For Writers

Middle-Grade Craft: Insights from Payal Doshi and Cristina Oxtra

By on February 22, 2023   /   Articles, Author Interviews, Diversity, For Writers, Writing  

Historical fiction, fantasy novels, graphic novels, narrative nonfiction—writing for middle-grade can mean many different things. So, middle-grade authors need to take different approaches when crafting manuscripts for their genres. I talked with middle-grade authors Payal Doshi (fantasy novel) and Cristina Oxtra (historical fiction) to learn more about their craft and processes for writing two very different kinds of middle-grade books. Here are their thoughts on research and plotting, teen character development, and cultural representation in their books.

About the Authors

First, a bit about the authors and their books.

Payal Doshi noticed a lack of Indian protagonists in global children’s fiction and one day wrote the opening paragraph to what would become her first children’s novel. She was born and raised in Mumbai, India, and currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her debut middle grade fantasy novel, Rea and the Blood of the Nectar, is the recipient of the IPPY Gold Award. Her young adult short story will be published in the forthcoming YA Anthology, My Big, Fat, Desi Wedding by Page Street Kids in Spring 2024. Visit her at https://www.payaldoshiauthor.com.

 

 

 

Cristina Oxtra is a Filipino American children’s book author. Her historical fiction middle grade novel, Tara and the Towering Wave: An Indian Ocean Tsunami Survival Story, tells the story of Tara and her mother’s survival of the tsunami that slams into the coast of Thailand and the resort area where they are staying. Her first picture book, titled What Lolo Wants, will be published in 2024. She was awarded The Loft Literary Center’s 2019–2020 Mirrors & Windows Fellowship for indigenous writers and writers of color and is a teaching artist at The Loft. Cristina is also a full-time public relations professional, military veteran, and former journalist and educator. Visit her at www.cristinaoxtra.com.

 

 

Research and Plotting

Payal: Fantasy stories usually require lavish settings, a magic system, magical creatures, and often a political and social system in which the story takes place apart from the basics of needing main and secondary characters as well as plot. So, when I have an idea for a story in my mind, I need to plan the story well before I begin writing.

Being a 60% plotter and 40% panster, the first thing l do is jot down a bulleted summary of the plot/outline to see how the story unravels. Then I enter into research mode which sends me down multiple rabbit holes, but I usually come out of them with twists and details that I couldn’t have concocted myself! I’m a big fan of well-described settings and I love reading books in which the setting feels like a character itself and plays an integral part of the story. This sends me off into researching strange and beautiful landscapes, magical creatures that might inhabit such lands, and using simple tools like a ‘fantasy name generator’ on Google to create unique names for my characters and settings.

This is also the point in my outlining when I tend to spot plot holes, places where I need to add more tension or a plot twist like a red herring, for example, and I begin to have a better sense of the setting, what my characters look like, what their internal motivations are, and what obstacles they might face. I like to create well-rounded characters so each of the characters, main or secondary, have their own strengths and weaknesses. I then try to put these characters in situations that will test their weaknesses and insecurities, which I find not only ties in well with their personalities but also makes for nail-biting plot and emotional progression. I also remember to maintain two arc trajectories for them—first that is plot-driven (i.e., how the character grows and changes based on the obstacles they face) and second is emotion-driven (i.e., how the characters’ feelings develop through their experiences in the story).

Cristina: Great research is the foundation of any historical fiction.  As part of my extensive research, I read books, articles, studies, and news reports. I read not only about the tsunami in 2004, but also about the meteorological phenomenon itself and about the country of Thailand, its history, geography, culture, and people. I also watched documentaries and personal videos from those who lived through the tsunami and the devastating aftermath. These were the most emotionally powerful resources. I even followed social media pages for vacation sites in Khao Lak to view pictures and get an idea of what the area is like.

As for plotting, I’m a firm believer in outlining. If I have to quantify it, I’m at least 75% plotter and 25% pantser. I usually have an idea of how the story will end and I work backwards to determine how it will reach that conclusion. I outline what will happen in each chapter and I use this outline as a road map to move the plot along. However, oftentimes a detour suddenly appears on the road map. Perhaps it’s the possibility of introducing another character I had not thought of at the start of the writing journey or a different plot twist. I always explore any detour to see whether or not it works well with the story. As I do so, I ask myself, “Does it make sense? Is it believable? Does it work with the facts?” It’s one of the challenges of writing an historical fiction. You can choose whichever path you’d like, but you have to stay true to the historical facts while building your fictional story around them.

Teen Character Development

Payal: A question I often get asked is how I write for a middle grade audience being in my late 30s! For one, I keep an ear out for how teens talk (this can involve some embarrassing eavesdropping!), watching teen TV shows, and also remembering my own childhood experiences—how we spoke, how we dressed. I try not to date my
characters’ dialogue by using very specific colloquialisms, keeping them more generic instead. An excellent piece of advice I received from my editor regarding writing for middle grade kids was to give a peek into the main character’s inner monologue especially when they are about to make big, important, or conflicting decisions. This helps
even a reluctant reader understand the nuances of a character and story.

Also, a tool I use to ensure my plot and character arcs are progressing well is to check if in every chapter the reader and main character learn something they didn’t know before i.e. new information about the plot, the introduction of a new character, new obstacles, grappling with new emotions.

Cristina: I created Tara to be a relatable character. Like many young people her age, she eats mac ‘n’ cheese, loves spending time with her best friend, is uneasy in new situations, prefers to stay in her comfort zone, and is unsure about trying new things.  My experiences as a mom of a teen and a former educator at the middle school level helped. Tara is also a child of divorce, like many children in the United States. My mother and biological father separated when I was a child. I drew from that experience of learning to come to terms with the separation, feeling the loss, recalling fond memories, and wondering about the future. Just as Tara did.

As with any character, I enjoy building a backstory for them before I start writing about them. For example, what are their likes and dislikes, who are their friends, what are their hobbies, what do they want to be when they grow up, have they always lived in the same place, etc. This information may be useful later in the story. But even if I don’t use all of this information, it still helps me gain a better understanding of the characters and how they would feel or act in a given situation based on who they are. In addition, I make sure my characters learn and grow through their experiences in the story, and I prefer to end a story in a way that leaves readers with the feeling of hope.

Cultural Representation

Payal: I’m from India and South Asian representation in children’s books is incredibly important to me. I love weaving in details about my culture and heritage into the fabric of the story. I want South Asian kids see themselves as main characters in books and know that they are worthy of going on exciting adventures and being heroes.

Being human is a universal experience and what bonds a reader to a character is not their outward appearance but their hopes, dreams, failures, successes, insecurities, strengths, and how they navigate through life. That’s what I like to focus on when writing a book. Similarly, I want kids from other cultures and countries to relate with my characters and see that despite their different backgrounds, they share the same hopes, dreams, and fears. It is my hope that South Asian kids feel seen when they read my books, know that their stories deserve to be celebrated, and feel joy and pride for their culture.

Cristina: Representation matters. Growing up, I didn’t see myself in the books in the libraries or at school. Therefore, I write stories that feature diverse characters and uplift diverse voices. I wanted to do this in Tara and the Towering Wave as well as reflect the immigrant experience.  This involved not only a tremendous amount of research, but also delving into my memories. Although I’ve never been to Thailand, I learned it has some similarities with the Philippines, where I was born and raised, so I drew from my personal experiences. For example, the scene wherein Tara and her mom rode in a tuk-tuk is based on my experience of riding in a similar vehicle as a child in the Philippines. As inspiration for the market scene, I recalled walking in the open-air markets in the Philippines and combined those memories with what I learned from food TV shows featuring Thailand. In addition, I consulted with two friends, one who lived in Thailand for several years and another who is a native of the country, to make sure I portrayed Thailand, its people, and its culture accurately and with respect.

Through Tara and the Towering Wave, I wanted to show the power of the human spirit and the good each individual can do. I also wanted to explore the theme of identity, the desire to belong, and what ties us to our family and our heritage. Tara’s story highlights the bond between a mother and daughter as they learn about their Thai heritage and themselves. As a Filipino American who was born and raised in the Philippines, I wonder what it would be like if I went back. I have not returned since I left as a child. My son was born and raised in the United States. What would it be like if we visited the Philippines? Would we feel awkward and uncomfortable, like Tara? Would we feel like Filipinos or strangers in a foreign land?

I hope this story inspires readers to discover their inner strengths, help others, and learn more about their family and heritage. I also hope it helps ensure that those who died, lost someone, or survived the tsunami are never forgotten.

Thank you so much for joining us on the blog today and sharing your insights, Payal and Cristina! Hope their insights into crafting historical fiction and fantasy novels will help you on your MG writing journey. Be sure to check out their wonderful middle-grade books Rea and the Blood of the Nectar and Tara and the Towering Wave. Happy MG writing and reading to all!

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Beyond Personification – Using (and Teaching) More Complex Literary Devices in MG Writing

By on January 23, 2023   /   For Writers  

I hope everyone’s year is off to good start!  Depending on your climate and interests, hopefully you are getting just the right amount of snow, rain, sun, or beach days. No matter the conditions, winter is a good time for bringing newness—new year, new plans, new lessons, new pages. I’m happily revising a MG historical right now and looking for new ways to enliven the narrative while staying true to plot and character. At the same time, I’m analyzing some new-to-me MG books for my editing job, and I thought I’d share some (hopefully) useful insights on three literary devices you might not immediately associate with MG writing.

You probably know these devices well, but since they don’t necessarily go hand in hand with middle grade curricula, you might not think of them in connection with MG. Generally, middle grades get a fair amount of similes and metaphors, imagery, personification, foreshadowing, and maybe a little situational irony; beyond those, many other literary techniques may not be covered in depth until later junior high/high school, even though examples appear in MG literature all the time.

You probably are already including the following lit devices in your MG writing because they are naturally graspable concepts for most middle grade readers—even though readers may not know the names. Recognizing these literary devices and elevating them as a strategy for revision might bring some fine, original moments to your MG writing—along with a breath of that newness we tend to crave in a project we seek to improve.

Vignettes

A vignette can refer to a short, standalone piece of writing; it can also mean a standalone performance, like one of a series of monologues or scenes in a nonlinear play. But vignettes appear all the time in narrative storytelling as well; look for them as brief sketches or descriptions that don’t contribute to the plot directly but work to more fully convey characterization, setting, or mood.

Vignette derives from the French word vigne (vineyard), which probably brings images of connected, trailing, spreading vines. MG vignettes, like literary sketches, are all of those: connected to the story, but leading the reader’s imagination a few steps down a path for a quick glimpse from a new perspective, like in this moment from Lisa Yee’s Maizy Chen’s Last Chance:

The Ben Franklin Five and Dime smells like apples. The handcrafted jewelry and glass jars crammed with colorful candies make me feel like I’ve walked into a treasure chest. A dig bald man in a nubby orange sweater sits at the soda fountain counter. He looks up from his banana split, but when our eyes meet, he turns away, almost shyly. (Chapter 6)

The lens on the story or character (or both) is adjusted and refocused with this descriptive little sketch, but no passage of time or plot event occurs. Think of a vignette as a time-standing-still moment in which you get to take a good look around. Sometimes the author stops time to build suspense or prolong and heighten emotion, like in this moment early in Sharon M. Draper’s Stella by Starlight:

Besides the traitorous leaves, Stella could hear a pair of bullfrogs ba-rupping to each other, but nothing, not a single human voice from across the pond. She could, however, smell the charring pine, tinged with …what? She sniffed deeper. It was acid, harsh. Kerosene. A trail of gray smoke snaked up to the sky, merging with the clouds. (Chapter 1)

In the time it takes to sniff the air, the author fills the moment with tone, sensory imagery, foreshadowing, and the hint of danger. Vignettes are powerful, swift tools in MG.

Allusions

Allusions are brief references to something that exists outside the scene, typically calling to mind some recognizable name or element from mythology, history, religion, culture, or another story. They are layered with meaning and rely on the reader “getting” the content based on their general familiarity with the topic. They are a quick and punchy shot-in-the-arm of interest for the reader who recognizes them, too, making them perfect for MG—middle graders enjoy coming across an unexpected mention of some bit of knowledge they already know. And you can communicate a complex idea with just a mention of an allusion—sometimes more easily than in explanation.

Think younger with MG allusions; favorite childhood characters, fairy tales, ideas, and stories that have stood the test of time and appear across multiple works or iterations might work well. If you want to get across the idea of an overbearing, oppressive, authoritative character, don’t call them a Big Brother; maybe call them an Umbridge. Ask if your allusions represent only one time period, culture, religion, or group. Consider cultural figures whose renown has crossed cultural divides.

Of course, allusions also offer a great opportunity for an MG writer to sneak-teach readers a new bit of history or culture when the reference might be not-so-recognizable. In Jennifer L. Holm’s Full of Beans (which takes place in Key West in the 1930s), the allusion to the town’s “resident writer” offers the chance to investigate Ernest Hemingway; and in Brenda Woods’s When Winter Robeson Came (set in 1965), protagonist Eden’s piano teacher mentions Margaret Bonds and Julia Perry, Black female composers.

Juxtaposition

The tricky-sounding word belies its simplicity. Juxtaposition is simply the setting up of contrast between two elements (characters, settings, ideas, emotions, really anything) for the sake of highlighting one or both involved. Middle graders are keen on comparison (this is why we introduce and review metaphor and simile so frequently at early middle grades) and with juxtaposition, the meaningfulness is simple and elemental—thinking about what’s dissimilar between two sides speaks to just the right developmental skills of middle grade.

Many MG novels start off with a juxtaposition between the way the protagonist thinks the week (holiday, school day, morning, etc.) will go and the strange, unexpected, or shocking events that really occur. Juxtaposed characters can show a host of contrasts; opposing traits might appear in dramatic foils.

Juxtaposition of setting is key if a protagonist leaves their Ordinary World for another place. Think of how effectively Neil Gaiman sets up the difference between Coraline’s real home and the otherworldly home of her “other mother.”

In a more recent example, Brian Young uses juxtaposition to set the stage in his Healer of the Water Monster, starting with the Navajo legend revealed in the Prologue (the gentle Water Monsters who keep the waters “tranquil” and “nourishing” become violent and destructive when Coyote kidnaps one of their infants) and continuing with protagonist Nathan’s big change in summer plans from bonding time with his father on a trip to Las Vegas to—instead—a long stay with his grandmother Nali in her mobile home in the desert. Even the chapter headings show juxtaposition of language with the number first in Navajo, then in English.

If you teach middle graders, they might be ready for some brief introduction to these and other lit devices that go beyond the usual study of personification and foreshadowing. They might look for examples of allusions in their class novels, and talk about why the author chose the reference they did. A handy chart or table in their reading journal can be used to compile examples of juxtaposition. And vignettes present an excellent opportunity for creative writing in the classroom; students might try their hand at short character sketches when a “walk-on” character in a class novel inspires description.

Happy writing in this year – I wish you all the best with everything new!

 

 

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Hitting a novel home run in 2023 by making a difference

By on January 3, 2023   /   Articles, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, For Writers  

By Faran Fagen

Like you, I’ve got a full lineup of goals for 2023. The new year offers a time to look at what’s most important.

My most pressing concrete goals are a home run revision that grabs the reader (my writing world), and to meet my financial goals (personal world).

But my general goal is to make a difference on all fronts. If I tackle each goal with the idea of making a difference, thinking of others, good things tend to happen.

In that spirit, here’s my top 10 list of writing goals for 2023:

  1. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page.
  2. Give the reader just enough detail so they’re dying to know what comes next.
  3. Choose a setting that adds to suspense and advances the story.
  4. Immerse myself in the main character so the reader feels like they’re experiencing the story through their five senses (think “Avatar”)
  5. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page.
  6. Each scene has urgency for the characters to reach their goals (or not).
  7. Conflict. Every scene filled with conflict. Conflict between characters. Inner conflict. Think all the “Rocky” movies.
  8. Transformation. How do the characters change? What do they learn? How do we journey through their transformation?
  9. In revision, know what to take out and what to leave in. I know this one’s easier said than done. A mentor once told me to defend each word like a lawyer defends each client.
  10. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page.

In the end, it’s about writing a book that makes a difference. Didn’t I say that somewhere?

Here’s some goals from some of the children’s book writers/agents who’ve had a huge influence on me:

Author/illustrator Fred Koehler:

  1. WORD COUNT:I’m keeping it simple without any sort of overall word count resolution–just a single manuscript to revise, however many words it takes. For 2023 it’s a middle grade treasure mystery where editors LOVED the first half but thought the ending was too over-the-top. Keep what they loved. Slash and burn the rest.
  2. REJECTION:Rejection is a great measurement of how close you are to success. (Here’s my thesis on Rejection.) My resolution for 2023 is 50 rejections. Between a graphic novel already out on sub and several picture manuscripts at various stages, I should be able to achieve that no problem.
  3. COMMUNITY:Through my work with fellow writers at Ready Chapter 1, various critique groups, and other awesome communities like this one, my resolution is to help create the ‘aha’ moment or make the connection for ONE writer to land their first book deal. This will be more meaningful to me than anything I achieve for myself.

Aurora Dominguez, award-winning teacher and aspiring YA novelist:

  1. Finish the draft of my first YA novel
  2. Write for fun more, not just for freelance journalism purposes! *more for fun
  3. Take the time to write meaningful and purposeful, as well as uplifting messages, to loved ones and colleagues.

Jonathan Rosen, agent, The Seymour Agency:

  1. Make time to write. Period.
  2. Stretch outside my comfort zone to write in new genres
  3. Write what I like and let it find an audience

Author Marjetta Geerling:

  1. Finish writing book 1 of a new series.
  2. Remember writing is fun!
  3. Stop stressing about social media.

Joyce Sweeney, agent, The Seymour Agency:

  1. Do not keep scheduling meetings on writing day!
    2. Remember that every client is an individual and needs individual strategy, attention and care
    3. Always be kind, especially to beginning authors who query.

Hope you reach your goals for 2023!!

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