As I work on my middle grade rewrite, I’ve been reading over the notes that I took when I went to the Missouri SCBWI Writing Retreat led by editor Cheryl Klein. One of the things that she asked us to consider is what experience you want to bring your reader in the course of your book. In light of this, I’ve been noodling some things over in terms of my own story.
Do I want the reader to have a particular emotional experience?
Although I deal with some fairly serious material, I want the reader (I picture a twelve-year-old boy) to laugh. Sure, he’s going to be outraged, but not surprised, at the stupidity of the adults and the evil perpetrated by his younger sister, but I don’t want this piece to go dark. I could go dark and scary, but I’m think something with the Bruce Coville booger factor here.
Do I want my reader to learn something specific?
I want my readers to learn that they are ultimately responsible for their own actions.
Do I want them to explore an idea?
I want to encourage my readers to think for themselves, to not let adults or well-meaning peers shoe-horn them into a box into which they wouldn’t naturally fit. I want them to think about the labels that they wear.
The answers to these questions should effect every decision that I make in the course of writing my book including voice, setting, plot and characters. As a result, the story is told in the first person, from the point-of-view of a twelve-year-old boy who is about to finish the 6th grade. He’s very tween — smart, irreverent and disgustingly funny. I’ve had to make some decisions about his actions that may not make sense to an adult, unless that adult it the Mom of boys. Then, you still may not “get it” but its a familiar brand of cluelessness.
Do any of these questions change how you might approach your current project?
–SueBE
One Writer's Journey 
These are great questions! Thanks for sharing. Hope your WIP is going well.