Children’s authors Megan Whalen Turner and Kenneth Oppel were wonderful speakers at the Particles of Narrative conference

I recently attended the Particles of Narrative conference in Toronto, where a number of wonderful children’s and YA writers spoke. The two speeches that I really enjoyed were by Megan Whalen Turner (The Thief, Queen of Attolia) and Kenneth Oppel (Airborn, Sunwing ); these speeches were compelling, exciting, and full of concrete, specific details and discussion about writing technique, which I loved.

For me, most of the other speeches were disappointing, as they circled around writing, and did not talk about technique or much about the writing process at all, and were very intellectual and removed. But Megan Whalen Turner’s and Kenneth Oppel’s speeches were worth the price of the conference, for me.

I took some notes, but I couldn’t type as fast as they spoke! Still, I got something out of it, and I wanted to share a few excerpts here that I thought were particularly helpful or affirming or just pleased me. They’re of special help to writers, and may be of interest to readers, as well. My notes are not what the speakers said verbatim, but they are the general sense.

Megan Whalen Turner: “A good fantasy is something that shows us something true. We’ve all read YA fantasy that doesn’t aim at that, like adventure fantasy. But if we aim at excellence then fantasy is stark realism. Someone recently interviewed Susan Cooper because of the recent release of her movie. She said that fantasy does that best. ‘Whether it’s Beowolf or Harry Potter, it is a metaphor that helps you deal with things that are difficult in the world around you — and that helps you grow up.’

… If you want a message of tolerance and open-mindedness, fantasy can show you that sometimes more effectively than realism, without rubbing your nose in it.”

Kenneth Oppel: “When, how, why does a story need to be finished? When the narrative energy has been spent, readers’ expectations met, desire fulfilled for the reader and the hero. This may be as varied as each individual. Each reader may want many things from ending, a textured rendering of the world. Yet I think there are universal desires especially on the part of young readers for an ending.

… I think readers want simple, basic things from endings. Most readers, if they’re honest, want happy endings. They might not get them, but that doesn’t stop them wanting it.”

Megan Whalen Turner: “The most important thing to me with YA fantasy is the dramatic truth. … But we lie to children. … We lie. We tell them all bullies are cowards that back down when you stand up to them. Or be yourself and you’ll be happy. And we think as they grow older that they’ll see through it. Sometimes good people don’t get to be happy.

And then we get to YA literature. The great truth teller to teens everywhere. And sometimes we’re still lying. That’s why we have those fantasies set in pseudo pre-industrial and feudal periods, but still enlightened enough to have a woman warrior. They may be well-intentioned lies, but these are not young children. They might not be sophisticated enough to see through the lies, but give them the truth, believe that they are ready for it or they wouldn’t be reading the book.”

(I love what Megan Whalen Turner says about truth, and about showing it in YA fiction. I’m a big believer in that. But I disagree with one small part–I think it’s important–no, vital–for girls today to have strong female role models that can succeed, even in societies where they shouldn’t have. There is so much in our society, even today, that tells girls that they shouldn’t be strong, shouldn’t succeed, should only use their bodies sexually to get what they want, and not their minds or their courage…. That is the one piece I disagree with out of everything Megan Whalen Turner said.)

Kenneth Oppel: “Beating like a pulse through the story is what the hero wants, what motivates the hero. Readers want the hero to achieve that, to be safe, to have an order to story, even to an almost Utopian point, they want evil thwarted and punished. It might sound like I’m referring to fantasy, but I’m referring to all genres. Most readers want a transformation at the ending–not only a change in the hero, but also in the readers, themselves. They want to experience something that allows them to mirror the hero’s experience, or gain a new insight into the world around them. They want the endings, paradoxically, not to be endings.”

Aren’t those just amazing quotes? I love what they said, and I’m so glad I got a chance to attend and hear them.

Meghan also mentioned two quotes from YA writers that I really enjoyed hearing, and that brought further insight: from YA fantasy author Justine Larbalestier (Magic’s Child , Magic Lessons ): “Stop it already. The next Young Adult book I read where all the pop culture refs are from the 1980s when it’s supposed to be set now, well, that book I set on fire.”

and from YA fantasy author Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass , The Subtle Knife ): (question and answer on his FAQ) “You once said that His Dark Materials is not a fantasy, but stark realism. What did you mean by that?

That comment got me into trouble with the fantasy people. What I mean by it was roughly this: that the story I was trying to write was about real people, not beings that don’t exist like elves or hobbits. Lyra and Will and the other characters are meant to be human beings like us, and the story is about a universal human experience, namely growing up. The ‘fantasy’ parts of the story were there as a picture of aspects of human nature, not as something alien and strange. For example, readers have told me that the dæmons, which at first seem so utterly fantastic, soon become so familiar and essential a part of each character that they, the readers, feel as if they’ve got a dæmon themselves. And my point is that they have, that we all have. It’s an aspect of our personality that we often overlook, but it’s there. that’s what I mean by realism: I was using the fantastical elements to say something that I thought was true about us and about our lives.”

And Megan Whalen Turner went on to say that: “I would argue that elves and hobbits can do the same, and that they must.”

I totally agree! I think in all fantasy, we’re trying to shine a light on what is true.

Those are such strong, illuminating, and insightful quotes, aren’t they? I loved hearing them! I hope you did, too.

Sarah Ellis was a good speaker, too; she spoke about two YA books in detail, analyzing them (which I enjoy), but because I have such a strong dislike for one of the books, and because she sometimes talked around writing, I wasn’t as enthralled with her speech, though she is a strong speaker and a great writer. But after Ken Oppel’s and Megan Whalen Turner’s, I liked Sarah Ellis’ the best. She has the flair of a storyteller.

You can see Meghan Whalen Turner’s site here and Kenneth Oppel’s site here.

Anyone who wants a copy of my notes from the conference for their two speeches, just let me know and I’ll email them to you.

October 30th, 2007