Science Fiction and Fantasy For Younger Readers – Part Three – Creating Credibility
Posted by admin on 01 Mar 2010 under books, writingIt is crucial that your time machine, method or device, whether it is mechanical, magical or even supernatural, appears to be authentic and is easily believable in the mind of the reader. In my workshops on this topic at schools and libraries, the majority of children have wonderfully inspired ideas related to time travel, but some struggle to explain how their machines or methods actually function. They are also usually very clear on the way their character travels back in time, but have given little thought to the return trip.
In The Alchemist’s Portrait, Matthew is on a field trip with his school to the art gallery at the local museum. When he places his hand on the canvas of the portrait of Peter Glimmer, a seventeenth century Dutch boy, his hand sinks into the painting, like quicksand. He can also step through the frame and actually be inside the picture. From the inside, he can see the museum gallery he just stepped out of, complete with other museum visitors, although they are unable to see him. From the inside the frame is capable of showing images from all the different time periods wherever the painting ever existed in the past and just as Matthew can step into the painting from the outside, he can also step from the inside into any of the historical periods shown in the frame and travels back not only to 1666 but to the French Revolution in 1792, the American Civil War in 1865 and the Russian Revolution in 1917.
Impossible? Perhaps, but if the process is described in such a way as to make it believable to the readers, the concept will work. Although the story involves travel to another world rather than into different time period, we do not question that four children can walk into a wardrobe and reappear in the magical land of Narnia in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Similarly, the fact that Alice can tumble down a rabbit hole into a strange underground dimension or that a flying boy outside the bedroom window can lead his young friends to Neverland, seems perfectly reasonable in the imagination of the young reader.
Simon Rose is the author of science fiction and fantasy novels for children, including The Alchemist’s Portrait, The Sorcerer’s Letterbox, The Clone Conspiracy, The Emerald Curse and The Heretic’s Tomb. He offers a wide variety of workshops, presentations and Author in Residence programs for schools and libraries around the world, covering such topics as where ideas come from, story structure, editing and revision, character development, time travel stories, history and research and more. He is also available for presentations, workshops and public speaking engagements with a wide range of adult audiences, offers creative services designed for writers, including editing, critiquing and manuscript evaluation and also freelance writing services, including website content and copywriting, for the business community. Details of school and library programs, plus online readings, excerpts from his books, reviews, and reader, student and teacher comments may be found at http://www.simon-rose.com You may also visit his blog at http://simon-rose.blogspot.com
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