Writing a Children's Book

Lesson 4: Shaping and Pacing.

Shaping Plans for Longer Books

With longer books, it is more difficult to get the shape and pace right. You need to treat your main plot as you would a shorter book, but the subplots are going to be stronger and need more attention.

Subplots

Unlike the main plot, subplots need not last for the length of the book. Some will be present from the beginning, and might be resolved two thirds of the way through the book, while others may not start until a few chapters in. Mostly, subplots are connected in some way to the main plot, and sometimes their resolution can affect the progress of the main plot. For example, the main plot of a book might be the protagonist’s desire to fit in with a certain “in” group at school.

Subplots might include problems with a particular teacher or subject, inheriting a dog from an elderly neighbour who is going into a nursing home and Dad’s efforts to paint the house. These would all support the main plot in some way.

The teacher or subject subplot is school-based, so the attitude the “in” group has to it would colour the protagonist’s view.

Dad’s painting could add humour, and also some family interaction to help show the protagonist against a home background. The way Dad deals with his efforts and problems could either reflect, or provide a counterpoint for, the protagonist’s efforts.

The adoption of the dog could help build a rounded picture of characters and home. If the adoption is ungracious and forced, it will reflect on the characters and make the protagonist seem more likely to show ruthlessness at school.

Another subplot could show the protagonist’s interaction with a loner at school. If this is told from the protagonist’s viewpoint, then it becomes another supporting structure. If told from the loner’s viewpoint, it could show a new side of the story as the loner either succeeds or fails in entering the “in” group, or possibly refuses to try.

In a multi protagonist novel, what we think of as subplots are often really parts of the main plot. If you look at the overall plot of “Trinity Street”, you should see that each of the three protagonists has his or her own plot, or personal journey. The three twine together to form a single major plot line, and true subplots, such as Camena’s adoption, Gerhardt’s relationship with Jens and the strain between Maureen and David, all contribute to the character studies of the protagonists.

The more complex your novel, the more subplots you can afford, but always make sure true subplots are not allowed to overshadow the main action.

A rule of thumb for identifying “true” subplots is this; if you can excise the plot strand from the book without disturbing the main plotline, then you have a true subplot.

Pacing

Pacing your plot is very important in any book, and in a children’s book it is enormously so. Some writers seem to be able to control pace automatically, but if you are not one of these, it is best to look at the pacing before you actually begin to write.

To control your pace, look at the number of story events you have designated for each chapter. If there are many of them, the pace will probably be fast, if only a few things happen, the pace will be more leisurely. Remember that story events can be large or small. The large events should be given more emphasis when you write them up, because otherwise your novel will seem pedestrian.

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