s another thing. The people who will tell you when something isn’t working. And try to open yourself up to that type of feedback. That isn’t always easy to do. But these are the people who will make you a better writer. Lani Frank. Rebecca Petruck. Hena Khan. Catherine Egan. Salam Zahr. Aya Khalil. Thank you for being those people for me. It takes a village to create a book. That’s what you need. To find your village.” –Rhonda Roumani, author of Tagging Freedom (Union Square & Co)
“Read poetry! This is always my first advice. Poetry reminds you what language can do, how you can play with it and bend the rules to make your writing feel alive. Also: research. No matter your genre, improving your research skills and drawing from a deeper pool of knowledge will flesh out your story in ways both conscious and instinctive. On that note, I have to go read yet another article about ancient boats.” –Nina Varela, author of Juniper Harvey and the Vanishing Kingdom (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
“One advice I would give to aspiring writers is that it’s okay not to write every day. Sometimes taking a mental break and finding something else to fill your creative well could do wonders. Also, being able to step away from your work will help give you some perspective. During the start of the pandemic, I was taking care of two young kids yet I forced myself to write, because I needed to feel productive. This eventually resulted in burning out emotionally, mentally, and physically. I learned my limits, how to manage my time, and most importantly, to let go of needing to write every day. To fill my creative well, I picked up playing the cello again. Perhaps because playing an instrument is something completely separate from writing, it helped clear and open up my mind.” –Jenna Yoon, author of Lia Park and the Heavenly Heirlooms (Aladdin)
“This follow-up book took six years to make, so my advice is don’t give up. Just like I tell my kids, you can do anything you put your mind to.” –Ahmet Zappa, author of Because I’m Your Mom (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
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While there’s no shortage of writing advice, it’s often scattered around—a piece of advice here, words of wisdom there. And in the moments when you most need writing advice, what you find might not resonate with you or speak to the issue you’re dealing with. In A Year of Writing Advice, the editors of Writer’s Digest have gathered thoughts, musings, and yes, advice from 365 authors in dozens of genres to help you on your writing journey.