Writing Archives - Page 2 of 2

Fantastic Friday – Butterfly in the Sky!

Butterfly in the sky, I can go twice as high. Take a look, it’s in a book, it’s reading rainbow!

Last night LeVar Burton spoke at the Fayetteville Public Library here in Northwest Arkansas. Yes, LeVar Burton of Reading Rainbow fame, Geordi La Forge of Star Trek, the Next Generation, and of course, Kunta Kinte of Roots.

Reading Rainbow began in 1983, just as I was learning to read. Beginning with those familiar synthesized chords, Reading Rainbow’s upbeat song became a regular part of my day. I believed, as I watched the butterfly transform an ordinary world into the extraordinary, that I really could go anywhere and do anything. Burton’s field trips in the series often took him to what seemed impossibly faraway and exotic places. It spurred me to imagine what it would be like to visit other places and meet new people.

1987 brought the launch of Star Trek, the Next Generation, and I fell headlong into a deep love of space, science and pushing the limits of exploration, not to mention that handsome Commander Riker. Burton, already so familiar to me from Reading Rainbow, now impacted my childhood again as Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge. I remember thinking how strange it was to watch him with his visor on in Star Trek, and then view an episode of Reading Rainbow and be able to see his eyes. Burton revealed last night that wearing that visor was extremely difficult, as it cut his sight by nearly 85%. Ironic when you consider that the visor gave Geordi La Forge sight in Star Trek.

Hearing LeVar Burton speak last night and read his new book, The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm, and having the chance to meet him face to face was an amazing experience. It’s not often someone you’ve never met has the chance to impact your life on so many levels, but Reading Rainbow instilled in me a love of reading and the desire to travel and explore, and Star Trek added a deep belief in science, learning and pressing past previous boundaries “to boldly go” where I’ve never been before.

I’m glad LeVar Burton continues to campaign for literacy and reading for children and that a new generation of children, the next generation, will be inspired to sing and believe, “I can go anywhere. I can be anything. Take a look, it’s in a book!”

Thank you, LeVar, for everything!

Planet and Star Background Image courtesy of Photokanok at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Rainbow Music Background Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

To Boldly Go…Again

I recently read a blog entry called, “Reboots, Kids and their Interests,” by Matthew McNish over on Project Mayhem. In it the author examines how the new Star Trek films have made his children fans of the series, and it got me thinking about the things we love in childhood and how, as writers, we pass those loves on to our readers.

Star Trek, Star Wars and anything that featured the stars was high on my list of things to watch or read as a child, born of a natural fascination with “the great beyond” and fueled by the space shuttle era and a fifth grade teacher who shared that passion.

I also loved journeys, and the more exotic the better, where the main character faced continual obstacles and conquered the challenges with daring and ingenuity. So what if this happens to be the plot line for most stories and films? It captivated me then and still does.

Now when these two things come together – the stars and an exciting, challenging journey, well it’s no wonder I was a Trekkie, I mean a Jedi, well, you get the picture. The new Star Trek films (2009 and 2013) by J.J. Abrams kindled that same excitement I felt as a kid. When I saw the first film in 2009, I couldn’t believe how closely the new characters mimicked the old, and yet in their own distinct ways. Abrams took a beloved franchise and rebirthed it into something the next generation (yup, pun intended) could enjoy. He captured a new generation of Trekkies.

As writers, isn’t that what we’re trying to do? To captivate our readers with the things that captivate us? To pass on a love of faraway places or stars or whatever, to children who can take those things and remake them in their own vision, so that new and old combine into something that will inspire the generation after them?

Maybe I’m reaching for the stars here, but I can’t help it. I believe the reasons we write and the subjects we gravitate towards are seeded in our childhood. When we’re adults, we look back on those childhood devotions and either love them or scorn them. And you’re a writer, you write about them either way. In doing so, you’re boldly going where no one has gone before (had to go there), but recording that journey for later generations to be captivated and inspired to go even more boldly forward.

Middle Grade is Marvelous!

After defining what middle grade is and isn’t, the next question is, why write middle grade fiction? If you’re writing for the children’s market today, the allure of writing for young adults can be strong. Heavy hitters like Twilight and The Hunger Games have shown how young adult fiction can hit the best seller lists and be read by adults and young adults alike. Compared to that, middle grade fiction might seem overshadowed.

But think back to the books that impacted you the most as a kid. Although I remember some wonderful picture books, and I’m sure I read plenty as a young adult, the stories that captured me the most were the ones I read from ages 9-13.

Mary Kole says in Writing Irresistible Kidlit, “when you’re this age, you’re finding a place in the world without straying too far from the comforts of childhood…During this time, you start to make tough choices and wrong choices, and pay the consequences of your actions and decisions.”

This age is such a critical one, perhaps even more than the teenage years for our current generation, who are confronting these choices at a younger age. Middle grade writing gives uncertain kids a safe place to venture out and explore, characters to recognize themselves in, and stories that help walk out some of the choices they’re facing. And these stories don’t have to take place in a contemporary context.

Middle graders, or tweens, still easily make the jump from reality to fantasy. A story like Savvy, about a girl who comes into her magical power on her 13^th birthday, or Harry Potter, who discovers he’s a wizard when he’s eleven, speak just as strongly to tweens as any modern day story. Kids reading Caroline Starr Rose’s May B. see the young protagonist facing similar emotions they’re experiencing, even as May overcomes the struggles of homesteading on the Kansas prairie.

If you want to write and read great stories and impact the lives of young readers, middle grade is where it’s at.

What was your favorite book from your middle grade years?

Middle Grade vs. Young Adult: What’s the difference?

This month I’m looking more closely at middle grade writing. I think one of the biggest questions about middle grade is this: What is the difference between middle grade and young adult fiction?

The most obvious answer is age. In middle grade, the main character can be anywhere from ten to fourteen, but writers need to keep in mind that young readers like to read about characters slightly older than themselves, so age your character one to two years ahead of the age of your target audience.

Ten would probably be a little young and closer to chapter books. Fourteen is edging into young adult. I find eleven to twelve is the age that works well for most middle grade stories. Harry Potter was eleven when he received his letter from Hogwarts. Percy Jackson is twelve when he finds out he is a demi-god. Harriet is eleven when she decides to become a great writer and spy.

Age is only the first distinction in middle grade. Plot and theme are two other distinguishing factors between middle grade and young adult. In young adult, the plot tends to focus more on the internalization of the teenage character and her transition into adulthood. The issues the character faces can be complex and the character can deal with some edgy situations, including drugs, alcohol and sex. Romance is usually an integral part of a young adult novel.

Middle grade, though not less complex, is less upfront about that kind of content. Characters are more concerned with discovering who they are and how they fit into the world, along with a more action packed plot that results in less internalization and more dialogue and external conflict. Middle grade protagonists are also starting to confront romantic feelings, but these relationships are usually more of a puppy love discovery than the intense, driven relationships of young adult.

Have you noticed other differences between these two genres? Which do you prefer?

The best way to get a feel for the difference between middle grade and young adult fiction is to read them. Here are some books I enjoy from both groups.

Middle Grade:

Artemis Fowl Series by Eoin Colfer

Possum Summer by Jen K. Blom

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling (even though Harry ages through the series, the books remain middle grade in theme and plot)

Young Adult:

Divergent Series by Veronica Roth

The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

Graceling by Kristin Cashore