Writing Fantasy for Children






It’s not a child’s play to write for children.
And the reason lies in the source itself.
A child has got an intense and vivid imagination.
His sense of wonder allows him to believe even the unreal or fanciful.
A writer needs to keep his own child-likeness alive in order to pen down such highly imaginative literature.

Take for example, the amazing world of Gulliver Travels.
Be it the flying island of Laputa, the disappearing servants at Glubbdubdrib, the immortal Struldburgs or the perfection of nature as personified in Houyhnhnms which is a society of horses – these stunning characters and attributes form part of a fantastic voyage that Gulliver undertakes to discover new pastures.

Jonathan Swift has worked out and delineated the minutest of details with such precision that leave apart the children, even adults reading this wonderful novel are mesmerized completely.

The story moves at a quick pace from one event to the other thus satisfying a child’s urge to know what comes next rather than why or how.

And there is a lot to learn and aspire for at the same time. The values of friendship and benevolence, the difference between knowledge and ignorance, the results of greed and lust – all this and much more is brought up by Swift in an effortless manner without being pedagogic or overtly moralistic.

In addition, the language used by Swift is simple, expressive and easy enough to be grasped by children.

The point to be seen here is that a child has an impressionable nature. He doesn’t care as much for reason and rationale as he does for fantasy and adventure. He is curious and capable of looking at the world with new eyes.  

He can even believe Panchtantra fables where animals speak like human beings. C.S Lewis also introduces Aslan, the main character in The Chronicles of Narnia as a great, talking lion who is the savior of Narnia and acts as a compassionate guide for a group of human children who stray into his territory.

This magnificent story appeals directly to a child’s capacity to marvel and wonder, his natural inclination to care less for logic unlike adults and more for spectacle. 

 And this is what Lewis understands perfectly as he sets out to spin a tale of fantasy for his young readers. He also knows that even an astonishing narrative like this needs to have proper structure, convincing characters and engaging plots. I have written in detail on this part in my post:

 How to Write a Short Story

Thus, he does full justice to these essential aspects of the art of storytelling especially credibility.

As a result, we find ourselves in the middle of a dazzling world that is new, full of surprises but still believable. It arouses our curiosity and promotes positive human values in an unassuming manner thus forming the hallmark of fantasy literature for children.





Here is a remarkable story for your Child!

Comments

  1. Shalini Singh13 April 2017 at 09:18

    Just the mention of Gulliver Travels and such stories, rolled me back into the world of childhood memories. When, I used to read these stories again and again.Thanks, for reminding those beautiful days, and making us realize the amount of effort and extraordinary level of insight is required in writing such mesmerizing stories. keep writing...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Manish Sharma13 April 2017 at 20:42

    Thanks Shalini. I agree that the world of children stories is a fantastic world. It is nostalgic, vivid and highly imaginative.It's important that we keep our interest alive in good literature for kids.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unknown29 April 2017 at 22:59

    Nice sir

    ReplyDelete
  4. Manish Sharma10 May 2017 at 16:13

    Thanks for reading my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jhon27 April 2021 at 13:32

    My personal sis advised me personally about your internet site and exactly how excellent it truly is. She’s proper, I’m genuinely amazed using the composing and clever style. Seems like to me you’re merely itching the surface in terms of that which you might accomplish, nevertheless you’re off to a terrific start! mm romance regency

    ReplyDelete
  6. Manish Sharma6 June 2021 at 12:59

    Thanks a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  7. SHAHZAIB15 November 2021 at 23:24

    It is a fantastic post – immense clear and easy to understand. I am also holding out for the sharks too that made me laugh. paletteamps.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Robbert Allenn22 May 2022 at 07:29

    This a whole new perspective. I suppose as adults we have forgotten to be amazed, curious and imaginative. In our childhood these stories were so fascinating that we could weave our own stories inspired by the fantacy of the characters.
    I guess we need to become child like again which we have forgotten.
    This is indeed thought provoking. Thank you Manish for this recollection of childhood.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Manish Sharma22 May 2022 at 11:58

      Thank you so much Robbert. Children stories invoke a kind of nostalgia which is dear to all of us. I hope we continue to remain in touch with our inner child.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous22 May 2022 at 09:20

    Even in my seventies I can loose myself in the land of make believe! Sir there is a spark which has been ignited, and your highly motivational lines have me all set to write a story for children. Thankyou so much.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Manish Sharma22 May 2022 at 11:59

      You are welcome to the blog sir. Thanks a lot for reading my article.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

उपहार

Image
  (चित्र: शालिनी सिंह) वह एक बहुत ही खूबसूरत चेहरा था। दो साल   की एक मासूम बच्ची का चेहरा। घुंघराले सुनहरे बाल , शरारत से भरी आंखें , दूध सा गोरा रंग्। लेकिन साथ ही उसके फंटे होंठ और मैले पड़े हाथ‌‌‌‌‌ पैर् साफ दिखाई पड़ते थे। सिर्फ एक पुरानी सी फ्रोक लटकाकर वो नन्ही सी जान कैसे नंगे पैर उस सख्त फुट्पाथ पर खडी थी , ये जान पाना मुश्किल   था।   आंचल ने यह सब देखा। बड़ी बारीकी से। वह रोज सुबह दौडने के लिये कालेज से बाहर निकलती थी। लेकिन इस तरफ आज पहली बार आई थी।   इस बीच उस छोटी बच्ची ने अपना एक पैर फुट्पाथ से नीचे रखा। लाल रंग का एक पोलीथीन सड्क के ठीक बीचोंबीच हवा के थपेडों से नाच रहा था। वो मंत्रमुग्ध सी उसकी और देख रही थी। फिर उसने अपना दूसरा पैर सडक पर रखा। सामने से एक कार तेजी से आ रही थी।   तभी एक अधेड़ उम्र की औरत दौड़ती हुई आई और उसका हाथ पकड कर अपनी ओर खींच ले गई। इससे पहले की वो कुछ समझ पाती , दो करारे थप्पड़ उसके गाल पर पड़ चुके थे। मोटे मोटे आंसू टप टप बहने लगे लेकिन आंखे अभी भी उस लाल पोलीथीन पर टिकीं थीं जो इस समय बि...
Read more

The Golden Bird

Image
Once upon a time, there was a young and gorgeous bird. She had candy red eyes that contrasted so strikingly with her snow-white feathers. Her tiny, bifurcated feet were gracefully in line with her blonde beak which was curved at the tip. Inexplicably, she had a golden ring thrown around her neck which shined intensely throughout the day.  And at night, from a distance, one could see it glimmer like a star-studded necklace. She lived inside a massive iron cage. It was so huge that at times, it created an illusion of space and in her ecstasy, she would flutter her wings and take a leap, only to get smashed against the thick, hard bars and crash on the floor. This bird had a unique and amazing trait which set her apart from the rest of her breed. She survived on gold. Every morning, her master would push apart the heavy gates of her cage and throw a handful of glittering gold coins inside. She would hurry and start nibbling at them hungrily. The speed with which she de...
Read more

Robot My Friend

Image
Once upon a time, there lived a young boy called Shanku in the small but vibrant township of Deolali. He was fair and sweet with dimpled chins. When he laughed, a curly lock of golden hairs danced playfully over his forehead. The most revealing feature of his persona were his eyes - blue as deep sea and full of innocence with a hint of mischief. While the other boys of his age flocked together and played tirelessly in the nearby park, Shanku spent most of his time with Robot. And who was this Robot by the way? An old toy which ran on two red colored, heavy batteries. Most of it was badly damaged. Its hands and legs were held in place with the help of tiny bits of black plastic tape. It fired from a silvery machine gun as it moved sluggishly on the floor, one foot at a time, making strange noises. Two brownish eyes stuck out of his face and shone brightly while his head was covered by a worn out cowboy hat which was not part of the original accessories. Frequently, it would ...
Read more