It heals all things.
It is a conqueror.
It is of the essence
It flies.
It stands still.
It is fleeting.
It is an illusion.
It can be begged, borrowed, or stolen.
It can be lost, found, or wasted.
Time.
As writers, we all are well aware of time. It can be one of our biggest pains in the derriere. There is never enough of it, it seems, so we must constantly be aware of how we manage time to write, time to research, time to market, and time to be human.
We fight time, sure. But, we can also use time to our writing advantage. Understanding the value of time and an awareness of time in our writing is an essential and learned skill.
The classic story structure, with a beginning, a middle, and an end, is a timeline. We, as readers, are pretty much hardwired to this three-part structure and the most satisfying stories we consumed usually follow this structure. Certain narrative things happen at certain narrative times and we expect it. We’ve been grounded in this timeline for stories. We can use this structure of a linear time scale to help us create resonance in our stories and connect with our readers.
Another integral function of time is pacing. Pacing/timing can be an effective tool in any story, but is especially important to middle grade stories. Finding the proper beat of the story keeps it flowing in rhythm and helps establish the essential middle grade character voice.
At the other end of the writer/time spectrum is an awareness of middle-grade time and how it differs from the adult time. Perception of time changes with age. My 50+-year long view of time has to be reigned in and corralled when the perspective of a 10-year-old is what’s necessary. This can sometimes be a tough thing to do, but it is also a very rewarding thing to do. We get to step outside of our “oldness” and be a kid again. Do you remember time as a kid? Completely different from the hustle and bustle of adulthood.
For the old man me, time ticks by like flaps of wings, in rapid succession always moving forward. When I was a kid, time had a life of its own. Sometimes it flowed like ice-cold molasses. The slow drag of the school year or the long, dog days of summer, or waiting for the holidays. Sometimes time was a snap of a finger, like at recess or lunch, or skateboarding down the big hill at the church. Sometimes it even seemed to stand still, like night swimming or fishing with your Grandparents, or getting the game-winning hit.
So remember, time is on your side.
Use it to its maximum potential in both your creative works and when you’re working creatively.
Speaking of time, it’s time for me for get back to work on this draft.
Because, as the saying goes, “Time and tide wait for no man”. Nor woman. Nor middle grade writer.
By User:S Sepp – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2949887
Along with his MUF posts, T. P. Jagger can be found at 
When I first started writing, I chose middle grade, since that is the age level of my library. However, after being told by critique partners and editors that it should be YA because of the subject matter, I’ve been in the process of converting. Writing time is sparse for a school librarian. It is taking much longer than I thought it would.
Speaking of money, Kansas (as well as other states) has been especially hard hit with cuts to educational funding. How has that affected your ability to purchase books and resources, bring in authors, etc.? The above really helped with funding. I have worked at my current position for about 19 years. My funding has been reduced many times. At one point, because of a change in the district distribution of funds, I did get a slight increase. This really tears me up since there are so many good books that we can’t afford to get. I’m especially concerned about funding for next year. It’s very scary to hear of districts who will cut their librarians. This is a subject I could go on and on about. Let’s just say I’m very disappointed. Our district is fortunate to have a “Meet the Author” program. The district is still helping to fund that program, with help from our PTOs and a share of the proceeds from book sales. This is another area where funding has not been increased 
The biggest changes I have seen in student reading is the interest in graphic novels and hybrid books like the Wimpy Kid series and Dork Diaries. A few years ago it was fantasy with the Harry Potter knock-offs. It will be interesting to see what comes next. I have started seeing more MG animal fantasies, recently.
Fun ways? Never! A librarian is supposed to be 80 years old with a bun. I think of myself as a cheerleader for finding the information, whatever the form, to help the student thrive and create something original from that knowledge. We have different themes every two years for reading in our building. I dress up on the first day of classes most years, in a costume to go along with the theme. One year, the book fair had an Egyptian theme. I just had to be Cleopatra and call the students peasants. They loved it. Last week, I was super librarian, able to find information faster than a speeding bullet. One of the greatest compliments I’ve received from a student was a first grader. He told me I was weird. I hope he meant that I didn’t act like a normal teacher. I encourage students to use their imaginations whenever possible.
Great advice, Lu! Thanks for all of your years of connecting kids to great books and the resources they need to excel. To keep up with Lu and her writing, check out her 