Children's and YA Writers: Remember What It's Like to Be Obsessed with Books?

My daughter has discovered Percy Jackson. This is after she discovered Harry Potter in early 2020, and then Hunger Games once we made our way through all seven books of Harry, and we were still in the middle of a pandemic. And for each one, she was in love with the books--couldn't get enough of them or the characters or the authors. 

She's in fifth grade this year, and when she discovers something, it consumes her. She's now planning her Percy Jackson Halloween costume and using her allowance to buy a PJ Camp Halfblood shirt. She made a PJ necklace, and she's constantly asking her grandparents and me trivia questions about the plot of Percy Jackson book one, even though we've never read the book (or maybe I read it years ago--it's hard to remember--I'm old). And she's telling us about the Greek gods, as if we had never heard of them before. But I'm letting her because she's excited, and she loves knowing something we don't.

Her enthusiasm helps me remember. I remember being consumed by things like this before I had to get an adult job and have adult responsibilities. I loved Trixie Belden and Sweet Valley High, and when I would go to the mall with my parents, I would beg for the next Trixie or SVH book from the B. Dalton. I wanted to be Trixie. I wanted to be one of the twins, and I couldn't get enough.

The great thing about being the mom of a kid who loves stories is that my enthusiasm for creativity gets a spark--all the time. She helps me remember what it's like to be absorbed by the things I love, by the things my friends loved, and to have a big worry (be not such a big worry at all), like how will I get the next book in the series? Or how will I design my Halloween costume?

Plus, another bonus right now is she's the age of the audience I write and publish for. And she tells me my books are good (although not quite as good as Percy Jackson...), and trust me, she wouldn't just say that because I'm her mom. Her words are encouraging and hopeful, and I feel so lucky to be her mom and to have a kid who loves books. 

But what do you do if you're writing for this audience and you don't have this spark of energy in your home? Eventually, I won't--eventually she'll be driving and dating and working her part-time job, and then she'll be in college. What do I do then? How do I keep that kid-like enthusiasm alive? How do I remember what it's like to be that age?

We read. We watch Netflix shows that kids are watching. We schedule school visits (although I know that's pretty hard right now!). We talk to librarians and bookstore clerks. We talk to people whose kids are that age. What are they into? What are they obsessed by? How do they act? Then we read and binge the shows they're binging. Maybe we even play a video game or two. We understand our audience. Or we try.

My point?

We write because we love to write, but we all must remember our audience. And when you're a children's writer or a YA writer, your audience is different than you, and it's important to remember how they are--not just for the characters whom you're writing, but for your readers. Imagine your perfect reader, your reader who is obsessed with your books and wants to dress up like your main character or write fan fiction or make YouTube videos about your book. Write the best book you can for that reader. Keep that reader in your mind, and you will already be on your way to having a Halloween costume designed.

As for my daughter? She's currently on to book two of Percy Jackson, already watched the first movie, and her Camp Halfblood shirt is on its way from Amazon, arriving tomorrow. I better get busy with book one. 

Margo L. Dill is a writer, editor, instructor, coach, and publisher, living in St. Louis, MO with her daughter and dog. Find out more at www.margoldill.com.

Want to learn more about writing for kids and YA readers? Consider taking Margo's class that starts October 6 and is CURRENTLY ON SALE this semester. Find out more about Writing Middle Grade and YA Fiction: A Study and Workshop by clicking here. 

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7 comments Margo L. Dill, middle grade novels, middle grade readers, middle grade writers, writing tips, YA novels, YA writers

We Didn't Know EVERYONE Would Be Talking About "It"

When Sioux contacted me a few years ago for developmental editing before I had started Editor-911 Books, like so many Americans, I also hadn't heard of the Tulsa Race Massacre. She told me her big picture idea and bought a novel draft package. With my developmental editor hat on, I read her manuscript (Sioux is a wonderful writer) and knew that she had spent most of the pages skirting around the actual massacre because she was writing a middle-grade novel, and she was thinking of her audience. I think she wondered if she could write about the horrific details of that event for that age group. But my advice was: Kids, teachers, parents, and librarians will want to read about the event--they need to read about the event. So she worked on the manuscript, and it became the amazing book, Greenwood Gone: Henry's Story.

She tried to get a New York contract. She tried to get a regional publisher. She tried to get an agent. Many loved her work and her writing, but her problem was she was not a 12-year-old Black boy. She was a White 60-something woman, and even though she had done her research and went to Greenwood to talk to historical experts and spent her career teaching this age group of kids in Jennings, MO, and Ferguson, MO, editors and agents were reluctant? scared? unsure? and told her maybe in a few years. But the 100 year memorial/remembrance was not in a few years. It was right around the corner.

She asked me when I started Editor-911 Books if I would consider publishing her book, and I knew the right answer immediately was yes. I don't regret it for a second. I had no idea the worldwide attention this event was going to get. I had no idea "everyone" would be talking about it. I had no idea we would end up with a photo of Sioux standing with Garth Brooks holding Greenwood Gone: Henry's Story in his hand. 

It is crucial for Black voices to tell their stories and to get the same opportunities as White voices. It's crucial that women get the same opportunities as men. It's crucial that historical stories are told. In my opinion for my little publishing house, it was worth any risk or criticism to get Henry's story into the hands of kids. If I wouldn't have said yes, there would still be NO historical fiction middle-grade novel about the Tulsa Race Massacre on the shelves. 

Then today, I read this editorial in the New York Times by Mr. Tom Hanks (yes, the White male actor). He is writing about how kids should learn about events like the Tulsa Race Massacre through media like historical fiction. (I'm not kidding. He actually says that--you can read his entire letter here.) Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love him and think he is probably one of the most genuine people on the planet, and he is using his celebrity power for good when he can. But Sioux and I are over here in our little world FIGHTING to get this book into the hands of kids, to get people to give it a chance, to review it, to buy it for a 4th or 5th grade teacher. We are fighting against things like Amazon removing one review from her only 18 reviews because I guess they decided that one of the reviews wasn't real, even though like all publishers, I sent out Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) to a list of people we knew who would review the book, including the St. Louis Post Dispatch who gave us this review here.  (Thank you for choosing our book to review. We really appreciate it. )

You may be wondering: Did you do anything about this Tom Hanks editorial? Why yes, of course, I wrote a comment on his article about Sioux's book (all comments on NYT are moderated--we will see if they publish mine). Yes, I even tweeted to Tom Hanks that we have just the book that he is talking about that kids need--we have the story to teach kids about the massacre, about racial terrorism. Telling Tom Hanks or the NYT is no different than how I spent last night telling people (aka strangers) on Facebook that our kids are the ones that can do something about these types of historical events and stop history from repeating itself. They just need to learn about them.

I am so thankful that we even live in a time where I could learn how to publish a book for someone else (without a lot of capital which as a single mom, I don't have). I am thankful that I met a person as generous and interesting and kind as Sioux, who, if you didn't realize this, is donating all of her profits from the book to Greenwood. I am beyond thankful that she trusted me to publish this book, and she knew to push me to get it done before the 100-year mark of the massacre. 

But I will tell you that most of us, including Sioux and I, are fighting to be heard and seen in an age-old system against people who may still think the Tulsa Race Massacre is too much for kids. Trust me, around the world and even in our own country, there are still 12-year-old (and younger) kids living in all kinds of horrific conditions and events and facing racism in their own back yards. 

It's okay. I'm not tired. I will keep fighting. Join us--if you know a teacher or librarian, consider sending them a book. You better believe that my daughter's 4th grade teacher received Greenwood Gone as part of her thank you gift at the end of the year.

Margo L. Dill is a writer, publisher, and mom living in St. Louis, MO. Find out more about Greenwood Gone: Henry's Story and other Editor-911 Books here.

Book cover illustration by Jessica Esfahani.  

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6 comments Editor-911 Books, Greenwood Gone, historical fiction, Margo L. Dill, middle grade novels, Sioux Roslawski, Tulsa Race Massacre