Inkspiration Calling

S1 04 Dive into the Wonderland of Children's Fiction Genres: Crafting Adventures, Unraveling Mysteries, and Laughing Through Humorous Worlds!

• Abigail Horne • Season 1 • Episode 4

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Welcome to another exciting episode of Inkspiration Calling! I'm Abigail Horne, your host. Join me as we explore the diverse world of children's fiction genres—a journey filled with creativity, craft, and boundless inspiration.

Summary:
In this episode, we delve into various children's fiction genres. Understanding genres is crucial for meeting reader expectations, identifying target audiences, and crafting stories within each genre's framework. We explore adventure, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, and humorous chapter books, each offering unique experiences. Exploring different genres broadens horizons and expands creative abilities.

Key Takeaways:
1. Genres aid in meeting reader expectations and identifying target audiences.
2. Each genre has its own storytelling structure and elements.
3. Adventure, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, and humorous chapter books offer diverse reading experiences.
4. Exploring various genres broadens horizons and expands creative abilities.

As we wrap up this enlightening episode of Inkspiration Calling, I hope you've gained fresh insights and a renewed sense of inspiration. Keep dreaming, keep writing, and remember that your journey as a writer can start right here.

Authors & Co. Resources:

Abigail Horne:

Hello and welcome to Inkspiration Calling the podcast where creativity meets craft and authors find that inkspiration. I am your host, Abigail Horne. And this season we are embarking on an exciting journey into the captivating world of children's chapter books. Over the course of this series, we'll be delving deep into the heart of storytelling for young minds, exploring the ins and outs of crafting chapter books that not only entertain, but inspire our young readers. So if you've ever found yourself daydreaming about whimsical worlds, unforgettable characters, and tales that ignite imagination, and you are in the right place, get ready for a season packed with invaluable insights, practical tips, and above all else, endless inspiration. Welcome back. And most admit, this is probably the most excited I've ever been to sit down and record a podcast. Because today I get to enjoy just speaking to you about books that I have loved my whole life. I just couldn't think of anything I would rather do with my day. So in today's episode, we are going to be exploring why variety is indeed the spice of life as we look at the different genres within children's fiction. So shall we define genres just so I know that we are all on the same page. genres in children's fiction are categories or classifications, if you like that help identify and describe the different types of stories based on their themes, settings, characters, or narrative styles. So they serve as guides for readers or educators and authors to understand and explore particular kinds of stories. So that's what I mean by genre. And there are lots of them. So before we explore the different kinds of genres, I just want to take a few moments to explain why understanding these genres is so important. The number one thing we need to do is meet your readers expectations. Because different genres have specific themes and rules, if you like that readers expect you to follow. Obviously, if you can understand these as the author, you are going to be able to meet your audience's expectations and deliver a satisfying reader experience. And obviously, that is exactly what we want to do here. Genres will also help you as the author, identify your target audience, because knowing the specific marketing strategies for different genres will allow you to reach the readers who are most likely going to enjoy your work. That's perfect because it's a win win for you both. You may also choose to specialise in a specific genre, and that will allow you to build a brand and an identity. Consistency in this genre choice may attract a dedicated readership for you. And that is totally something that you should aspire to. But thinking of the stories themselves, it's important that you know that each genre has its own storytelling structure and elements. Understanding these structures will enable you to craft stories that fit within your genres framework, while allowing room for your creativity and innovation. The more genre knowledge that you have, this will aid in the development of your plot, characters, settings and themes. If you choose to explore various genres, it will broaden your horizons, allowing you to experiment with different styles and themes, potentially even expanding your creative abilities. I feel like this exploration is the journey that I am on. I love so many different sorts of genres as you will hear when I talk to you about them. And I don't think I'm happy yet to pin myself down to just one thing. But I'm also open to the fact that maybe that will come. I read something funny and I want to become the next Roald Dahl. And then the next minute I read something profound. And I want to write a book that children will carry with them for a lifetime. And to be fair, I'm also an in the closet Colombo fan. So every now and again, I want to create that problem solving protagonist for kids. With all the twists and turns that writing mysteries will hold for me. We'll see it's all part of my journey as a writer. Of course when thinking about your writing, you may also be considering your journey to publication two. So it's important that you know that publishers and agents often look for specific genres that are trending or have a dedicated audience already. So understanding genres can increase the marketability of a manuscript when seeking publication. But we'll talk more about your path to publishing in a later episode, because for now, we just need to help you become the writer that you want to be. And that starts here with this exploration of what you may want to write about. So let's start with adventure. Adventure stories typically involve protagonists who embark on daring expeditions, or involving exploration, discovery, or overcoming obstacles. The plot normally revolves around a quest, or remission that propels the characters into a series of challenges, encounters, or even, daresay perilous situations. Adventure chapter books often explore themes, such as bravery, resilience, teamwork, and perseverance. The protagonist will usually be curious, courageous and often very resourceful too. And these adventure books often maintain a pretty fast paced narrative with plenty of action sequences, cliffhangers, and often moments of suspense, that are going to keep the readers engaged and turning those pages. And they encourage readers to dream to explore to envisage themselves as brave heroes in their own adventures. Fantastic Mr. Fox is a lovely little adventure book. And if this is something that you are interested in writing, I think this is a great one for young readers if you want to take a look. So let's move on into mystery as a genre. Mystery chapter books revolve around a central puzzle, problem or mystery that needs to be solved. And the storyline often begins with an intriguing event, a disappearance or an unusual circumstance that sparks are young readers, curiosity, themes and mystery books for children would often include things like problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and the thrill of uncovering secrets. They encourage readers to observe details as they are reading, like, think analytically, and piece together clues alongside the characters. This is what I mean about Columbo I mean, he was just allege, so we need a kid's Columbo that we can all get addicted to reading because I'm just not happy with what is currently on offer. protagonist in mystery chapter books are typically curious, observant and very determined individuals. They might be detective or even regular kids who stumble on mysteries and take it upon themselves to solve them. So mystery books need to maintain a sense of suspense and tension throughout the story, often ending with cliffhangers or new revelations that keep readers eagerly turning the pages because obviously, they want to uncover the truth. Oh, this brings me on to one of my favourite genres now, and that is fantasy. Admittedly, my absolute favourite fantasy novel is a big one. It's the Lord of the Rings. I am a self confessed super fun. Fantasy chapter books create rich and immersive worlds that often veer off completely from reality. I think this is why I love them. I think I'll just love going to somewhere completely different. These worlds can include magical realms, mythical creatures. Alternative dimensions are enchanted landscapes that readers can explore. I've already gotten there in my head. I think I'm even going to struggle to deliver this part of the podcast because I am so obsessed with fantasy novels. I mean, who wouldn't want to be in one right? Well, possibly artefacts from the neverending story before spoiler alert that didn't end well. For him. Who doesn't love magic? Magic is a defining feature of fantasy. It can manifest in various forms, magical spells, magical objects, fantastical creatures, or even unique abilities that are possessed by the characters. These magical elements add so much wonder and excitement to a story. Fantasy chapter books often explore themes such as bravery, heroism, friendship, and a battle between good and evil and the power of imagination. They just encourage readers to believe and embrace The extraordinary protagonist usually find themselves in extraordinary circumstances, facing challenges that test their courage and resilience. Think the Chronicles of Narnia or the Hobbit, or even James and the Giant Peach. Gosh, this walk down literature lane is making my day so onwards, we go to science fiction. Science fiction chapter books often take place in futuristic settings, presenting advanced technology, space travel, alternative realities, or worlds that are vastly different from our own. Science fiction may also introduce things like futuristic gadgets, inventions and scientific advancements that we may not have here yet in our presence, so they don't exist yet. Themes in science fiction chapter books can often include exploration, innovation, space exploration and environmental issues, ethics of technology, and the impact of scientific advancements on society. protagonist in science fiction can be young explorers, scientists, Space Adventures, or individuals that are grappling with futuristic challenges. They often possess curiosity, intelligence, and adaptability in navigating the complexities of their worlds. So a great example for you to read would be the War of the world's Young Readers series. Let's move on now to historical fiction. Again, I'm not going to be able to contain my excitement because from a teenager, one of my favourite authors has been Bernard Cornwell. He is an absolutely epic, historical fiction writer. And he created a character that you may have heard of, even if it's only from the Netflix series, and that is putrid. Because yes, Bernard Cornwell was indeed the writer of the last Kingdom series. Okay, back to chapter book stories, because those are definitely stories for older readers. Historical Fiction chapter books are set in specific historical periods, presenting accurate details of the years customs, traditions, clothing, technology and societal norms of those periods of times. Authors of historical fiction extensively research the time period, to ensure accuracy in portraying historical events, locations and cultural nuances. This sort of dedication to authenticity really helps readers to understand and daresay really appreciate the past. And I speak from experience here as a huge reader of historical fiction. protagonist in historical fiction can be fictional, or based on real life historical figures. They navigate the challenges and experiences of that time, allowing readers to connect with character struggles, aspirations, and growth within the historical context. If you are interested in writing for this very underserved genre, then reading something like the magic Treehouse series is going to be a great place for you to start. I'm going to end on talking to you about humour, given that I've already told you probably more than once that Roald Dahl is one of the greatest gifts I could have ever been given as a child. Humorous chapter books feature characters with quirky personalities, witty remarks, and they just have a knack of getting into really humorous situations. These characters often have distinctive traits or comedic flaws that make them so endearing to readers. And I don't just mean the protagonists. Actually some of the baddies that you are going to explore in these humorous chapter books are just going to you're just going to be in love with them. So even though you're going to love to hate them, some of these humorous bodies are just absolutely everything. And I remember some of them so well from the books that I've read as a child. These books will often explore themes related to friendship, family, school life and everyday situations, but they're going to be infused with comedic twists. They present familiar scenarios with like in a really light hearted and entertaining manner. In fact, Roald Dahl actually blended fantasy with humour exquisitely many humorous chapter books are also accompanied by illustrations that compliment the comedic elements in the text. So Visual humour, if you like, through funny illustrations or cartoons, adding another layer of amusement for your readers, and Dahl and Blake did this as a duo to absolute perfection. Over all these chapter books offer a light hearted and entertaining reading experience using laughter as a tool to engage readers to just brighten up their day. Like there were so many situations I wanted to escape as a child. I am schooling situations that I remember that I was finding really, really stressful. And these stories allowed me to feel happy even in moments where I felt really sad. So these stories are often remembered for years and years to come. I massively encourage you to pick all of those books that up that you adored as a child as you start to explore the genre that you may want to write. And this isn't something that you need to decide now. I want you to allow yourself the indulgence of this creative process, because you never know your talents may lie in a genre that you never even considered before today. Well, that is it for this episode of Inksiration Calling. As we close this chapter, I hope you are leaving with fresh ideas, practical tips, and most importantly, a renewed sense of inspiration. Until next time, keep dreaming. Keep writing and remember that your story and start here

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Abigail Horne

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