StoryGodmother Newsletter #10
Hello!
Hope this finds you well and enjoying the warmer weather. Just a short newsletter this time as deadlines have magical powers of their own and can appear out of nowhere.
EVENTS & COURSES
FREE Ask Me Anything event
Wednesday 28th June, 7.30pm
FREE to newsletter subscribers
As a thank you for subscribing to the newsletter, I’d love to invite you to a free AMA session. Participants will be welcome to type questions into the chat box and I’ll get through as many as I can. This can be about the publishing industry, writing craft, getting an agent, or anything else you would like to ask about the weird and wonderful world of writing! Free tickets are available here on EventBrite, and please use the same email you do for the newsletter.
DEALING WITH DIALOGUE (2 wks)
Monday 19th & 26th June, 7:30pm
£32
I’ve been requested to run a course on dialogue, which I’m really excited about. We’ll be looking at format, characterization, different ways of speaking, genre and all kinds of things to help you create effective and exciting dialogue! It’s running soon, so now’s a great time to grab a place, again via Eventbrite
WRITING CRITIQUE SERVICE
July slots are now open for affordable critiques in case anyone wants to reserve a slot. There’s no charge until work is submitted and it can be great to have a deadline to aim for. There are FOUR slots available. Various packages are available for picture book, chapter book and middle grade books. More information is here. If you would like to grab a slot, please email me at sparkles@storygodmother.co.uk
UPCOMING EVENTS
Approaching quickly now is the SCBWI Picture Book Retreat on 14th-17th July where I’ll be speaking alongside the fabulous Jonny Duddle. I’m really looking forward to it and again, a big thank you to Clare Helen Welsh for inviting me along and organizing everything.
RESOURCES & IDEAS
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be adding to my online article library, which covers various aspects of writing for children.
Is that you, Mother?
This time I wanted to touch on the area of the character of mothers. This is an absolutely massive area to talk about – I think I’m going to have to run a workshop on it, as there is so much to say! So please be aware this is just scratching the surface to provide some food for thought.
I often notice in texts I look at that the most boring character in a story is the mother. This is especially the case when it comes to human mothers – they are usually the most boring and generic characters of all! Mothers are often portrayed as being anxious, un-confident, and frequently defer decisions to someone else (usually the dad, if there is one). While it is important to remember there is absolutely no problem with a character like this per-se, as long as this characterisation is thoughtful and deliberate. However, it’s important not to slip into stereotypes or 2D characterisation, and the portrayal of the mother character is the most helpful and accurate one for your particular story and world.
Let’s unpack it a little bit.
1) Background role
Perhaps understandably, the role of the mother is usually in the background because a young protagonist is the main character, but they can still be a well-rounded individual. This will actually make your story more believable and interesting, even if the mother only has a background role.
Depending on your story and family set-up, if you have created a mother character, they will likely be in your protagonist’s background, to some extent. Even if they are largely absent, if your mother is a biological mother, there will be genetic contributions to your protagonist’s make-up.
Think about nature and nurture. How is your mother ‘present’ in your protagonist? How do they affect and inform your protagonist’s attitudes and behaviours? Does your child protagonist realistically seem like the biological offspring or raised child of this parent?
Note, this does not mean mothers and children have to be identical. In fact, sometimes children grow in opposition to their parents, which can create a more harmonious ying-yang environment. A brilliant, if extreme, example of this (although not from children’s fiction) is the TV show Absolutely Fabulous, with the wild and reckless mother Eddie, and the sensible daughter, Saffy. Even if you go for opposites, you may still find there are similarities – one may be an optimist, one may be a pessimist, but the same stubborn streak may run through both parent and child. Publishers are still hungry for strong, female protagonists, but what do their mothers look like? Are these mothers their role models? Are there other female characters who are role models for the protagonists? Interestingly I’ve observed that grandmothers and aunts are often stronger, more active characters than the mothers.
2) Gender stereotypes
It’s also interesting in the texts I see, that if the mother is a single mother, they are often a lot more active, adventurous and less cautious than when they are in a two-parent mum-dad family. Obviously, there are clearly many different combinations of family set-ups but I have noticed that when you have a mum-dad family unit, it tends to be the father which is more active, adventurous and fun to be around. The mother is the cautious, sensible, worried one. What happens if you gender-flip this? How does that affect family dynamics? How does that affect your protagonist and their view on the world?
3) Mothers are people
Although mothers may be seen as traditionally the more nurturing, home-making characters, that does not necessarily need to be the case. Mothers are people who have raised children. And although motherhood can change your perspective on life, mothers are STILL people. They STILL have personalities. They STILL have wants, needs, dreams, hopes and not just fears.
What is the voice of your mother character? Does it sound interesting and tailored to a character, or does it sound generic? Does your mother character work? What kind of occupation? Do they have hobbies? What is their biggest hope? What is their biggest regret? Are they organised or disorganised? What do they feel has been their greatest achievement? Are they neurodiverse? Who is their choice of partner?
What does all this reveal about personality – and about who they truly are as a character? Only when we really understand this, can we understand their attitudes and beliefs and their relationship with their child. Which in turn, can have a huge impact on the shaping of your protagonist.
Finally
With a little bit more character development, the generic, boring, repetitive mum character can become a person in their own right and add a new depth to your story.
END NOTES
I hope you found this newsletter helpful. Thank you for reading and all the best with your writing!
If there’s anything you’d like covered in the newsletter in the Resources section, please do let me know at sparkles@storygodmother.co.uk and I’ll see what I can do.
Thanks very much!
Story Godmother.