Building Worlds for Curious Minds: Writing Middle Grade Fiction
Why Middle Grade?
There’s something magical about the middle grade years.
Elementary school is now in the past, and new friendships are created.
Kids are old enough to ask big questions about belonging, identity, friendship, fairness, and fear—but they are still young enough to believe in the impossible.
They have new responsibilities (remember your first school locker) and are explorers at heart.
Speculative fiction gives young readers a map to mysterious places that don’t exist (or do they!)
I love writing for this age group because they are not jaded. They are open to the world around them, and they are brave.
They are ready to follow stories wherever they lead, as long as the adventure is honest, exciting, and full of heart.
The Joy of “What If?”
Speculative fiction thrives on the question of “What if?”
What if the moon were a giant library?
What if your dreams could leak into the real world?
What if your annoying little brother was actually a robot built by your future self?
These questions aren’t just fun, they are powerful. They stretch the imagination and challenge readers to think beyond the ordinary.
For middle-grade readers, that kind of stretching is everything. It helps them grow not just as readers, but as thinkers and dreamers.
Worldbuilding for Wonder
When I build a world, I try to see it through the eyes of a curious 11-year-old. What would they notice first? What would make them laugh, gasp, or want to dive deeper? I think about the rules of the world, sure—but I also think about the smells, the slang, the snacks. (Because let’s be honest, snacks are important.)
The goal isn’t just to create a cool setting. It’s to build a place that feels alive—a place where readers can imagine themselves having adventures, making mistakes, and maybe even saving the day.
Writing for the Kid I Was (and Still Am)
Sometimes when I’m writing, I think back to the real adventures I had as a kid, the ones that didn’t need magic spells or portals to other worlds.
Exploring the neighborhood woods like they were uncharted territory. Building forts out of old scrap wood. Pretending the sidewalk was lava and the only safe path was a trail of chalk-drawn lines.
Those moments were full of wonder, even without dragons or time machines. They were powered by imagination, curiosity, and the thrill of not knowing what we’d discover next.
Writing middle-grade speculative fiction lets me tap into that same spirit. It’s not just about creating fantastical worlds, it’s about capturing the feeling of being young, brave, and endlessly curious.
It’s about honoring the kid I was, who believed that every wooded path could lead to a hidden secret and every storm could be the start of something epic.
Thanks for reading!
If you’re a fellow writer, reader, or daydreamer, I’d love to hear: What kind of world would you build if you could?
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