 Drama: July 29, 2015 Issue [#7126] |
  Drama
This week: Writing Drama For A Younger Audience Edited by: NaNoKit  
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Kids love drama. Yet, how do you find the balance between content that might upset them, and content that underestimates their abilities?
This week's Drama Newsletter is all about writing for a younger audience.
kittiara |
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My mother once told me that when I was a toddler, she and my grandmother would spend hours every day reading to me. I couldn't get enough of listening to stories, and would always want one more, just one more, and one more after that. Once I was able to read, I was unstoppable. By the time I was six, my mother's books were at risk – I would head for her Konsalik's and her Stephen King. Material, she felt, that was far too adult for me.
The problem was that I was bored of books written for people my age. They were too simple. So, my parents and my teachers got together to select books for teenagers that did not contain content that I was too young to be exposed to. Looking back, that must have been quite a chore.
How do we assess what is suitable for people of a specific age range? That is not just a problem for parents and teachers; it something that authors need to keep in mind when writing for a younger audience. In the drama genre, an author should weigh carefully the benefits of exposing young readers to the realities of life, and the risk that the experiences of beloved characters might upset them, or lead to undue confusion.
This challenge is an especially difficult one when writing a series of novels in which the characters age. Compare, for example, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Whilst there is struggle in the first novel, and there are some moments that can frighten very young readers, the majority of the story is about finding a place where you belong, and making new friends, and about magic and wonder. As the series progresses, it becomes darker. Beloved characters pass away. There are references to torture, and Harry himself faces situations that those who have grown up with the novels will be able to deal with, but which might be traumatising for the kind of audience Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was initially intended for.
The Harry Potter novels are hardly alone in this. An author wants to tell their story. Moreover, as they gain experience in novel writings, their writing style will mature, and this can lead to more mature content. Where the first Discworld novels – written by Terry Pratchett – were fun, he later progressed to writing novels that were still fun, but that were also more dramatic, and offered some rather in-depth analysis of human nature, racism, gender issues, war and the poverty gap. One of his novels written specifically for younger readers, The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, was actually quite creepy!
Whilst leaving behind one's intended audience is a risk, so is underestimating your audience. No child likes to be patronised. There is a very brief amount of time a young person will be satisfied with stories about Timmy who has lost his ball, oh deary me, will he find it? Children like drama. Life, after all, is made up of drama, and children know this. They also want to know that, in the end, it will be okay. Timmy must find his ball. Harry Potter must defeat Voldemort. Who amongst us doesn't secretly wish for a better outcome of Dr. Zhivago?
How to find this balance is tricky. Reading ability varies amongst children, especially younger children. Comprehension levels vary as well. And just as with adults, one child may enjoy scary stories where for another they may lead to nightmares. Still, it's a case of knowing your audience. If you are a parent, or there are children in your family, have a look at the kind of material they enjoy. Have a look at which novels are popular amongst the age group you want to write for. Talk with other authors here on Writing.Com – there are plenty of members on this site who enjoy writing stories for younger readers, and plenty of parents who can offer you feedback.
Of course, you can also draw on your own experience. What would you have loved to read when you were younger? When you write something you would love to read, you have made an excellent first step.
kittiara
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The Drama Newsletter Team welcomes any and all questions, suggestions, thoughts and feedback, so please don't hesitate to write in! 
Wishing you a week filled with inspiration,
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