Creating Authentic Children

     
              Aha! At last I am doing another writing tip post, because I haven't done one in a while!! (Does that count as an intro? I'm going to say yes).

        So children, they're like grownups only they're smaller and they only want to have fun and eat sweets, but hey, who doesn't?

        Lately I've read a lot of books where the authors write the most fake kids I've ever read! They always fall into one of three categories:

1. The über sweet darling. This kid is an angel from heaven, they cannot sin.

3. The über evil brat. This kid is a demon or possessed by demons. Basically this child is only there to give the main protagonist grief.

4. The ghost. This is the kid that is only mentioned twice and you haven't seen him since the first chapter and you're on chapter twenty…

         I have four siblings and one foster brother. I have babysat. I am a homeschooler, every homeschool event I go to is swarming with children. So I believe I have every right to say that those three kid stereotypes are a wilting pile of cow pies in the sweltering Texas sun!

        That being said, here's how to create a realist and authentic child…

1. Hobbies. Even young children have hobbies. Brad Wallace loves comic books, and his favorite one is his old and tattered Iron Man comic book, later when he's twelve I build on the knowledge of his love for comic books, and now Brad is also obsessed with drawing comics.

2. Faults. Since Brad is the first actual child I've created (and my favorite, ssh! Don't tell him!!) I'm going to use him for my examples. Brad is a relatively normal child. He also had faults. He loves throwing stuff (comic books), at his older sister, Kimberly. He's reckless, and he's also an impulsive liar. All in all, I'd say he's human.

3. Involvement in the older sibling's life. My siblings are very involved in my life, sometimes I wish they weren't. Sometimes I wish I could tell them to get a life and get out of mine, and sometimes I do tell them that, *grimaces* but no matter what I do or say, I know that my siblings aren't going anywhere anytime soon! Brad is very involved in Kimberly's life, he's even read her diary!

         My siblings know almost everything about me, it's bad. One time they found out who I had a crush on… oh, dear Lord, WHY??? And of course my parents had just invited this young man and his family over for dinner… UGH, WHY ARE MY SIBLINGS SO INVOLVED IN MY LIFE?!?!? Luckily, I think the fellow was oblivious of the fact that my siblings were all grinning at him like maniacs the whole time...but that's a different story… ;) 

         So those were my three tips for creating an authentic child! I hope it helped.

Can you relate to my dislike of poorly drawn children in fiction?

Why or why not?

Oh, and I also finished all of my school this week, I thought I wasn't going to, but I did! *Squeals, throwing papers into the air*

       I'm so done with school. I no longer care if I bombed the last science test I turned in on Friday (I doubt I did, I think I knew all of the answers), or if I get a poor grade on my ten paragraph thesis paper, the point is; IT'S OVER.

Are you guys done with your school?

When did you finish or when will you finish??

Happy Writing,