Plotting Your Book for Children
Learning about Three Types of Storylines for Kid's Books
There are three kinds of storyline in fiction. This article explains the different categories.
There are three basic categories of storyline in children’s books – plot-driven stories, character-driven stories, and epic stories.
Plot-Driven Stories
In this genre the plot is everything. The series of events builds in momentum until it reach a nail-biting climax. Not much happens in terms of character development – the characters don’t learn anything new about themselves, nor do they change. There is no place for philosophical thought or even oblique references to the meaning of life.
These books are often very popular with boys who don’t like ‘feely-touchy-emotional stuff.’ It’s a real art to write a plot that is gripping, pacy and has twists and turns that keep the reader riveted. The advantage of writing plot driven stories for kids is that most of them won’t have read many books in this genre, so your plot will almost always appear fresh to them.
A classic example would be the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. Throughout the many books in the series, the roles the characters play, and their position in the power hierarchy never change. Julian is always the boss, and Anne is always sweet and submissive.
Epic Stories
Epic stories deal with huge dramas of love and hatred, battles between good and evil, and the fickleness of fate. Epics for children don’t usually have tragic endings, as they often do for adults, because it is important for children that good always triumphs over evil, and wickedness is firmly dealt with.
The best known example of an epic series is the Narnia series by C. S. Lewis. Here four ordinary children are drawn into a parallel world where they are an integral part of the battle between good and evil. Unusually for children’s books every main character dies in the last book (The Last Battle) but because they immediately enter a new world it doesn’t have the tragic impact that wiping out the main characters would usually have.
Another book that would fit into the epic category is ‘I heard the owl call my name’ by Margaret Craven. This intimate and tender narrative tells the story of how a young man comes to terms with his mortality. Although it is usually considered an adult novel, it fits more neatly into the teenage novel category.
Character-Driven Stories
Character-driven stories focus on the way the main character grows and develops in response to the conflict, problem or difficult situation he or she faces. Although plot is important, it does not have to be as gripping or have as many twists and turns as plot driven stories do.
The problems that the characters face are not huge issues of life and death or cosmic battles between supernatural embodiments of good and evil. They are about issues like growing up, coping with family, disabilities, friendships, rites of passage, peer pressure and school. Judy Blume and Anne Fine are particularly good at character-driven stories.
Decided which type of story you'd like to write? Read about where to find ideas for stories.
