This is a huge undertaking, although perhaps you have been contemplating writing a children’s fantasy series for a while and, with the story firmly set in your mind, your enthusiasm has finally bubbled over into excited anticipation. That’s great! But have you considered every aspect of the story?
Golden Ears
Okay, I can understand that you are eager to begin, but first pause a while to consider these 7 tips that might help you achieve your goal.
1 – Firstly, decide how you want potential young readers to view your book? Is it purely fictional and fun, or is there something deeper going on?
2 – So now you have got that straight in your mind ask yourself whether the story is intriguing and dynamic enough to be expanded into a series of books, and if so, how many are you aiming to write? If you haven’t already written a rough draft, do so now and include the beginning, the middle and the end of each separate book, not forgetting the climactic finale in the last book in the series. Use your laptop for this purpose, or perhaps you prefer to jot down one-liners in a notebook as ideas pop into your head, you can always fine-tune them later. Just get something down, the story will evolve in your mind; allow your imagination to expand the story naturally. Seeing it unfold like a film helps gain perspective.
3 – Where is your fantastic fantasy world? Is it set in the real world with fantasy themes interspersed throughout, or perhaps it is a completely mythical kingdom born entirely from your own imagination? Either way, your readers will need to know what it looks like. So here is your chance to describe your world in an excitingly visual and exuberant way. Use your prose to promote your enchanting world. Make it sound believable, and a place where readers will want to enter.
4 – Your protagonist is the backbone of your saga. Nurture them for he/she has the power to capture your readers’ hearts. Allow your protagonist to grow, as will naturally happen over the course of your books. Bestow them with special abilities, distinguishing qualities or characteristics. Don’t forget that it’s perfectly feasible to have more than one protagonist in your story, as I have in my own series.
5 – Antagonists – Where there is good there must also be bad. Conflict is good and necessary in the telling of a story. Build suspense and threat. Harness the dark side and try to keep your prose riveting and exciting.
6 – Supporting characters – Who are they and what do they do? Although they are not so prominent they hold an equally important role in their own right. Think of them like an orchestra playing in the background, very much needed and linking the chain of events. Their presence adds to the limitless possibilities and interactions within the storyline with their different agendas and personalities. Adhere to your written plot as best you can, but be flexible too. Often a different word or phrase used can alter a given situation, thus, placing your protagonist and the circumstances surrounding your other characters off-track. Go with it, see where it leads, because you can always delete and go back. But on the other hand it may bring an added twist to the story that you hadn’t previously thought about.
7 – A word about emotions, don’t be afraid to let sentiment seep into the story, after all, your characters have a heart. Plus, if you plan to put your protagonist through hell, remember, you brought him to life so therefore he has the right to shed a tear. Lastly, all that is left for me to say is: ‘Above all, have fun and enjoy the writing experience. Good luck, and my best wishes to you all.’
GoldenEars: The Pale Skulls is the second fantasy novel by Jane H Wood set in Canada’s western wilderness where Edmund vows to find his beloved wolf, GoldenEars. Returning home on leave, our newly fledged forest ranger begins to research the myths and legends surrounding wolf lore…
Officially published on the 28th January, it’s available from Amazon, Book Guild and all good bookshops.
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