Middle Grade Ninja: GUEST POST: “Why I Don’t Write Middle Grade” by B.A. Williamson

I love middle grade books. I have since before there was a difference between YA and MG, back when I picked up The Giver, devoured it in one weekend, and simply called it a book. But whenever anyone asks me why I write middle grade, I have a very simple answer: I don’t. Picture this: You’ve made […]

Middle Grade Ninja: GUEST POST: “Visions Of Ore” by Cam Baity and Benny Zelkowicz

When we set out to write our trilogy, THE BOOKS OF ORE, we ambitiously (and quite naively) attempted to build an entirely new world from scratch. Why hold ourselves to the familiar fantasy building blocks of medieval Europe, or magic, or talking animals? Our experience as animators taught us that every cliché could be challenged, […]

Middle Grade Ninja: GUEST POST: “The Village Approach to Fellow Author Strokes” by Sunny Weber

I recently solicited endorsements for my new middle-grade book, The Dog at the Gate: How a Throwaway Dog Becomes Special. I chose other authors as well as various experts in related fields. One middle grade author asked why I wanted an endorsement from her, as she saw herself as “a small fry.” One look at […]

Middle Grade Ninja: GUEST POST: “A Very Serious Disclaimer for ‘HAIR IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES'” by Andrew Buckley

HAIR IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES is a new book from the slightly unhinged mind of Andrew Buckley. Be warned, it’s not a safe book; in fact it’s potentially quite dangerous. As described in the opening disclaimer: First, a word of warning . . . I don’t want to get too scientific here, but there […]

Middle Grade Ninja: GUEST POST: “Undeniably Real: An Author Realizes He Can Make a Difference” by Chris Minich

Over the summer, I was fortunate to speak with my target audience on a couple of occasions related to my first book as an author. There I was, in a room full of students, one class about to end the school year and another class participating in a summer reading program. The spotlight was on […]

Middle Grade Ninja: GUEST POST: “UGH! The Creative Process” by Margaret R. Chiavetta

I didn’t really get into creative writing until after college, when I worked on an island full of monkeys (sorry, I’m not explaining that any further). Most writers boast that they’ve been writing ever since they were kids. Well good for them! I’m sure they are seasoned veterans when it comes to the struggle that […]

Middle Grade Ninja: GUEST POST: “Turning a Video Game into a Book Series (with Adventure and Meaning)” by Danica Davidson

            When I tell people I write fictional books about video games, they’re usually shocked. This shock then often turns into one of two things: either they find this idea suspicious the more they think about it, or they think it’s a great idea that can get kids reading on top […]

Middle Grade Ninja: GUEST POST: “Truth In Fiction” by S.D. Hintz

Any fiction author, regardless of genre, understands the importance of making their writing believable. Creating an imaginary world that seems plausible is the difference between a page-turner and dust collector. While your readers are craving fantasy, horror, and the like, they would rather starve than follow a story that fails to ring true. Case and […]

Middle Grade Ninja: GUEST POST: “Tie Your Camel and Trust in Allah” by Kurtis Scaletta

Are you there, Esteemed Reader? Ninja here. I’ve been ignoring this blog since my two-part post Swimming With Sharks in which I warned readers that some publishing professionals are not to be trusted. Traffic since that post has exploded and I’ve found it easier to stay offline and  focus on my upcoming release rather than […]