Writing Irresistible Kidlit: The Ultimate Guide to Crafting Fiction for Young Adult and Middle Grade Readers Book

Foreward xv

Chapter 1 Kidlit Market Overview 1

Your Readers 2

Kidlit Then 3

…and Kidlit Now 4

Blockbuster Thinking 5

The Popularity of Series 6

Changes and Opportunities 6

Choosing an Audience 7

The Middle Grade Marketplace 8

The Young Adult Marketplace 12

Understanding Your Reader 15

Chapter 2 The MG and YA Mindset 16

Inside The Mind of Your Middle Grade Reader 16

Inside The Mind of Your Young Adult Reader 20

Chapter 3 What's the Big Idea? 27

Originality and New Ideas 28

Defining Commercial Novels 29

Loglines from the Shelves 32

How I've been Baited 36

Thinking Big 36

Chapter 4 Storytelling Foundations 40

Starting a Story 40

Balancing Action and Information 49

Tense and POV 62

Chapter 5 Character 73

The Hero's Journey and Introducing a Character 73

Make Me Care: Character Objective and Conflict 89

Sidekicks and Villains and Everyone in Between 113

Chapters, Scenes, and Beats 130

Character Growth and Change 143

Chapter 6 Plot 153

A Lesson in Plot Structure 153

Developing Stakes and Tension 167

Using Backstory and Withholding 179

Subplots and the Muddy Middle 188

The Climax and Ending 196

Chapter 7 Advanced Kidlit 202

Imagery and Setting 202

Word Choice and Voice 218

Theme, Big Ideas, and Big Questions 229

Authority and Authenticity 239

Chapter 8 A Career in Kidlit 249

Getting a Literary Agent 249

Querying and Submitting Your Work 261

Chapter 9 Conclusion 273

Index 280