Author Archives: Chuck Mall

About Chuck Mall

Author of middle-grade fiction. Former writer for men's fitness magazines. Book "The Owl Motel: And Other Places Where You Are Not Welcome" available on Amazon. Avid cook and gardener.

Way Back in the Wayback Machine

Posted on July 14, 2020

To write kidlit, you need to mine your own past and reflect Continue reading →

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Throwing Out the Misdirection

Posted on July 2, 2020

I am going to publicly embarrass myself. I decided to be a writer in elementary school, and by the time I was in high school, I was prolific. There was no emotion or reality in my fiction, though. Being a … Continue reading →

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Imbue Your Work with Love

Posted on June 3, 2020

The secret to writing well lies with experience, and another “magic” ingredient you didn’t know. Continue reading →

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Book Review

Posted on May 5, 2020

Oddball entry: my reviews are on Amazon and Goodreads, but this one deserves a place in my space. Hope is a Ferris Wheel by Robin Herrera I’m a bit late to the game on reading this 2014 MG novel, but … Continue reading →

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3 Hot Tips to Make Your Middle-Grade Novel Saleable

Posted on April 5, 2020

If you’ve been studying writing awhile, you’re well-versed on how to create a character, how to structure a plot, and how to find the novel’s “voice” (by far the hardest thing). But did you know these three extras that really … Continue reading →

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Middle-Grade Book Know-How

Posted on March 30, 2020

Write Well, Learn the Genre, and Learn Advanced Techniques I can’t tell whether I’m writing a middle-grade book, a chapter book, or a YA. Have you ever thought about this? I’ve heard it at writers conferences and critique groups for … Continue reading →

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Transforming Fear into Fiction

Posted on March 25, 2020

How to use these strange times to propel your words Never have we seen such widespread fear in our society. Yet we were warned. Scientists have predicted a major pandemic. We all coasted along, visiting the world easily, indulging ourselves, … Continue reading →

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Rolling with Middle Grade Reading

Posted on February 25, 2020

Three “teaching” middle-grade books for writers After my last post I got emails and texts, asking me to talk about more middle-grade books I’ve read recently. So here are capsules of a few more. I don’t always read books in … Continue reading →

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Middle-Grader Road Grading

Posted on February 17, 2020

Why are middle-grade books my chosen writing genre? I’ve written middle-grade and young-adult fiction, and picture books (which I’ve tried to write; but can’t do it well). Somehow middle-grade plots, characters, and ideas are what populate my mind.  Perhaps it’s … Continue reading →

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The Useful Cage

Posted on February 2, 2020

How the Storytelling Format Can Limit a Fictional Narrative Strategically As a writer who has created almost all of his fiction in third person limited, using a standard narrative format, I’m always exploring how established novelists use or misuse format … Continue reading →

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