Children's books, Television plays and Journalism writing tips

Classics of this genre are inevitably written by master writers and there is still probably nothing to beat, for example, Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer for a very wide age range. Huckleberry Finn-which is, I think, a greater book-probably because of this-is tougher going for kids. R. L. Stevenson’s Treasure Island maintains its hold because Stevenson again had the knack of entering into the juvenile imagination. I think that some of Richmal Crompton’s William stories should now be accorded the rank of classics. The first were written over fifty years ago and have all the hallmarks of the best of creative art: they are as fresh as ever, the characterisation is true, the dialogue accurate, psychology realistic, humour acute, the plots are skilfully wrought. Her main failing, a too-advanced vocabulary, naturally does not repulse the adult reader but neither does it greatly disconcert the child. At their best these stories are works of genius and deserve perpetual and popular recognition as such. 

Remember that this is the late twentieth century, so avoid quaintness. For some reason, certain steel-hardened women in particular become ‘twee’ when they write for children. Avoid long descriptive passages, ‘atmosphere building’; let realistic characters be sketched in rapidly and revealed in action. Try to incorporate subjects that have a special interest for children food, for example, meals, eating are as fascinating to the young as sex and violence are said to be to their parents. Children also love funny things, though are mostly incapable of appreciating wit. Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland is read by adults who enjoy the nonsensical subleties to children who just like the story line. But slap-stick will always raise a laugh

If you have never written for children before it is perhaps best to start with a few short stories. As it is, this is all the younger reader can take, the longer story or novel being more welcomed by the older groups. Find from the good books you have already encountered publishers who may be interested in the type of story you have written. Try it out first, if you can, on any young audience. Children will intelligently criticise. Look through children’s libraries and check the Writers’ Year Book, which specifies those publishers who handle children’s books. Send off a few samples. If you evolve a particularly attractive character, feature him in a number of stories. Children like the familiar if it is interesting and excitingly portrayed.

 Indeed, if they should allow these traits free expression, they are fast going to become very unpopular with the rest of the gang; Should we therefore give the children what they want? Yes. Providing we -remember that, perhaps as yet unrealised at their tender age, what they want above all are elevated souls. Which is what we all want, so why shouldn’t they have one too? Children are ill-served enough already, as a glimpse at their comics and television programmes verifies.

We may speak of writing for children of a certain age group, but everyone knows the vast differences of talent and interests between children within any such group. 

Should we give the children what they want? No and yes. No because, not being completely formed human beings and without our own high standards of morality, they may want unsavoury things: for example, revenge, spite, delight at seeing others punished, jailed, beaten up, etc. One well-known English writer usually gave the children what they wanted in this respect and she was a great success with the kids. Her stories seem most realistic. They are. That’s the trouble with them. But isn’t that being honest? And isn’t that the aim we set ourselves when writing for children? Well, if another aim is to teach children to live in a socially useful fashion, to come to terms with themselves and their fellows, to enjoy the good, to want to change the bad in the world, they are not going to get very far if all their worst instincts are taken out, aired, exercised and generally fostered

Appropriate subjects are not hard to find, but what about vocabulary? Here you are confronted with the eternal problem for children’s books: too easy or too hard? Very few writers do not have a bias towards one or the other extreme, and ifit is too far in either direction the child may soon abandon the book altogether. 

Is your book to be education or entertainment? The best answer to this is: what is the difference? The greatest literature of any kind is always both. But children are a special case as far as language is concerned, so perhaps the aim should always be to ‘stretch’ them slightly; better a little too hard than too easy. 

These are general principles but very difficult to apply.

There is opportunity here for those so gifted to write with integrity, unpressurised by market/box-office requirements, commercial formulae, trendy literary fashions. Children want honest writing, but this does not mean that they want only harsh reality and that they do not love fantasy. They want honest, direct writing so that, for one thing, they can tell what you are talking about. And although they may not be able to define it in words, they can recognize pretty quickly the patronis¬ing and the phoney. 

Apart from this there are no restrictions. I exclude here the obvious one that subject and vocabulary must suit the age group you have in mind.