Figuring It Out

By now I’m well into the second draft of Cleodora. The last major decision I have to make is whether this should be one book or two. This might be something I’ve talked about before. The manuscript right now is 81K words. If I want it for middle grades (grades 3-5), that is much too long. There’s a natural breaking point that could divide it into two 40K-word books. This would have a lot of advantages.

Kids at this age adore fantasies. They can’t get enough. The cozy approach is highly in demand as well. Youth librarians I talk to say that having things like an alternative economy and no warrior class are not the obstacle I thought. Exotic wardrobe would not be an issue.

Having two books would allow me to do it as a duology. I could prepare the first book for November, as originally planned, and the second for next May. I like to do two publications a year, so that fits my desired schedule. The second part also needs more work than the first, and I would have time to do that.

It would give me more flexibility on the title, as a “Cleodora and” would make more sense.

This is all pretty convincing, so why am I still dithering? At the YA level I can get more deeply into some of the motivations and reactions. In MG you keep it straightforward. I also can include some of the content in YA that I wouldn’t in MG. Specifically, there is a pregnancy and childbirth. That kind of thing can raise eyebrows, not in a good way.

Oh, who am I kidding? The story will flow without that subplot. Thanks, everyone, for helping me figure this out.

Middle grade it is!

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