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Writing for Middle Grade isn’t as easy as you might think. Today’s guest shares her top five tips to help you be successful.
Welcome to Your Best Writing Life, an extension of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference held in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of NC. I’m your host, Linda Goldfarb. Each week, I bring tips and strategies from writing and publishing industry experts to help you excel in your craft. I’m so glad you’re listening in. During this episode, you’ll learn about … Top Five Tips for Writing Successful Middle Grade books.
My industry expert is Taryn Souders. Taryn’s middle grade novels have been named to over 25 state award lists. Her book, Coop Knows the Scoop, was a 2021 Edgar Award nominee for Best Juvenile mystery novel and a Maud Hart Lovelace Honor book. The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle won the Florida Book Award and was both an Agatha Award and an Anthony Award nominee.
Alright, let’s head into our content for today.
Top Five Tips for Writing Successful Middle Grade:
- KNOW your audience!
- Don’t have a bad-looking cover.
- Don’t preach.
- You HAVE to have high stakes and tension.
- Study dialogue.
Taryn Souder's new book is releasing in January 2026. It's called SECRETS OF THE BROKEN HOUSE (Sourcebooks Young Readers)
You can find out more about Taryn below
Website: www.tarynsouders.com
X : https://x.com/TarynSouders
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/taryn.souders
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taryn_souders/
Books Taryn recommends:
-The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Linda suggests any book by Taryn Souders!
The Mystery of the Radcliffe Riddle
How to (Almost) Ruin Your Summer
REGISTER for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference
REGISTER for the Florida Christian Writers Conference
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Your host - Linda Goldfarb
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