Age Appropriate

Whether you agree with kids having "screen time" or not, my three-year-old watches YouTube sometimes. Among his favorite videos is "The ambulance song" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1xLtk6F27E). When I start searching for "ambulance song," the top suggestion that appears is "ambulance song for kids." Do people really think there is an ambulance song for kids whose primary audience is NOT kids?

Choosing the right age group for my own writing is something I struggle with. When I began writing the novel I'm currently working on, I thought my main audience would be adults, but a few months ago I began to question that. Maybe it's a young adult novel. Maybe it's even a middle grade novel. My main character is definitely an adult now (although I guess she doesn't have to be), but the focus is on her middle school and high school days (although it goes as young as two years old). Many people advise that you can tell your intended age group by the age of your main character: A middle school character suggests middle grade; a high school age character suggests a YA novel. If they're any older, then it might not be meant for kids at all. With so much jumping around in time, I still feel unsure about my intended audience. No worries, though! Like I've been saying, it's all about playing and experimenting. I'm having fun working on a version meant as a middle grade novel. I may try another version in another month or two that's meant for adults. We'll see!