Things About Being a Children’s Author That Just Make Sense

From chocolate stashes to animal trivia, here’s what fuels the middle-grade magic.

Being a children’s author is a little bit like living in a storybook yourself. It involves imagination, a dash of magic, and more notebooks than anyone really needs (but buys anyway).

Whether you’re writing about owls, wild adventures, or mysterious forests, there are certain things that just make sense when you live in the world of 8–12-year-old readers.

Inspired by my recent Instagram post, here are a few hallmarks of life as a middle-grade author.

The pros of being a children’s writer

Snacks within reach at all times
Because plotting a twist or chasing a deadline requires serious chocolate-fuelled brainpower.

Bookshops are market research
Wandering the aisles of bookshops counts as productive work. Honest. It’s where inspiration strikes. My to-be-read pile may be teetering, but I see that as a good problem to have.

Exploring different worlds—without leaving the couch
Whether it’s Hogwarts, Narnia, or Farwood, middle-grade stories are passports to elsewhere.

Talking about books, books, and more books
If you love chatting character arcs, cover art, or why kids’ fiction is criminally underrated, you’re in the right job. And book recommendations? Oh, we have plenty of those.

Your head is filled with weird & wonderful animal facts
Did you know owls can rotate their heads 270 degrees? No reason, just useful for future plot points.

ALL the cute notepads and pens
Plotting a book? There’s a notebook for that. Actually… there are seven. Possibly colour-coded. I find it impossible to leave stationery shops like Officeworks or Typo without some sort of notepad, pen, or trinket for the home office.

More behind-the-scenes writing tips & insights

I share behind-the-scenes writing updates, book recommendations for ages 8–12, and the occasional owl fact over on Instagram, Facebook, and right here on the blog.

Stay tuned for updates on The Feathers of Farwood, my upcoming magical middle-grade series published by Riveted Press, March 2026.