Nourish Voice

Workshop: An Introduction to Writing for Children and Young Adults

“Write for the child within you.” Jane Yolen

Narration comes in many voices. There is the voice of the story, or idea and the shape it takes, and there is an author’s voice as well. Some storytellers can identify their voice fairly quickly and for some it takes time to develop. Like a musician, for some voices range across many notes and others take one sound and develop it deeply.

A guest author once shared that he tried to write across different ages and in different genres but every time he tried at some point his writing voice became a fourteen to sixteen year old male. So he stayed with that narrator and wrote deeply.

Author Jane Yolen has written in almost every age and genre in children’s literature. Story first, she says. She both listens to her characters and she searches for a connection. “Reach deep inside yourself and find out who you were before you became what you are, and then you will discover that the child is there, very much alive, and informing most of your adult decisions.”

Nourishing voice is an ongoing thread that begins with the seed of idea and develops throughout any project. As we study in this workshop we’ll be going into more details re voice and also see that voice is integral whether we’re discussing character or plot or tone.

For now though, begin to take notice as you experiment with ideas what voice you tend to lean towards. Is it quiet or noisy, tentative or firm, adventurous or cautious?

When you discover the voice that captures your heart chances are you discover the excitement and passion that writing for any age requires. Especially for children and young adults because our stories may be their first glimpse into imagination and new possibilities. 

Action Steps:

Go to: http://www.marcyweydemuller.com/resources.html and scroll down to 31 Creative Freewrites.

1.     Do brief freewrite notes on numbers 12 to 17 from the idea file. Give yourself 8 to ten minutes per memory to write down everything you can think of. Don’t stop for sentence structure or punctuation.

2.     Did your moments all fall into a particular age category or were they spread out? If, for example, most of your moments happened in grades 4 to six then you are leaning into a middle-grade voice connection.

3.     Which ones that you wrote connected the strongest either from a positive or negative reaction?

Share: Did any of your recollections surprise you? Why?

Read deep, marcy

Construct With Memory

“Evil has within itself the seeds of its own destruction.”

Rolland Hein (in reference to the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien)

Often when we have major decisions to make we take time to reflect and remember previous successes and failures to guide us. We use experience, seek counsel and estimate consequences as best as possible. However, sometimes what our heart most desires will tilt that process towards one side or another. Jesus reminds us that, “where your treasure is, there will you heart be also.”

The same possibilities apply to our characters. In the novel, The Crystal Scepter, Pythius wanted power and authority beyond all measure. While still a youth, he murdered his own father to obtain the crown rather than wait until he was older. Every time someone placed a warning or an admonition before him, they suffered deathly consequences. The only thing that caused him anxiety was the reality of death.

“What he needed was a magical amulet or something that would ensure a long life, some charm that would insulate him from attack and make him invincible. If only such an object existed! What he would pay for that!  Why, he’d sell his very soul if he could live without fear of death. Without always having to watch his back, suspicion hounding his every waking moment.”

And so he planted his own seeds of destruction. Every time he had an opportunity to hear the truth, or to change his direction he remembered his heart’s desire and chose it again and again. The warnings as well were given over and over. He resisted even as poison and decay coursed through him. He believed he had ultimate power and wealth and therefore no one could refuse him. Not even the prophecy.

“The created fantasy world must have its own immutable laws. Once those laws have been established, they cannot be set aside at the author’s whim for the demands of plot.” Jane Yolen

“Choose for yourselves today whom you will serve:” Joshua 24:15

Journal Prompt:

            Choose one of the seven deadly sins, (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride), for your antagonist and plot out a series of opportunities before him to relinquish his choice for evil.

            Or

According to Wikipedia, “Sloth has also been defined as a failure to do things that one should do. By this definition, evil exists when good men fail to act.” List a series of incidents for one of your ‘good’ characters where they continually failed to act.

Share: Which consequence in your sequence do you think became the step of no return for him specifically? Why? What evil for that character resulted?