Writers With Wrinkles

TOP FIVE Deep Dive - 5 things to do when writing spooky middle grade fiction!

July 17, 2023 Beth McMullen and Lisa Schmid Season 2 Episode 37
Writers With Wrinkles
TOP FIVE Deep Dive - 5 things to do when writing spooky middle grade fiction!
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Show Notes

Join us as we test drive a new format!

Our NEW Top Five Deep Dive is a list of writing tips you will want to keep handy as you journey through your manuscript (believe us, it IS a journey!)

This week, we talk about spooky middle grade, a very hot segment of book sales right now. 

Tips include:

1. Start with a great hook - attention spans are limited!
2. Keep the pace fast. Building suspense throughout the story is critical to keeping the young reader’s interest.
3. Use humor to offset scary scenes. Children respond better to humor and may be more tolerant of scary scenes if they can relieve the tension with jokes.
4. Make the protagonist a strong, likable character with a side of flaws. This is super important in middle-grade fiction, where the reader identifies closely with the main character.
5. Have a happy ending. (right??)


Also, the ear plugs discussed? Find them HERE.



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