The best middle grade books reach you on many levels — your heart, your head, your gut, your memories of what it was like to be that age and all the wonders and pain that went with it. That’s exactly what watching Lady Gaga’s exuberant Super Bowl half-time show and her all-in rock-out with Metallica at the Grammy’s did for me. Her performances were visceral and engaging, dynamic and exciting, heart-pounding and fun. I didn’t want them to end. Just like when I’m reading a good book.

So how can you create those same experiences for your reader? By channeling a little Lady Gaga.

Be passionate. Your book is your stage, sing and dance your heart out in every line.

Remember (and respect) your audience. Lady Gaga claims she doesn’t lip sync. “I think if you pay money for a ticket to see a show that the artist should [bleep]-in’ have some pipes and sing their records for you,” she said in a 2014 interview. For me, the literary equivalent is a book that talks down to its readers (and I don’t mean ironically). Great books feature characters and prose that bring readers into the heart of the story and treat them as intelligent, inquisitive, emotional creatures who deserve a story in which to invest their time, energy and souls.

Make each character authentic. No matter what character you’re writing — from lowly one-line guy to your protagonist — make each person an individual. In her Super Bowl 2017 performance alone, Lady Gaga convincingly went from sweet chorus girl to dance hall vixen to rock star to balladeer in just a few minutes, complete with costume changes. Embody each character with as much conviction as if they’re the star of their own stage.

Embrace the fantastic and weird. Go over the top, go big, experiment.

Dive in. Launch yourself into a project like you’re leaping off a stage into a sea of upraised hands ready to catch you. Don’t fear the blank page.

Own your voice. And don’t apologize for it. Only you can do you.

Lend a hand. During the 2017 Grammy’s, James Hetfield’s mic went out while he was performing with Lady Gaga. She simply leaned forward and shared her mic with him. Do the same thing for your fellow writers: Be there, offer support and encouragement, critique pages, buy books, advocate, amplify. We’re all in it together.

And when it doubt, dance.

© 2018 Rachel Martin. All Rights Reserved.