Photo by Luis Quintero
A well-crafted story cannot be overstated. To speak metaphorically, it’s like dropping a bomb into the mind of a child and activating their creative foundation. Books are unique in that they directly touch the reader’s capacity for imagination, igniting and inspiring dreams and shaping their young minds with fresh perspectives and distinctive ways of looking at the world. It can be troublesome for aspiring authors to create narratives that have the juice to resonate with young readers, but when you do find that balance, your story will be part of why they struck out and made a name in the world.
Joanne Radke is the author of the Jessica the Dreamer books, which are creative storybooks for young dreamers and great examples of how writing taps into the imagination.
Tapping into the Imagination of Young Dreamers
Before creating a narrative for young children, it’s best to understand the fluidity and explosive possibility of their young minds. Adults often like to believe that the internal worlds of children are chaotic and meaningless–thus not worth looking into or understanding more about–but this assumption is far from the truth and quite harmful. Do not be one of those curmudgeons who think that children are dumb and stupid. They aren’t. They’re children, still new to the world but eager to know more about it–and should be treated as such.
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The young mind is full of unique perspectives about the world due in part to its unbounded imagination. Young minds are extremely adaptable and malleable, meaning that their capacity for creativity is virtually limitless compared to adults, whose minds are already rigid and firm. Furthermore, a child’s natural curiosity pushes them to explore and learn, giving them a varied range of frameworks to understand the world while they are young and when they are much older. The strong sense of self that children possess also helps to drive their desire to make a difference, pushing them to engage in novel ways of interacting with the world. And being as young as they are, they are full of optimism and hope. This view of the world as teeming with possibility motivates them to achieve their dreams.
Such is the young mind.
Cultivate a Fresh Perspective: Elements to Add to Your Story
Now that you understand the mind of a young dreamer, what comes next to understand what a creative storybook needs? There are several tropes you can play with, but these are the essential ones:
- Relatable Characters. While young readers are very imaginative, this wandering mind needs an anchor. This is needed so that they actually follow the plot of your story, and don’t get distracted making up narratives of their own. Have characters that connect with readers on a personal level with experiences, emotions, and aspirations that they can relate to.
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- Colorful Plots. Create plots that compel young minds to read them, and ones that–at the end–they can find deep personal meaning from. While being bombastically colorful would be appreciated, always make sure that the story is structured properly, with a beginning, a middle and an end that are clear.
- Imaginative Settings. Aside from plot and character, the best way to activate the neurons of their minds is to place your story in an exciting and interesting setting. Children are best known for their overactive imaginations. Take advantage of this and create stories where their minds are always moving.
Cultivate a Fresh Perspective: How to Write in An Engaging Way
To keep young readers engaged and active, be careful with language. This doesn’t only mean to avoid vulgar words but to also be mindful of the complexity of your verbiage. While it’s important to teach them new words, it doesn’t have to come to a point that they can’t follow along without a dictionary. Bad pacing is a great way to get children mad about your book. So, pay attention to it. Punctuate moments with dynamic action, and don’t make the boring parts (e.g., exposition) stretch on for far too long. Make sure that every scene is engaging. Adding humor will also help keep them reading, but be creative with it! While they may not have the word for it yet, children understand what cringe is.
The Endeavor of Writing Creative Storybooks
Writing for children isn’t as dazzling as being a fantasy author or a science fiction novelist, but the rewards are equally as fulfilling.
If you want to grab a copy of Jessica the Dreamer, you can click this link right here.
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