Creative Writing 101

Lesson 2: Genres

Which Genre? (2) Children's Books, Picture Books and YA.

A NOTE ON CHILDREN'S BOOKS.

Children's books are not a genre, but a specific kind of writing. The books themselves embrace almost the same genres as general fiction, with the added dimensions of age-specific books. The term "Children's Book" is very broad, covering everything from the lap book, which is simply captioned pictures, to the sophisticated YA fantasy.

WHERE DID CHILDREN'S BOOKS BEGIN?

Children's fiction (sometimes familiarly known as "kid-lit") is relatively new, and has its roots in both the novels of Charles Dickens and other Victorian writers whose books were intended for family consumption and in the earlier nursery or moral tales.

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS.

Children's books change very rapidly, so it is imperative that anyone planning to write them should have a broad knowledge of modern fiction. Some writers are startled to find that "nice little stories" are quite thin on the ground. Except for books for the very youngest readers, children's novels these days are expected to have logical plots, themes, character development and style.

One of the dangers writers face is the notion that continuing sales of an older title or genre is proof that the old-fashioned story is still popular with modern publishers.

What they overlook is the familiarity factor; older writers such as Enid Blyton and Beatrix Potter have become brand names in all but fact. Thus a book by Enid Blyton may sell because the (adult) purchaser knows the name and subconsciously equates "known name" with "reliable product". A very similar book by Joanna Sparrow will probably not sell because "Joanna Sparrow" (whom I just invented) has no familiar associations. In fact, the similar book by J. Sparrow will probably never have the chance to sell as it will never be published in the first place.

GENRES IN CHILDREN'S BOOKS.

As mentioned above, children's books encompass almost the same genres as books for adults. Thus you find children's historicals, adventures, mysteries, detective, science fiction, fantasy and horror. Children's books also have, or used to have, added genres such as pony stories, ballet stories, sport stories and career novels. The family story spans just about every age, as do theatre stories and animal stories. So, what genres do you not find in the children's book world?

You are unlikely to find erotic horror (although there are vampire stories at the YA level) and you won't find straight erotica.

You won't find romance at the younger levels (although it certainly flourishes on the YA shelves).

You probably won't find police procedurals.

Books about friendship are common, and may lay the ground for later romances. Even the so-called "chick lit" has its place in children's books, with books about strong female friendship.

Since you can write children's books in almost any genre, how does the experience differ from writing for adults?

CHILDREN'S BOOKS DEFINED.

When you look at it closely, you will find surprisingly few real differences. We can make some generalisations, but there will always be several exceptions to the rules.

Children's books are usually shorter than books for adults.

Characters are usually young; the rule of thumb seems to be that the viewpoint character(s) should be one or two years older than the intended readers.

Books for young (pre teenage) readers will probably have a simpler vocabulary and less introspection.

Endings will often be "for now" or "until the next time". For example; a romance between 14-year-old protagonists can rarely end in any kind of permanency. If seeking a happy or satisfactory ending for a children's book you should look for the best solution "for now" (i.e. for this point in the protagonists' lives).

Happy or satisfactory endings still rule in books for young children, but teenagers are just as likely to find their books ending sadly or resignedly.

The "freedom" of childhood is less likely to be used as a theme in modern children's books.

The main difference in writing for younger readers, apart from the obvious one in the age of protagonists, is simple. The writer should see things from the viewpoint of a child or teenager. Whatever the situation, you should focus on the way it affects the young protagonists. Certainly adults should be presented as well-rounded and credible characters, but they are not the main focus. If you find yourself empathising with your child-character's parents instead of with your hero or heroine, you must change gear- or else realise that you are writing about children rather than for them.

YA.

YA (young adult) or teenage fiction is still considered part of the children's book world. The major differences are the ages of the protagonists, which will probably be somewhere between twelve and twenty, and the point of view. Teenagers are generally more sceptical and less accepting than younger children, so this should be reflected in their fiction.

'Translations in Celadon', another of the recommended books for this course, is a YA fantasy. It is also a werewolf romance and a study in creativity, amorality and influence.

What makes 'Translations' a YA title? At about 60,000 words it is shorter than most books for adults. The age of the main characters is also a key. Rosanna, the chief narrator, is sixteen, and the other four major players are all the same age or a year or so older. Some of the action takes place in a college, but Rosanna still lives with her parents. Had Rosanna been three years older, and technically an adult, she could still have played much the same role in the novel. However, this would have made her less accessible for readers in their middle teens.

Rosanna attends a Catholic college and lives some distance from the nearest town. These two facts, along with her natural diffidence and poor self-image, combine to keep her artificially child-like. There is a good practical reason for this; the college has a uniform code and stricter rules than the public high school. This keeps visible signs of individuality and rebellion to a minimum- at least, during school hours. And Rosanna's isolated home means she must rely on others for transport.

These factors make the novel YA rather than adult, but what prevents it from being a pre-teen children's book? Rosanna's age is one factor, but the psychological undertones plus the amoral villain, death and attempted murder, seduction and terror make it unsuited to most pre-teens.

PICTURE BOOKS.

Picture books, sometimes called picture story books, usually come at the other end of the scale from YA novels. I say "usually" because some picture books are dark or enigmatic in such a way that it takes a mature reader to get much out of them. The child-centred picture book will have a short text which will probably fall between 400 and 800 words. It will almost certainly have thirty two pages, will begin with a statement or setting out of a situation and close with a punchline or affirmation. The illustrations will interpret rather than illustrate the text, and will add quite a lot of information. The main character(s) will probably be a young child, who may interact with a older person. Animals also make good central characters. Toys or fantasy characters may also star.

CHAPTER BOOKS.

Falling between the picture book and YA novel come chapter books or junior novels. These are novels of most genres with subject matter and characters designed to appeal to children. They come in a variety of different lengths and formats, from the quick and easy reads illustrated lavishly with line drawings to the more substantial books for older, more confident readers. Children's chapter books may well be longer than YA novels, but will usually fall somewhere between 10,000 and 70,000 words.

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