I’m traveling again this week, so I thought it would be a good time to re-post what I think is a good lesson.
I’ve had the privilege of teaching my Writing is Fun Workshop to over 22,000 kids across the country in public, private, Christian, and home schools, and I feel I have a pretty good grasp of how to connect in a positive way fiction.
As you can see, I’m focusing today on writing for children, but don’t think you adult writers don’t need to read it.
After all, truth is truth, regardless of the age or genre. And so is good writing.
Teaching Biblical Truth Through Secular Fiction
Today’s fictional children are invincible. They’re smart and calculating and wise beyond their years. They’re totally independent and answer to no one. They nab the bad guy and save the planet and solve the world’s problems through their ingenuity and insight. And where are today’s fictional adults while all this is going on? They’re standing in the corner, picking their noses–inept bystanders in the crises of life.
Truth is, real kids need us adults. They need us to listen and understand and offer guidance. Fictional kids need adults, too.
When I decided to write my first book, Bitsy and the Mystery at Tybee Island, I wanted to create a story kids would love, one with adventure, danger, and mystery. But I wanted more than just a good story. I wanted to teach something in the process.
1. I wanted kids to see cause and effect. As adults, we know there are consequences for poor choices in life. You choose to be tardy at work, and you get fired. You choose to eat the wrong kinds of foods, and your health suffers. But the truth of consequences is often missing in children’s fiction. Many children’s books have kids doing a variety of dangerous and unhealthy things, with no undesirable effects. I wanted kids to experience the consequences of poor choices through my characters. And remember, consequences don’t have to come at the hands of adults. Natural consequences may be punishment enough and are often more effective. Kidnapping, false accusations, and loss of trust are a few of results the characters suffer in the Bitsy series.
2. I wanted to kids to see that adults are usually pretty smart people. Fictional adults are often portrayed as oblivious to danger, or if they are aware, they’re unable to do anything about the problem. Parents are stupid, teachers are idiots, and authority figures have their own wicked agendas. Sure, a good mystery must have good guys and bad guys, but I still wanted the majority of adults to be intelligent and have the kids’ best interest at heart. In each Bitsy mystery, the kids are the ones who ultimately solve the puzzle, but it’s done without sacrificing the primary adults’ integrity.
3. I wanted kids to see that family is an important, desirable part of life. Bitsy has an intact family who, like all real families, has blemishes. They argue and fight, but there’s no doubt they love each other. Bitsy may resent her siblings’ intrusion in her life and may wish for freedom from family constraints, but in each book, she learns one more reason to appreciate them.
4. I wanted kids to see a Christian family who isn’t perfect, but who believes in a God who is. In contemporary fiction, Christians are often presented in one of two ways–either as Bible-thumping idiots or as saccharine-sweet saints. The truth is, we’re just like everyone else. We struggle with right and wrong. We face difficult situations, and we can’t understand why some things happen in life. In the Bitsy series, Bitsy and her family struggle to do right when it would be so much easier to do wrong.
As writers of children’s fiction, I feel we have a responsibility to our readers and their parents. Can parents trust our writing? Can children trust the story we’ve created? Will they learn and grow and experience life by reading what we’ve written? I certainly hope so. If not, we’ve contributed to the idea that children are invincible and they don’t need us old people to help them along the way.
And we all know that’s a lie.
But what if you’re not writing for children? Do you think this instruction isn’t for you? Think again. Whether you’re writing for children or adults, the protagonist of every story must learn something. He or she must change and grow over the course of the book. So regardless of who you’re writing for, remember that you can teach Biblical truth through your secular fiction.
That first book has grown into a series of three: Bitsy and the Mystery at Hilton Head Island, Bitsy and the Mystery at Amelia Island, and Bitsy and the Mystery at Tybee Island.
I hope you’ll check out Bitsy’s World for fun games for kids, summaries of the books, first chapters, and the link to getting Bitsy’s books for your own kids and grandkids!
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Who Won the Movie of Words Writing Contest?
My goodness, what great writers you ALL are! There wasn’t a bad scene in the bunch! All of them were inviting, connected with the reader, and created a movie in my mind.
So I finally just reread them to see if one drew me in on a more personal level, and one did. As a grandmother of four with arthritis in my hands and feet, I could relate personally to Tim Knopp’s scene. So Tim, just visit the Store, take a look at the downloadable workshops, and let me know by email which one you prefer.
And a huge THANK YOU to all who participated. You’re an amazingly talented group, especially in such a short time frame!
Blessings on all your projects!
Vonda
