Writing Believable Kidfic
Sep. 4th, 2007 10:42 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
texasbek.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ds_workshopIn "Seeing is Believing", when Ray K reveals that he wanted to be a father, I saw him in a whole new light. I certainly know a lot of men who want to be fathers, but probably not any who would end a marriage over it. So this strong desire of his to have children says interesting things about his personality. At the very least it gives you a canon lead in to writing him as a father. For the most part I read F/K and there is certainly something appealing about a post-COTW happily-ever-after that includes fatherhood.
Let me say straight out that I do not go out of my way to find and read kidfic. I have read some great examples. Speranza's "With Six You Get Eggroll" and Journey's "Family Portrait" spring to mind, but I have read far more awful stories. There are some basic things that throw me out of a story so fast I'm scrambling for that back button. Full disclosure time: I am not a great writer. I'm not even a good writer. But, I am an avid reader and more important for the purposes of this discussion, I am a mother who is surrounded by children. I have my own 3 (ages 7,5 and 11 months); 7 nieces from 2 to 13 and I teach 7th through 9th grades. I often feel much more comfortable conversing with children than adults and it is this perspective with which I view kidfic.
The number one rule to keep in mind is that children are not miniature adults. I've read of three-year olds "toddling" and six-year olds quoting Dostoevsky. I have seven-year old little boy in my Physics class. And while truly brilliant, he still talks like a seven year old. Even Fraser as seen in "Easy Money" was clearly a boy. Oh, he was trying to learn to be a man. But his body language, his speech all spoke of a twelve year old. And yet, in kidfic, you often see five-year olds deliver sage wisdom that inevitably brings our heroes together. Fives may be many things but sage isn't one of them. If you choose to write about a five-year old daughter, then observe little girls of this age. If you don't have a niece or friend or some other living example, there are some guidelines you can use.
Child Behavior Archive has a list of questions and answers about common (and some not so common) childhood concerns.
The about.com forum on child development is chock full of great information. You can read about everyday behaviors, motor skills development and what a child might be learning in school at that age. Which brings me to my next topic, education.
Depending on whether your child is being raised in Canada or the States, at some point you are going to have to think about school, particularly if Fraser is involved. I just can't see him not placing a premium on a good education.
In Canada, where and how the children go to school depends largely on where they live. Studycanada.ca claims:
"Education is a provincial responsibility under the Canadian constitution, which means there are significant differences between the education systems of the different provinces. However, education is important to Canadians, and standards across the country are uniformly high.
"In general, Canadian children attend kindergarten for one or two years at the age of four or five on a voluntary basis. All children begin Grade One at about six years of age. The school year normally runs from September through the following June but in some instances, January intake dates are possible. Secondary schools go up to Grades 11 or 12, depending on the province. From there, students may attend university, college or Cégep studies. Cégep is a French acronym for College of General and Vocational Education, and is two years of general or three years of technical education between high school and university. The province of Québec has the Cégep system".
If you'd like for your characters to be home-schooled, Canadian Home Based Learning Resources Page pools information about provincial laws and resources.
In the States there is less variation among public primary and secondary schools. If you would like an overview, the US Department of Education is the place to go. A lot of their site is devoted to No Child Left Behind which may or may not be around much longer. In short, public schools are required to meet some standard, so at each grade, your little Fraser/Kowalski/Vecchio will take standardized testing to assure they are meeting grade-level benchmarks.
If the children are in private school, there are more possibilities, but they will still have to meet standards. The North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement is the organization that accredits public and private schools in Illinois. There you can find the standards and criteria schools must meet to maintain their accreditation.
If you would like a look at schools of both types in Chicago, Greatschools.net has the scoop including parent reviews.
"Edison Elementary Regional Gifted Center is a wonderful school. Our son is thriving there under the tutelage of Mrs. Nelson. My one complaint is there don't seem to be enough opportunities to learn tracking, hunting and other survival skills. Physical education seems to be devoted to games such as dodge-ball that, while being rigorous physical exercise, as far as I can ascertain have no real-world implications. Perhaps the addition of a scouting troop would be advantageous." B. Fraser, RCMP
I hope this is at least somewhat helpful to you when writing a child into the life of due South. Please, feel free to discuss.
Let me say straight out that I do not go out of my way to find and read kidfic. I have read some great examples. Speranza's "With Six You Get Eggroll" and Journey's "Family Portrait" spring to mind, but I have read far more awful stories. There are some basic things that throw me out of a story so fast I'm scrambling for that back button. Full disclosure time: I am not a great writer. I'm not even a good writer. But, I am an avid reader and more important for the purposes of this discussion, I am a mother who is surrounded by children. I have my own 3 (ages 7,5 and 11 months); 7 nieces from 2 to 13 and I teach 7th through 9th grades. I often feel much more comfortable conversing with children than adults and it is this perspective with which I view kidfic.
The number one rule to keep in mind is that children are not miniature adults. I've read of three-year olds "toddling" and six-year olds quoting Dostoevsky. I have seven-year old little boy in my Physics class. And while truly brilliant, he still talks like a seven year old. Even Fraser as seen in "Easy Money" was clearly a boy. Oh, he was trying to learn to be a man. But his body language, his speech all spoke of a twelve year old. And yet, in kidfic, you often see five-year olds deliver sage wisdom that inevitably brings our heroes together. Fives may be many things but sage isn't one of them. If you choose to write about a five-year old daughter, then observe little girls of this age. If you don't have a niece or friend or some other living example, there are some guidelines you can use.
Child Behavior Archive has a list of questions and answers about common (and some not so common) childhood concerns.
The about.com forum on child development is chock full of great information. You can read about everyday behaviors, motor skills development and what a child might be learning in school at that age. Which brings me to my next topic, education.
Depending on whether your child is being raised in Canada or the States, at some point you are going to have to think about school, particularly if Fraser is involved. I just can't see him not placing a premium on a good education.
In Canada, where and how the children go to school depends largely on where they live. Studycanada.ca claims:
"Education is a provincial responsibility under the Canadian constitution, which means there are significant differences between the education systems of the different provinces. However, education is important to Canadians, and standards across the country are uniformly high.
"In general, Canadian children attend kindergarten for one or two years at the age of four or five on a voluntary basis. All children begin Grade One at about six years of age. The school year normally runs from September through the following June but in some instances, January intake dates are possible. Secondary schools go up to Grades 11 or 12, depending on the province. From there, students may attend university, college or Cégep studies. Cégep is a French acronym for College of General and Vocational Education, and is two years of general or three years of technical education between high school and university. The province of Québec has the Cégep system".
If you'd like for your characters to be home-schooled, Canadian Home Based Learning Resources Page pools information about provincial laws and resources.
In the States there is less variation among public primary and secondary schools. If you would like an overview, the US Department of Education is the place to go. A lot of their site is devoted to No Child Left Behind which may or may not be around much longer. In short, public schools are required to meet some standard, so at each grade, your little Fraser/Kowalski/Vecchio will take standardized testing to assure they are meeting grade-level benchmarks.
If the children are in private school, there are more possibilities, but they will still have to meet standards. The North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement is the organization that accredits public and private schools in Illinois. There you can find the standards and criteria schools must meet to maintain their accreditation.
If you would like a look at schools of both types in Chicago, Greatschools.net has the scoop including parent reviews.
"Edison Elementary Regional Gifted Center is a wonderful school. Our son is thriving there under the tutelage of Mrs. Nelson. My one complaint is there don't seem to be enough opportunities to learn tracking, hunting and other survival skills. Physical education seems to be devoted to games such as dodge-ball that, while being rigorous physical exercise, as far as I can ascertain have no real-world implications. Perhaps the addition of a scouting troop would be advantageous." B. Fraser, RCMP
I hope this is at least somewhat helpful to you when writing a child into the life of due South. Please, feel free to discuss.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-09-04 09:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-04 10:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-04 09:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-04 10:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-04 09:47 pm (UTC)Thanks for putting this together! It is full of good information, and I am taking your advice about matching the child's age to the child's behaviour to heart.
I've got a couple questions that you might be able to answer, or we can open the discussion up to comments. I was wondering if you had any tips about how to avoid the schmoooop factor when it comes to writing about children. (And this is open to discussion in the comments, too). How much sugar is sweet enough, and how much causes a diabetic coma? Also, what are some cliches one should avoid when writing about parenting and childrearing? What kind of information would Fraser or Ray have at their disposal when they try to bring up a child? What books do you think Fraser would check out of the library? My only point of reference is Dr. Spock and I have a feeling that that is sadly outdated.
Thanks again for such a terrific workshop post, and I hope it generates a lot of discussion!
no subject
Date: 2007-09-04 10:19 pm (UTC)I loved your workshop on childhood in Canada. I should have linked to your post because you covered that topic quite well.
I was wondering if you had any tips about how to avoid the schmoooop factor when it comes to writing about children. (And this is open to discussion in the comments, too). How much sugar is sweet enough, and how much causes a diabetic coma?
Wow- that is such an important question. I will tell you what it is like living with three (toungue firmly in cheek) perfect children. They do not constantly spew forth sweetness and light. While they are not little adults, they are human, and as such are not always happy or always loving or always anything else. Sometimes my daughter or son will say something so precious I will tell everyone I know. But most of our conversations are rather ordinary. Your mileage may vary, but I think if it would give you that icky sweet feeling if that level of emotion were coming from an adult then that whould be a warning sign.
Also, what are some cliches one should avoid when writing about parenting and childrearing?
Hmmm.... I'm going to have to come back to this one. I will think about it at soccer practice tonight. *g*
What kind of information would Fraser or Ray have at their disposal when they try to bring up a child? What books do you think Fraser would check out of the library? My only point of reference is Dr. Spock and I have a feeling that that is sadly outdated.
Again, these are great questions. Resources are ubiquitious because of the internet. And parenting advice is all over the map. I would see Fraser and Ray having a pretty common-sense approach to parenting. I think Fraser might be interested in The Irreducible Needs of Children: What Every Child Must Have to Grow, Learn, and Flourish by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D.. That isn't so much a parenting advice book as a discussion of the state of childhood in modern America. Pretty good stuff. Brazleton also has a very good Touchpoints series that describes emotional and behavioral development and appropriate adult responses to same. His advice tends to be gentle and respectful of the child's self. He encourages parents to allow children to own their own accomplishments and guide them through setbacks without attacking them. I've found his advice remarkedly helpful when it comes to potty training, fwiw.
I personally like Dr. Sears' Attachment Parenting stuff but I'm not sure that Fraser or RayK would be into that. Not that they would dissaprove, but I just don't see them getting that crunchy in their parenting. Besides, the family bed would banish the hot sex from these stories. I have enough of that in real life without seeing it in fandom.
Thanks for the discussion!
no subject
Date: 2007-09-05 03:08 am (UTC)Hee! I have one sister who's totally crunchy who naturally did the Sears thing. The much more conservative sister who pooh-poohed ended up doing the same when her first baby insisted! I could see Ray being that smooshy around his baby, and once Fraser does research, being right into it, too.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-04 10:23 pm (UTC)I have known a few guys, though, who really, really wanted to be dads. Enough to make it a dealbreaker in their relationships. It's kind of nice, in its way, to see family mean so much to them and their sense of self. Not so great for a marriage to someone who isn't interested in kids, but you're totally right about it being a HUGE issue in terms of characterization. :D
no subject
Date: 2007-09-05 01:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-05 01:28 am (UTC)I've got a kidfic!plot bunny floating around, so these will be most handy.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-05 03:02 am (UTC)One thing I'd add that's DS specific is not characterizing Fraser as unsure, removed, nervous, etc. around kids. He puts up his barriers and becomes hesitant around, e.g., women throwing themselves at him; but he opens up and lets his playful side out around babies and children in canon. He even did tolerably well with Janet Morse's kids, who were pretty much impossible. Yet I've seen uptight!Fraser in kidfic, as it's a characterization for him that's easy for a writer to go to. Not the way he with kids in canon, though.
Good eps to review for babies and little kids: Diefenbaker's Day Off; A Cop, a Mountie and a Baby (puffin face!); Bounty Hunter.
Good eps with teens: Free Willie; Chicago Holiday; The Promise; Some Like It Red; Say Amen.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-09 09:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-09-05 06:49 pm (UTC)Thanks for the post, and for the above sentence. Made my day!