This could be one of the funnest ages to write for. Kids between 9 and 13 are beginning to find their places in the world. They are establishing their personalities and overcoming the need to be independent on some things while still maintaining the security of family on others.
Kids at this age can be delightful and mean. They are sweetly innocent and unusually astute. They’re humor changes from strict bathroom humor to wit and charm. They are very nuanced and amazing individuals.
It’s a privilege write for them, and I take my middle grade novel-writing very seriously. Which isn’t to say that my characters are serious and boring. In fact, I hope they’re the exact opposite.
Words from the Woods 