Learn To Write Children's Book Characters That Touch The Heart!
Ask a child what their favorite part of a story they have ever heard is and they aren't going to tell you that it was the pretty trees outside of grandma's house or the way the birds chirped in the background
, "are they?". "No, not at all!" Their most favorite part of all is going to be the character that they identified with the most. Even children as young as two have a favorite character from a story they have read or heard. This is why it is very important that you learn to write children's characters the right way.
There are the obvious reasons as to why as a writer you should focus on your characters, such as plot creation. Think about it... can you really deliver a story that is going to draw your reader in and make them connect with what is happening if you have flat characters, or worse, no characters? It may be possible, but very difficult. Characters give a story life. Think about a few of the classics, Winnie the Pooh, who do you identify with in that story? Is it Eeyore the lovably sad donkey, or Pooh the eternal optimist? The funny thing is that if you know the characters in Winnie the Pooh, you can look at the people in your life and admit that you know a Piglet, a Rabbit, a Kanga and Roo. While they are stuffed animals that come to life in Christopher Robin's imagination they are believable.
Another reason that you want to learn to write children's characters well is that characters can stand on their own. While there isn't a story without the characters, there are always characters even without a story. A wonderful example of this is in the Wizard of Oz. Toto is Dorothy's dog, he has no lines accept for an occasional bark here or there... yet he has a story of his own. He takes on the evil witch on the farm and is able to run away and hide from the witch... takes on the big lion... and really saves Dorothy as he goes out to find the Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Lion. No, the Wizard of Oz is not about Toto. He is a character all on his own, who created his own story.
We can use Toto as an example of how characters control the plot and the twist and turns in the story. Had Toto not gone to find the Scarecrow and everyone, would the witch have gotten the shoes from Dorothy in a malicious manner? If it wasn't for Rabbit, would Pooh Bear have ever gotten out of the honey pot he was stuck upside down in? We would have completely different stories if it wasn't for the characters in the stories we love.
The next question you should be asking now is, "how to write children's characters that are believable?" Good that you asked, because believable characters are important. This isn't to say that you can't have a mouse that can cook and save a restaurant. It means that you have to think about who your reader is. So best way to learn to write children's characters is to think about the children reading the book. If you are writing for 14 year olds, then your approach to character development is going to be quite different then if you are writing for 4 year olds. The reason is because at 14 children have more experience to draw from then a 4 year old. So while at 4 years old, believing that eating spinach can give you incredible muscles so that you can pick up a truck and save your best friend... at 14 the child is going to go "Yeah right," and put the book down.
Another item to consider is the goal of your characters. When you are thinking about how to write children's characters you need to think about what each character is after. Let's go back to our earlier examples, Pooh is always after honey. Young children can relate to Pooh because at 4, 5 and 6 they can relate to wanting their one favorite thing all the time, so badly it hurts. Or maybe it's Piglet who is afraid of everything, like dark places...most kids that age are afraid of the dark. In the Wizard of Oz, which has characters that kids of all ages can relate to, they relate to them for different reasons. Young kids relate to Dorothy because of the magic shoes that can take her home. Older kids because her aunt and uncle are unfair and didn't give her what she wanted so she ran away.
This is only the beginning of learning how to write children's characters. There is so much more the goes into creating children's characters so that your story reaches out and grabs your young readers. Don't you want to learn to write the next Harry Potter... or Winnie the Pooh? Create believable and realistic children's characters to ensure your story gets them to sit up and take notice.
by: Lisa Brunel
The Fisherprice Jumperoo: Toy Or Baby-sitter? Learn How To Write A Children's Book - 8 Ways To Kick-start Your Writing Career Childcare Vouchers In The Uk Winter Kit List For Kids Kids Songs and Music - Major and Minor Tonality The Effects Of Passive Cigarette Smoke On Your Children Dealing With Toddlers - Parenting Tips In Dealing With Your Toddlers How To Deal With Toddlers - Some Tips To Help You Deal With Your Tots Tips On Parenting - How To Deal With Your Toddler's Tantrums Peer Pressure Moves Some Teens To Liposuction Seven Helpful Hints To Encourage Children To Talk About Their Day How To Engage Your Children Into Making Christmas Home Décor With You The Furnishings And Colors For The Children Bedrooms