Writing a Child Story: 8 Elements to Consider
While writing an entertaining child story is obviously more art
than science, most successful child stories pay attention to the
following 8 elements.
#1: Theme
A good child story has an underlying theme. The underlying theme
of "Peter and the Wolf," for example, is "don't tell lies" or
"be honest." The underlying theme of "The Sneetches" by Dr.
Seuss is "don't be racist" or "all (Sneetches) are created
equal." A theme can be the moral of the story, or an insight or
viewpoint that the story conveys. Common themes are courage,
love, perseverance, friendship, etc.
As an underlying theme, the theme usually emerges subtly as the
story unfolds. A direct statement of the theme usually comes
across as preachy and uninteresting. Remember what your high
school English teacher used to say: "show, don't tell!" Also,
keep your theme positive and constructive. Your story may be
sad, but make sure it's not negative, cynical or depressing!
#2: Plot and Pace
Plot is what happens in a story. Pace is the speed at which the
story develops. Generally, a simple chronological unfolding of
events works best for storybooks (no flashbacks or complicated
jumping around in time).
The plot usually revolves around a dominant problem or conflict
which the main character must resolve. The problem or conflict
may be with another character, with circumstances or even
internal to the main character (e.g. overcoming their own
fears).
The plot usually proceeds through phases: beginning of the
conflict, initial success or difficulties, further difficulties
or reversals, final resolution or victory, and outcome. As the
story progresses through these phases the conflict becomes more
intense and increases the dramatic tension, until it the story
climaxes and the conflict is resolved. For the most part, the
main character succeeds or fails through his or her own efforts.
In fact, it is through this process that the character learns or
grows, and this lesson or growth typically conveys the theme.
TIP: Create a thumbnail layout/mockup of your text.
This way you'll be able to better judge how your story unfolds
and its optimal pacing. For more information please visit:
http://www.child-stories-bank.com/writing-child-book.html.
Proper pacing of your story is essential. Too slow and the
reader/listener will lose interest, too fast and they won't have
time to get excited or they will miss important details. The
pace in storybooks should be fairly brisk without "rushing."
Avoid lengthy introductions or descriptions of the setting.
Start the action immediately from the beginning and bring the
story promptly to a close at the end.
Even more so than adults, children appreciate action. So, keep
the pace of your story fairly quick by using action and
unfolding events. Don't get bogged down in lengthy descriptions
or reflections. Again, "show, don't tell!"
#3: Narrative Voice and Point of View
Narrative voice is the viewpoint from which the story is told.
Most stories are told either in the "first person" (from the
perspective of "I", "I did this") or "third person" (from the
perspective of "They", "They did that"). If you choose to write
from the first person perspective, you'll need to decide which
character is the narrator. Whichever point of view you choose,
make sure that you stick with it. Jumping from one point of view
to another can be very confusing.
TIP: Study storybooks similar to yours or the books of
a publisher you're targeting to see what narrative voice they
use.
#4: Characters
Creating interesting characters is as important as developing a
solid plot. The more readers can relate to your characters, the
more they will like your storybook.
So, how do you make your characters come alive? As with real
people, characters come alive when they have real
characteristics: personality traits, quirks, physical traits,
mannerisms, a certain way of talking, fears, joys, motivations,
etc. If you had to describe yourself or your best friend in a
few words, what would the salient characteristics be? Try to
identify one major character trait and a few minor ones for each
character. Write out brief profiles if that helps.
TIP: Apart from describing them, you can also reveal
the characteristics of your characters by showing how they
respond to situations, or through the way they talk.
An important point is to be consistent. A character should be
"true to character" in order to be believable and gain the
reader's acceptance.
#5: Setting
Set your story in a place and time that will be interesting
and/or familiar.
#6: Style and Tone
Remember your primary audience: children. Write accordingly,
using (mostly) short words, short sentences and short
paragraphs. Write simply and directly so you don't lose your
reader (also, don't forget that a lot of children will only
listen to your story as it's read to them; it needs to be easy
to listen to and understand like stories have been throughout
time).
TIP: Before the written word, stories were transmitted
orally. A good story still should "sound" good. So, try reading
your story aloud. Does it flow naturally and capture the
listener's attention? Are there opportunities to use your voice
(tone, loudness, etc.) to make the listener feel like they're
there with the characters?
Use direct quotes (e.g. "'Jump!' she said.") instead of indirect
quotes (e.g. "She told him to jump."
What is the tone of your story? Is it an epic story? A funny,
wacky story? An adventure story? A scary story?
Make your writing suit the atmosphere or tone that you wish to
create.
#7: Dialogue
Read your dialogue out loud to make sure that it doesn't sound
stilted or unnatural. Does your character talk the way people
would expect him to?
#8: Openings and Closings
You need to hook your reader from the beginning, so start your
story with a "bang!". You want people to finish reading your
child story feeling satisfied so make sure that the main
conflict or problem is resolved, even if the story doesn't have
a "happy" ending.