Workshop: An Introduction to Writing for Children and Young Adults
“The victory, however, comes only very gradually, for it relates
directly to the slow and difficult process of accepting one’s self-knowledge
and coming to peaceful terms with it.” Mollie
Hunter
A story grows from the character’s emotional
core. What? Why? The issue is not the event itself but how the character
perceives and reacts to it. Makes his judgment and does this based on his own
feelings.
So to dive deep into your character it’s
important to know his motives, values, psychological profiles, and temperament.
Tension builds as the barriers you put up against these four categories creates
conflict and stretches your character from the inside out.
They don’t need to be dramatic or threatening
but they must be real to their inner character and the immediate situation they
are in. It’s a major decision for a two year old to decide to share his
favorite toy with a playmate. It’s a major decision for a teen to be at a party
that has gotten out of control.
So how do you get to know their hearts and
what choices they will make. Get to know them. Here are some possibilities
depending on what age you are writing for.
Write a
short monologue for your character, whether they are talking to themselves or
another. Do the conversation two ways; first showing something they care about,
and then showing a negative side of themselves. What kind of words do they pick
for either? For example, if your character has disrespect for lawyers they
might use adjectives such as, he’s like a fox or a shark, instead of saying she
has a sharp mind.
Write
journal entries for them for a day or a week or a month.
Give your character a chronology and then
from your character’s POV write a memory for each event: 1st day of
kindergarten, 1st day of high school. Notice if any changes have
occurred personality wise. Has a shy, quiet boy become a profane bully?
What do they dream about? What nightmares do
they have?
When they have to pack their backpack for a
day or a short trip what do they want inside?
Roots
The key to find internal patterns as plots is
to find the ones that honestly take root in personal experience. F.A. Rockwell
lists potential plot seeds from jokes, news, quotations, irritations, crisis,
values, Bible stories, Cinderella, Faust, classics, and values. She recommends
starting with clashing goals and then crisscrossing plots.
1.
Make a list of contrasting
values:
Hope vs
despair
Brotherly
love vs bigotry
Courage vs
Cowardice
2.
Once you choose the combination
that interest you, then work it out in different ways, such as the four Davis
versus Goliath possibilities. Will it end in tragedy or comedy? Depending
on your mood, material, market, and purpose, Rockwell suggests four ways to
develop a David and Goliath conflict, using real and fictional characters:
1. David
conquers Goliath. Erin Brockovich
2. David is
conquered by Goliath. Billy Budd
3. David
conquers Goliath but eventually becomes a new Goliath who threatens a new
David. The Godfather
4. David is
physically conquered by Goliath, but is undefeated morally and spiritually. Nelson Mandela
So look at your character’s situation or dilemma and ask
what is their Goliath and what personality traits and heart values will help
them overcome. In The Wild Things,
temper tantrum Max remembers love and is able to be sorry for his behavior. In Shadow Spinner, Marjan’s compassion and
gift of storytelling combine to save her mistress.
Action Steps:
Below are some general “What if?” questions to get you started.
Share: What makes your character laugh?
Read deep, marcy
What If Questions
Who is the main Character?
Who or what is the antagonist?
Who are the other people in the
story?
What does the main character
want?
How important is it for him to
get it?
What does the antagonist want?
How does he/it prevent the protagonist?
Results-initial action
Struggles lead to (crisis)
Climax
Outcome
Theme
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