How do you write a believable child narrator? On one hand, they’re young and often the most vulnerable characters, especially in a world of adults.
But writing from a child’s perspective is deceptively difficult. Writers often fall into traps making the child sound too innocent, too passive or one dimensional.
So in today’s episode, I’ll help you navigate 3 common challenges so you can create a believable, compelling child narrator.
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Episode at a glance:
[02:13] Getting The Voice Right
Children are often given vocabulary, phrasing or insights that don’t capture the voice of the child’s age. The voice is flat, trite, or too innocent. Consider the age of your narrator, the situation this character is in, and the language he or she would use.
[05:43] Young Children
Young children have concrete, sensory and egocentric perspectives, so you want to use shorter sentences, simple language, and literal interpretations.
[05:43] Older Children
These narrators are generally more curious and observant, with a limited but expanding vocabulary. These children are gaining awareness of adult emotions but misinterpreting them, and they’re often critical of the adults around them.
[06:29] Teens
These narrators are torn between innocence and growing cynicism. These narrators have more complex emotions and self awareness, so they’re beginning to question adult perspectives.
[08:54] Go Beyond Stereotypical Innocence
Writers sometimes reduce children to overly precious, innocent caricatures. You want to avoid reducing your child narrator to a powerless character to whom things just happen. Even young children have strong opinions and strong desires they ardently pursue.
[14:20] Reveal Truths The Child Can’t Fully Grasp
There’s an art to creating dramatic irony and layered storytelling by revealing information to the reader that the narrator is either unaware of or unable to fully comprehend. It requires walking the fine line between maintaining the authenticity of the child narrator’s limited perspective while simultaneously guiding the reader toward a deeper, more complete understanding of the events or emotions at play.
Links Mentioned In This Episode
Room by Emma Donoghue
A Crime In The Neighborhood by Suzanne Berne
The Catcher In The Rye by J.D Salinger
Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You by Sue Silverman
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