On Writing KAYA OF THE OCEAN
Recently, I’ve found myself thinking a lot about my experience of writing, and how it differs depending on the genre and format of the finished piece. Take, for example, the two mediums I write in the most: short stories and middle grade novels.
For me, writing short stories is a great way to spark creativity and explore different concepts without committing to the heft and intricacies of a full book with nuanced character arcs and lengthy plot development. It’s almost like speed dating for literary ideas. Short stories also have the benefit of a quick gratification cycle—you can usually write and polish a short story in a fraction of the time it would take to write and polish a book.
That being said, there are obviously challenges that are specific to writing short stories: how to complete a narrative arc in less than 20 pages? How much character backstory to divulge? Can the main plot handle a subplot? Where to end the story, and with how much resolution?
Once you find your flow (for lack of a better technical term), short stories can also be a literary gateway into full-length books. Some of my short stories have inspired my later books (when I can’t stop thinking about them and want to continue building that world or expanding the story), and other short stories have become scenes that have made their way into my books. For example, one of my short stories became a (heavily revised) flashback scene for my recently released middle grade novel, KAYA OF THE OCEAN.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, writing middle grade fiction is an experience that is starkly distinct from writing literary fiction short stories. Aside from the obvious different experience of writing a full-length novel versus a twenty-page short story, writing for middle grade readers can be as challenging as it is rewarding and inspiring.
Most middle grade fiction is aimed at readers aged eight to twelve. This is honestly a magical age to write for, as it’s a time when many children are first really discovering their love of books and reading. I know for myself, my lifelong love of reading truly began with middle grade novels. It’s also a great target reader group because, while preteens are on the verge of becoming worldly and can definitely approach anything with a healthy dose of skepticism, they’re also still young and innocent enough to believe in magic and the impossible—just a little bit, at least in literary worlds. They’re also going through an eventful time in their lives, full of changes and new experiences, which can be exciting and terrifying at the same time. Many of them may turn to books as a source of solace and comfort (I know I did), and it’s an honor to be able to provide that.
In my experience, the challenges of writing middle grade fiction can be separated into two groups: the writing and the marketing. When writing for middle grade readers, it’s so important to remember that although they’re young, they’re also sophisticated readers who don’t want to be talked down to or lectured. Like adult readers, they want a good story with relatable characters and a plot that can make them laugh or cry or feel afraid.
As the writer, even if you have a message you’re hoping to send or an idea you want to share (for KAYA OF THE OCEAN, it was a message to kids struggling with anxiety that they’re not alone and they’re amazing as they are), it’s still important to appeal to their love of the story first and foremost.
Yet it’s undeniable that kids speak differently than adults, so it’s also important to capture their language in an authentic way (I enlisted several children, including my own, to double-check some of the dialogue in KAYA to make sure it sounded genuine). Striking that balance between speaking in their language and speaking from your heart is one of the major challenges in writing middle grade fiction.
The other challenge has more to do with marketing a middle grade book. Unlike genres aimed at older readers (whether young adult or adult), marketing a middle grade novel means you’re often marketing to a decision-maker other than the ultimate reader (the child). Most middle grade readers don’t have social media (fortunately!) and are not fully in charge of deciding which books are purchased (or even which books are available to be considered). So marketing for a middle grade book ends up focusing on their parents, their teachers, and their librarians in the hopes that the decision-makers see in the book a valuable story to bring to their kids.
Regardless of the challenges, it’s been such an amazing and worthy experience writing middle grade novels like KAYA OF THE OCEAN. I’m thrilled and honored to be able to do so, and hope kids enjoy stories like KAYA. I’ll continue writing as long as they want to read them!
KAYA OF THE OCEAN
Anxious thirteen-year-old Kaya has always been afraid of everything—but when she learns she is the descendant of a Chinese water goddess, she’ll have to master herself to master her powers!
On the surface, thirteen-year-old Kaya leads a charmed life. She lives in beautiful, beachy Lihiwai. She has ride-or-die best friends. She’s ultrasmart and killing it at school. She even works with a super-cute boy at her parents’ restaurant.
But she also has anxiety—serious anxiety, the kind that makes you scratch and pick—and she’s always had bad luck around the ocean. It’s hard to enjoy Hawaiian beaches when you’ve almost drowned more than once.
But as stranger and stranger things happen to Kaya around the sea, she realizes that—wanted or not—she has a special connection to it. Waves rise when she’s angry. Surf smooths when she’s calm. Fish come when she calls them. And when she learns the truth about her family and her divine ancestor, Mazu, she knows that she will need to connect with her most difficult emotions ASAP—or her potent powers may become dangerous to the people she loves.
KAYA OF THE OCEAN is an exciting, fresh, and beautiful middle-grade fantasy about embracing who you really are. This heartfelt adventure of sun, surf, and sand touches on mental health, the immigrant experience, and the complexities of growing up. It has been recognized as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, an American Booksellers Association Indies Introduce Outstanding Debut, and an American Booksellers Association Kids Indie Next Great Read.
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Author bio:
Gloria L. Huang is an author of middle grade novels and literary short fiction. Her short stories have been published in literary journals including The Southern Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Threepenny Review, Chicago Quarterly Review, Witness Magazine, Massachusetts Review, and Pleiades. Her debut novel, KAYA OF THE OCEAN, has been recognized as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, an American Booksellers Association Indies Introduce Outstanding Debut, and an American Booksellers Association Kids Indie Next Great Read. It was released on January 7, 2025.
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