Writing... With Children

Meta
Title:	Writing... With Children
Creator:	Anne C. Malcolm
Date(s):	December 1992
Medium:	print
Fandom:	multifandom
Topic:
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Writing... With Children is a 1992 essay by Anne C. Malcolm.

It was published in A Writers' Exchange #5.

The topic is kidfic.

From the Essay

Most, if not all, fan writers are familiar with the concept of research. The phrase "write what you know" has been drummed into us, over and over, from a very early stage. So, we dutifully search through volumes on police procedure, or look up the difference between various types of weapons. We corner our friends and ask them to explain medical terms. We call the library and ask for listings. These are all good ways of finding out what we need to know; but, as I sit writing this, I'm willing to bet no one has ever come to you suggesting research on the subject of children. "What's so hard about understanding kids'?" I hear you ask. "After all, I used to be one. And I see them all the time, on the street, at a neighbor's house - I even babysat as a teenager. Everyone knows what kids are like." This has become a pet peeve of mine, because, as it turns out - they may not.

Let's take an example, from a Blake's 7 story I once read (although it could easily be any fandom): Avon ran into an old flame, who abruptly revealed the existence of his three-year-old son. Almost immediately, there was a gunfight, and the mother was killed. After a brief (several hours) period of mourning, the boy accepted Avon's group, all strangers to him, as his new family. Once back at their base, this boy proved to be extremely intelligent and well-behaved. He wore sized-down clothes without complaint, spent hours absorbed in learning exercises, and never disobeyed anyone. The one time he did wander off was to have a meaningful conversation with his father, eventually forcing Avon to acknowledge his "hidden" feelings for his offspring. End of story.

I could give you several reasons why I didn't care for this, but my main complaint was, and is, that it was completely unreal. What might have been an interesting character study for Avon was ruined because the child didn't behave like a real child. Instead, he was too perfect-a stereotype.

What the writer apparently didn't realize, or at least failed to show us, was that children are complex creatures. Yes, they can be very beautiful, sweet, and innocent, a joy to be around. But they also have their negative side: they cry, scream, and whine, sometimes for no apparent reason; they become overly attached to certain people or objects; they're messy, in both eating and elimination; and they can have very selective hearing when they want to. In short, they're human - just like the rest of us.

There are many reasons for using a child in a story, most of them good, and I'm not trying to discourage anyone. What I am saying is that too often the child is treated as an afterthought, a device used to reveal something about another character-usually our hero. We place a great deal of importance on proper characterization for adults; children deserve no less.

All I can say is, in writing, as in other things, details count. Having command of your story means knowing all the variables, and that includes the whiny little kid in the corner who's only going to be in a couple of scenes. He may end up taking over the story -- or may just become a very important plot point.

So go ahead and give Avon (or Sam Beckett, or Will Riker, et al) a child, if you want to - just remember that they're people, and people are what writing is all about. Take the extra time to haul out a book, or ask questions of a friend who's a parent. You'll be glad, in the long run, that you did.

Fan Comments

"Writing...with Children" was definitely an article whose time is now. No one should write about a child until they have lived through or had first-hand experience with: A) a two month old with colic, B) the terrible twos, C) toilet training, D) all of the above. Children can be great. I've spent some of my best hours with kids, but hey, they can be pains, just like adults. However, unlike adults, they don't have to mask it or play some kind of mind game to disguise it. They don't like it, they tell you. I admire their honesty. I think it's that aspect of childhood that appeals to so many writers. They can have a child make observations that adults would never get away with. It also permits the writer to get back into contact with their own childhood. However, most of the kids portrayed in fanfic are exactly as Sara says-perfect and totally unbelievable. Sort of like "Three Men and a Baby." Perhaps her article will help bring a little more realism to that aspect of fanfic.