Write the Book of Your Heart... Even If It's Not Sellable?

I'm going to tell you a secret. When I wrote The Song of Orphan's Garden, I had no idea if I would be able to sell it. This book doesn't follow the rules--it's a fantasy in verse, a genre that basically doesn't exist. It incorporates formal poems (in other words, not free verse, but poems that follow strict rules), and I didn't even stick to only the simple poetry forms that most middle grade readers would know, like haikus. No, I put a blitz poem and an awdl gywydd poem in my book! Why? Because I like them. Because, when I started writing this story, I wanted to feel free to play. I experimented. I failed sometimes, but each time, I got closer to something that felt right to me. 

People often ask me why I wrote this story in verse. There's a school of thought that says you should only write in verse for very specific types of books: introspective stories that don't have a lot of external plot. Fantasy worldbuilding in verse is hard--and generally not recommended. So, why did I break all the rules? 

Well, when I get the inevitable question of "why verse?," I point out that my story is certainly more introspective than your average fantasy. The book is about a world falling apart, yes, but it's more about two kids who are trying to keep their hearts and minds (and bodies!) intact while the world crumbles around them. So, there certainly are good reasons this story works well in verse. But the real reason I wrote it that way? Because that's the way it came to me. 

This is the book of my heart. A story born from an image that stuck with me from a favorite childhood picture book ("The Selfish Giant" by Oscar Wilde). That image formed such an indelible imprint on my mind that it still haunted me forty years later. When I began turning that image into The Song of Orphan's Garden, I was writing for myself, partially as a way of processing my own feelings about the divisions and problems we were facing as a country and in the world (I started writing this book in 2019--there was a lot to process). I was already on submission with another book, hoping to hear good news at any time. So, I gave myself permission to write this one exactly the way I wanted without worrying about the MG market or the eventual editor who might read it. 

Of course, you should pay attention to the old adage that says you should know the rules before you break them. 

In the end, I got the book I wanted, and I also got a publishing deal. I can't guarantee that if you write the book of your heart in exactly the way you want to, the same will happen for you. But I can guarantee that you'll learn some things along the way!

Three middle grade books that broke the rules--and sold anyway:

The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson - I don't want to be too spoilery in case there are people in the world who haven't read this book yet. (What are you waiting for? You must read it!). Instead, I'll just say this book does not give us the typical happy ending we've come to expect from middle grade. This book made me sob. But I also still think about it 40 years later.

Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri - This book is told in an unusual non-linear format, jumping between the present and memories, and incorporating myths as well.

Mightier Than the Sword by Drew Callander and Alana Harrison - This fun novel includes interactive elements where the reader completes puzzles, draws pictures, fills in words, and more!