Writing for children
ANIMAL MAGIC
AUTHOR INTERVIEW: HOLLY WEBB
Newly confident readers love animal stories just as much as younger children, says author Amy Sparkes, concluding her look at creating animal magic in your stories
Animals have a special place in our hearts and our stories. Animal books in young fiction (age 5-9) or middlegrade fiction (age 9-12) tend to fall into one of two categories: stories focusing on the relationship between animals and humans; or stories which view the world from the animals’ perspective.
Animals and humans
The relationship between humans and animals is special, whether it concerns a cherished pet, a rescued animal or an encounter in the wild. This interaction usually facilitates the resolution of the protagonist’s conflict (internal, external or both).
One way this can happen is magic. Being removed from the limits of human nature, animals are sometimes portrayed as magical, especially in young fiction. Can you create an animal character with a magical element? How would the magic work? How could it help solve a problem?
Animals are also special friends for children who are in same way alienated or struggling with emotional difficulties. This friendship isn’t restricted to domestic pets. Think of an unusual (but in some way appealing) animal. How could a child befriend this animal? What conflicts in the child’s life could the animal help to solve?
Stories from the animals’ perspective