Impossible little Myron.

When I think of the reason I started writing chapter books for middle schoolers, one thing came to mind - don’t write like you’re trying to be a child. Write it as if you were going through this world today.

Let’s face it, middle school is the worst. It’s the place where all the awkwardness of adolescence is on full display. Your face looks different than it did when you were in fifth grade (only a summer ago). Your voice is changing. Even worse, these things start to pop out on your face and nose! It seems like everyone is making fun of you and you constantly have to prove yourself. As an adult, nothing has changed.

When I think about my first chapter book for kids, Myron Pesky the Basketball Nightmare, I wanted to create something that middle school kids could understand, not trying to impersonate their lives. As adult writers we try so hard to put ourselves in the minds of children when we write for them, but its impossible. You can never truly place yourself back into your former youth without having some adult context. This sours the truth for these young characters.

This is why I set all of the Myron stories around singular events. These events, although small to adults, are massively important for characters like Myron, and especially for kids between the ages of 10-12. These are impossible situations that trigger some of the most authentic emotions for the character. So rather than trying to look at the world through a kids lens, I look at Myron’s world as an adult, seeking answers for hard problems. After all, kids usually don’t think of themselves as being kids. They filter their worlds through what they understand.

In the first book, Myron is chasing his friend Steve. Steve is headed off to play for their school’s basketball team, and if he does, Myron will lose him for ever. He will make new friends. He will be too cool to hang with his old friends. Myron only sees one option- join the team himself! This makes logical sense, especially to a 11 year old.

As I wrote the book, I realized that I feel the same way about being left behind as Myron does. The only difference is the situation, but the emotion is always the same. No one wants to be left behind and that is something both kids and adults have in common. So at the end of the day, when you try to write kids characters, just remember, they are not kids, but smaller versions of ourselves. I can’t wait to dive into the next book.