If you want to write middle grade novels, then study the work of Linda Urban. She can create character with fewer words than any other writer I know. And the characters she creates are the kind I simply fall in love with, because they are messy and flawed and stumbling along, just like me.

So, in four short days, you must run to your local independent bookstore or local library and get your hands on

 You. Will. Love. This. Book.

I promise.