It is widely
known that a love of reading is most often developed in early childhood. With
many it can wax and wane over the years, and for some of us stories are as
required for survival as food and water.
Then there
are those of us who write for children. There is a part of our hearts that
still dwells in those early years of existence, and we – knowing what we know
now – want to help shape and ultimately entertain those who come after us. We
remember getting lost in pages becoming temporary best friends with the people
we find there. We share their struggles. We go on adventures, make new friends,
learn new skills, solve mysteries, and slay dragons from the safety of our
reading spaces.
And from the best books, our very favorites with their creased spines and dog-eared pages, we learn something.
We’ve all
seen the posts on social media, “I just wish this (insert kids
book/movie/television show) wasn’t so political…”
The word
“politics” is almost an obscenity nowadays. Like most charged words “politics”
or “political” has multiple definitions, and (like most charged words) people
often conflate definitions indiscriminate of the situation. When I hear
people who are “just gonna stay out of politics” or “not trying to be
political” they most likely mean they have no patience for entertaining those
who “deal with people in an opportunistic, manipulative, or devious way…” –
which is a good thing.
However, politics or “political affairs” are, first and foremost, how people choose to govern themselves.
Every single thing in our lives – from how we make and spend our money to where we live and what we eat – is determined by politics.
Policy is derived from the same root word as politics (surprise!). Policies…rules…laws. Laws (in a democratic society) are determined ultimately by the morals and priorities of its citizens.
In our
earliest years, readers, we learned more about the world around us, saw
ourselves, and saw what we wanted to be in the pages of our most treasured
books. Being introduced to values that challenged or reinforced our own helped to
develop our own moral code. The foundations of our belief system can be seen in
old fairytales, local legends, and family folklore passed down through
generations.
People often
refer to books as an “escape”, and while that is no doubt true I think
something even more true is that they are an emotional and mental training
ground. It’s easy to want to escape the world we live in sometimes. Especially
recently. Reality, everything outside of the pages, can be a confusing, nasty,
and dangerous place with no final chapter, denouement, or decreasing number of
pages to let us know that we’re almost out of the woods – that the worst is
over, and it’s all about to be okay again. Reality, above all, is uncertain.
What is
certain though, are the truths we learned from books when we were young. That
story that opened your eyes to a different worldview, or encouraged you to try
That Thing that your favorite character did. Every story redefines and shapes
its readers.
Every story
you write, every story that is written is a political one. The author’s beliefs
inform their character’s choices and world one way or another. All art is
political. It is an artist’s mark on humanity that says “I am here! And this is
what I believe!”
The most successful stories were intentionally political:
Phillip
Pullman’s His Dark Materials
J.K.
Rowling’s Harry Potter series
Suzanne
Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy
Angie
Thomas’ The Hate U Give
Harper Lee’s
To Kill a Mockingbird
Lois Lowry’s
Number the Stars, or The Giver
Mildred D.
Taylor’s Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
…the list of
intelligently, and intentionally thought provoking works that stand every
measurable test of time all have that one thing in common – their unwavering
political message. Their message regarding how people should treat one another
and question the status quo.
Keep that in
your mind as you craft your stories. It’s easy to get caught up in plot-twists
and character arcs, but all of those things spring from one place in your heart
as an author – and that’s your political stance. How you live your live
day-to-day, the things you believe and hold dear, and values you believe our
society should protect and preserve are what crafts every word of your story.
I encourage
you to be actively political. Seek out new opinions and broader perspectives to
not only enrich your own life, but your writing as well. Being intentional and
conscious of even the most minute choices your characters make, or the smallest
aspect of a fantastic world you’ve built will sharpen your skill as a writer –
and hopefully it will challenge you, too.
With those
things in mind, it may be you who truly opens a child’s eyes to something new
and beautiful. Never be afraid of being “political”. Never be afraid to be
intentional in the morals you insert into your story. Art is one of the ways we
shape civilization, our nation, our neighbors, and ourselves – don’t waste
it.
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