[kirsten-hardin Posts: 3 Status: Offline Aspiring fantasy writer. Lover of all things nerdy]

Hi all!
So, I have a fantasy novel I've been working on that I currently think of as MG. Here's my problem: the main protagonist is a 600-year-old fairy, while the supporting protagonist is a 12-year-old human girl. Should I keep it as MG for querying, or should I move it up to YA to be safe?

[David Wright Posts: 1,017 Status: Offline Tell me that again.]

I'm not sure I understand. You think the age of your protagonist is an issue?

Twelve is upper MG.

[kirsten-hardin Posts: 3 Status: Offline Aspiring fantasy writer. Lover of all things nerdy]

My question is more about the human girl. She's not the POV character, and I'm wondering whether that would mean the book wouldn't be considered MG

[David Wright Posts: 1,017 Status: Offline Tell me that again.]

Oh, I get it now.

Is the 600-year-old fairy child-like? Or does it act like an adult?
Why do you think YA would be better? Is the fairy like Edward in Twilight?

Either way, have you read Skullduggery Pleasant? It's MG and the MC is an adult. His 12-year-old sidekick (Valkyrie Cain) is a secondary protagonist. I don't think the books ever say how old Skullduggery is -- or when he died.

[dewsanddamps Posts: 2,303 Status: Offline]

I think the fairy needs to function as a MG-aged kid, despite their actual age, bc the MC needs to be a kid. It's okay if they're a bear or a thimbleberry or a balloon that acts like a kid, but I think you may have trouble if the MC isn't (at heart) a middle grader.

I had a MG ms that became unsaleable bc it had an adult sidekick--even though the kid MC had agency and solved everybody's problems. So maybe I'm extra sensitive to that, but I suspect you need to be careful here.

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 7,007 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

It is more likely this is an adult book than a YA book, especially if the main character has the wisdom that comes with so many years. It is possible to write a book for adults with a main character of any age, even a young child. This is because adults remember being kids and can relate. But kids can't relate to being adults. They simply don't have the experience.  This is why it matters whether your main character acts like a child or not. If the fairy isn't childlike, perhaps you can make the 12 year old the primary main character. I know it may mean cutting some events, but that may work out better than you think. Perhaps try it as an exercise.

But if it turns out you've written a book for adults, that's not a bad thing. Good luck.

[kirsten-hardin Posts: 3 Status: Offline Aspiring fantasy writer. Lover of all things nerdy]

Thank y'all so much! I'll definitely consider those things as I'm figuring out what to do.

[Pons Posts: 2,466 Status: Offline]

Just to add to the good advice you've already gotten, I'll say that the voice you write in also helps determine whether a book is MG or YA. I once wrote a book I thought was YA, but a critique group at a conference definitely thought it was MG because of the voice, and they were right. Explaining the difference between those two voices is harder than saying there is one, but I suspect you already know. If you don't, then reading a few books in each category will help.

[olmue Posts: 3,531 Status: Offline WWW]

Yes, voice is important, as well as perspective. Are you looking back on childhood? That's adult (even if the POV character is 12). Are you in the moment, with only the knowledge of a 12YO as the POV character? That's MG.

I think there is actually a sort of connection between adult and middle grade. In contrast with those two, YA often feels to me like it's a lone character against the world. But MG and adult can often have more of a community feel, where the POV character's connections with their environment/society carry more importance. Not sure how to explain this feeling, exactly, but more than once I've picked up a book and thought, is it MG? Is it adult?

[Pons Posts: 2,466 Status: Offline]

I know what you mean. There's a definite community connection in many MGs that I don't usually get in YAs. It is hard to explain.

[dewsanddamps Posts: 2,303 Status: Offline]

The common wisdom is that a MG MC is figuring out their place in their family/school/other group, and a YA MC is figuring out their place in the world.

[josh-weiss-roessler Posts: 2 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

I'm not sure if it's appropriate to piggyback off of another person's question, but I feel like there are similarities between kirsten-hardin's likely-adult-by-age fairy and an idea for a story/character I have that I haven't gotten around to writing yet.

The MC has remained a child (11 or 12) for decades (or possibly longer) because of experiments that were done on her. Essentially, she's immortal and doesn't age... but obviously having been around for so long she's had lots AND LOTS of experiences that other tweens haven't. I always think of the child vampire character in Interview with a Vampire. But I want to play her both as being sort of world-weary and "adult"... as well as having a brain that hasn't matured past the age during which she was experimented on. MG? Or something totally different?

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 7,007 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

Josh, this is interesting.  I think I'd take a deep dive into how sheltered your character has been. My 21 year old with special needs (ASD, ADHD) is very like a 12 or 13 year old in some ways. She also drives, goes to college and has a part time job. She has no jadedness. But she also isn't good at inferences and has a poor working memory. This makes school hard. And she struggles in more complex social situations. I think a character like her might work a middle grade. But world weariness moves to YA or adult.

Your character doesn't have a disability per se. But they do have response to trauma. And this can mimic many other things. It can keep someone trapped where they started. Your book will at some point have to address this factor. That alone might move you into adult territory. But much depends on execution.

The biggest question is does you character sound like a 12 year old?

[josh-weiss-roessler Posts: 2 Status: Offline I love kids' books!]

Hey Debbie, thanks for the response.

The truth is, this is still so much a concept that I don't know what her voice sounds like yet. I've even toyed with having her be the "main" character but not the POV character, a la Gatsby or Shawshank, and having the narrator who befriends her and tells her story be in that 10-13 range. So she's a kid like him... but also very NOT, and it's something he's wrestling with and trying to understand.

Anyway, gotta finish my current WIP first. I can see the finish line, but stupid life keeps getting in the way 

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 7,007 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

Have fun finishing the WIP and getting started on this. It may come together as you experiment with the opening and the ideas you have.

And I totally here you about life getting in the way. Losing two days this week to other stuff myself.