What is it about fantasy adventure that appeals to kids? Why is this genre so popular?
Is it the plot and legendary characters, or myth and mystery that appeal to junior readers? Or, is it a combination of all these elements and more?
Paul Collins is an awarding winning author who has written and published extensively for children. He is currently best known as co-creator (with Michael Pryor) of the Quentaris Chronicles, but his other popular titles include The Dog King, Swords of Quentaris, The Great Ferret Race, and Dragonlinks. Collins has also edited the fantasy anthologies Dream Weavers and Fantastic Worlds, and The Melbourne University Press Encyclopaedia of Australian Science Fiction and Fantasy.
In this interview, Paul Collins talks about the world of fantasy adventure – how it’s created, who it’s created for, and what kids get out of reading it.
As a writer, what specific skills help to create fantasy adventure?
Paul: It certainly helps to read the genre for which you write.
A knowledge of history is obviously a bonus, because although fantasy is fiction, a lot of it, like the Quentaris Chronicles, is based on history. In this case, Florence, circa 1300s.
What age group are you writing for?
Paul: I cross all age groups. I write picture books, my latest being The Glasshouse (illustrated by Jo Thompson), my current book, The Slightly Skewed Life of Toby Chrysler for 8+, The Spell of Undoing for 10-14 year olds; The Jelindel Chronicles for 14+.
What elements combine to make a fast-paced plot?
Paul: The plot in itself will drive a story. Plenty of action is a must – preferably each page leaving the reader to wonder what’s going to happen on the next page.
The action hero can’t be invincible, either. Even Superman had weaknesses: he couldn't see through lead, he was vulnerable to Kryptonite, and something less tangible, he had morals, which villains used against him.
Are plots often primarily about good vs evil?
Paul: The typical quest fantasy is exactly that. Just about every fantasy you will read or see starts off with a young kid who’s living comfortably and securely.
Then some extraneous event forces the hero out of their comfort zone. They always go, kicking and screaming, and always meet up with a mentor who must educate them very quickly otherwise they don’t have a hope against the villain whose fault it is they had to leave their village in the first place.
Can your characters think illogically or are they street-wise?
Paul: They’re never street-wise to begin with.
Often, like in The Jelindel Chronicles, the hero/ine meets up with characters who are street-wise, in this case Jelindel meets Daretor and Zimak. But the hero starts off pretty insecurely – they learn pretty quickly, though!
Is there always a very good reason why a protagonist would defy authority or do something illegal?
Paul: Certainly. The quest always demands much of the hero, and this can’t always be achieved by being virtuous.
Do you think kids accept themes of rebellion, revenge and death because the setting is not real life?
Paul: Quite possibly. I guess there’s a bit of bad in each of us, even though it rarely shows itself to any extreme level.
These days some kids (and adults!) take great delight in blasting things in computer games. They’re living a life through their avatars that will (hopefully!) be outside their real life experience. Personally, I’d rather write about it than live it, even through computer games, which I consider can be a complete waste of valuable time.
Protagonists are often placed in dangerous situations, where they have to be brave and resourceful and survive on their wits and skills. How inspired do you think kids are by this?
Paul: It depends on how ingenious the method of escape is.
I have a villain called Maximus Black who manages to get himself into all kinds of strife. Ultimately he escapes, but only because of his forward planning. There are no miracle escape paths for this anti-hero.
Do you find you can write instinctively about how and why characters can overcome fears and phobias?
Paul: I think so. Books often write themselves. Take for example any paragraph that’s open-ended and see where it takes you. ‘Lars woke to the sound of rolling thunder. As night turned to day, he saw someone standing in the doorway.’
Okay, did Lars see someone there or not? If so, what happens next? Lars doesn’t roll over and go back to sleep. The character in the doorway – does he or she turn and flee, or is it the mentor that’s going to kick Lars into his quest?
Sometimes writers can discover what happens next merely by writing the next sentence, the next paragraph. I don’t always know where my characters are headed.
Do your plots set myth and fantasy alongside real life and technology?
Paul: The Jelindel Chronicles are a blend of science fiction and fantasy, so in this sense, yes. More so in the trilogy, The World of Grrym, which I co-wrote with Danny Willis.
How important is the use of humour?
Paul: I suspect that’s a natural ingredient that authors either have or they don’t. I don’t deliberately set out to inject humour into my work, it just happens.
Is fantasy adventure a genre that can encourage reluctant readers?
Paul: Any sort of action will encourage readers to read. Simply told but engrossing is the recipe.
Changing the actual fantasy setting for another genre, say, even science fiction, will still tell the same story. Star Wars is based on Joseph Campbell’s 12 point structure, that is, the hero’s quest.
The rite-of-passage is in fact something every human goes through: childhood, teenage, adolescence, leaving school, leaving home, getting a job, forming relationships, having a family, retiring - our lives are a rite-of-passage much the same as our hero in a fantasy book.
How can parents extend the life lessons to be found in fantasy adventure?
Paul: Most, if not all fantasy heroes, are virtuous. They have human traits that we should all aspire to. They’re honest, hard working and altruistic.
Paul Collins is a Melbourne-based author and director of Ford Street Publishing, an imprint of Hybrid Publishers - an independent publisher of Australian fiction and non-fiction for adults. Ford Street publishes children’s literature for middle years to young adult.