Writing Magazine April 2020

http://www.writers-online.co.uk APRIL 2020^61

Being different

WRITING FOR CHILDREN

compassionate, but also full of anxiety

and self-doubt. He sees himself

as weak and afraid, in a clan that

tolerates neither of those traits. Whilst

Agatha is often viewed by others as

“different”, Jaime’s difference is in his

perception of himself; he doesn’t feel

like he belongs, and it is these inner

demons which he needs to overcome.

With issues of mental health on the

rise within children and young adults,

I wanted to create a character that

teenagers could empathise with, as

the transition into adulthood can

be an extremely difficult and lonely

experience. One of the aspects I love

most about Jaime is witnessing him

discover how strong and capable he

can be.’

How did you create and

develop the characters? How

did you “find” their voices?

‘I spent many years working with

children with additional needs, and

it struck me that I’d never read a

book featuring a character with

Down’s syndrome. I’d certainly not

heard of any mainstream fantasy

novels featuring a protagonist with

Down’s syndrome. When Agatha

first popped into my head, I knew

the story wasn’t going to be about

her condition, it was just a part of

who she was. I wanted the children

I was teaching to see aspects of

themselves in a kick-ass heroine, and

be inspired by that.

‘Agatha’s voice was quite easy to

find, undoubtedly influenced by

the children I was working with

at the time. Her alternative way of

thinking makes her a joy to write,

and I often find myself smiling at

the unpredictable things she comes

out with. Jaime’s voice was harder to

get right. In many ways, he is similar

to me when I was fourteen, at a time

when I was also struggling with my

identity. Consequently, I had to tap

into feelings that I had kept bottled

up for many years. I hope that, as a

result, there is a great deal of truth

in him, which readers will be able to

relate to.’

Why do you think it’s

important to write about

characters with additional

needs?

Representation is crucial within all forms

of media, particularly for children. If they

don’t see themselves in books or on TV,

it can easily make them feel ostracised or

less worthy of being portrayed. The more

books people read featuring characters

with additional needs, the more

informed and accepting our society will

be as a whole.’

RESOURCES

• We Need Diverse Books:
  https://diversebooks.
  org/


• Learning disabilities:
  http://www.mentalhealth.
  org.uk/learning-
  disabilities/


• Children and young
  people’s mental health:
  http://www.mentalhealth.
  org.uk/tags/children-
  and-young-people


• Down’s syndrome:
  http://www.downs-
  syndrome.org.uk/

TOP TIPS FOR CREATING CHARACTERS

WITH DISTINCT VOICES

• Make bold choices. You can always adjust them at a
  later date if you feel they’re not quite working.


• Be creative. Try making up words or speech patterns
  that are unique to your character.


• Be precise and consistent. Consider creating a
  dictionary or style sheet to help you.


• Don’t be afraid to use simplified vocabulary.
  Most people don’t use complex vocabulary all the
  time, so be brave and allow your voice to suit your
  character and their situation. If you do use simplified
  vocabulary, find other ways to keep it from becoming
  repetitive eg by adding humour or exploring an
  original point of view.

The Good Hawk is out now,

published by Walker Books.

Established in 1994, we are a literary

consultancy service providing advice and

training to children’s writers. We ofer:

(^) • Manuscript appraisals
(^) • Consultancy services
(^) • Courses and workshops
We work alongside children’s publisher Wacky Bee Books.
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