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Hi, Ella,

Thanks for posting. You’ve picked an interesting project. Let’s see how helpful I can be:

1. The average word count for the type of middle grade book I write is between 75,000 and 80,000. Let’s settle on 77,000, OK? Chapters defy counting as some of them are only a page or two long, and some go as long as 10 or 11 pages.

2. Steps: Yes, I plan the whole book before I write a single word. I can make changes, even add and subtract events and people, but the story must be there before I start to write. My technique is to plan the climax of the story and then write towards it. I’m very big on planning. Basically, you can’t say anything well unless you know exactly what you’re trying to convey. And you can’t know that unless you plan.

3. The writing process takes 6 to 8 months, depending on my personal appearance schedule, which can slow down the writing. That’s to produce the first draft. Then it goes to an editor, who makes suggestions, highlights the “You can’t say that!” portion of the narrative, and sends it back to me for a rewrite. A rewrite can be very short, or long enough to take a month to complete. That is generally the finished project — it goes to production from there.

4. I can’t tell anyone how to write. I only know what works for me. So write your book, polish it well, typed, double-spaced, and on one side of the page only. Write a short covering letter that introduces you and tells a little about your book. THEN — go to the library and find a book on writers’ markets. Look up publishers and the kind of books they’re looking for. If your manuscript fits the description, send it to them with a covering letter (and, alas, a stamped self-addressed envelope so they can send it back to you if it doesn’t appeal to them.)

There. Hope that’s helpful, (or even mildly interesting!)

                                     Regards,                                                              —–Gordon Korman—–