Guest Post by Jennifer Gennari, Author of Stifled
Great books move us. That’s what I’m looking for as a reader—to be touched by a character’s triumph over adversity and their transformation. As an author, when I begin to write, I have a plan for what I believe will be the emotional center of the story. That’s the part (hopefully) that makes readers cry. Yet, sometimes, even when I think I know what that heart moment is, I’m surprised. In my middle grade novel Muffled, quiet Amelia makes a friend—a loud, confident friend named Madge who needs Amelia to be brave for her. When I decided to tell Madge’s story in my next book, I was sure the heart of Stifled would be when Madge sorts out her feelings for her grandmother, her primary caregiver, and her grief for her deceased mother. Seems obvious, right? But Madge is also driven to succeed in the elite jazz band in middle school. She wants to be a great musician, like her mother, and to be one of The Band Kids. This passion divides her from Amelia, who doesn’t get into jazz. So w...
