Read on Twitter
Alrighty fam. It's time for my first thread of the #RevPit season, and we've got to talk about voice in MG. First, a caveat: There are 2 kinds of voice.
1. The voice of the author, where the style is reflective of their own life lens/experience
2. The voice of the character, (1
1. The voice of the author, where the style is reflective of their own life lens/experience
2. The voice of the character, (1
The voice of the character is something else entirely. It's where the personality and POV of said character is shaped through not only vocabulary, but also--in MG--the hopes/dreams/priorities of a CHILD. Kids read up, which needs to be considered when writing MG #RevPit (2
Example: For Upper MG, the protagonist tends to be 11 or 12, therefore the target reader is actually around 8-10 years old. 12-14 year olds are already reading YA. There are a few voice/structural flaws I'm seeing in some of my subs #RevPit (3
1. The POV character voice (aka, narrative style) is beautifully written, but is written from a/an YA/Adult lens (think vocabulary, complex imagery, using references from the 80's/90's/00's...your target audience was born in 2013) #RevPit (4
2. The POV character voice (aka narrative style) is beautifully written, but is written from the assumption that the target audience is learning how to read (childlike vocabulary, no imagery, think Picture Books and Chapter Books) #RevPit (5
3. The Hero's Journey. In MG, the goal/stakes are aligned with the limited life experience of a child. From 8-12, the focus should be on family and friends--keeping the family together, saving mom/dad, helping/saving friends...vs saving the world #RevPit (6
4. Murder. So much murder! OMG! Remember your target audience. Upper MG is slightly darker for sure, but opening with murder is pretty scary for an 8 year-old, you know? Think about your comps/the MG you read. As in all manuscripts, begin with... #RevPit (7
1. This is the MC
2. This is their biggest woe right now
3. This is what will happen if woe won't get fixed
4. This is what they stand to lose
THEN, forward-moving action, moving toward the Inciting Incident #RevPit (8
2. This is their biggest woe right now
3. This is what will happen if woe won't get fixed
4. This is what they stand to lose
THEN, forward-moving action, moving toward the Inciting Incident #RevPit (8
You all did an incredible job! Character voice is never something that turns me off, but it is the one element within your control that has the potential to hook an agent's attention. Alright, back to my subs! Love you all xx #RevPit
