Creating Timelessness in Kidlit

Here are some tips on how to create a sense of timelessness in your stories!

When I think of stories that are “timeless”, several books come to mind. Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, Anne of Green Gables, and Little House on the Prairie are great examples of stories that continue to engage and inspire new readers every year. In the world of comics, I don’t think it gets more timeless than Charles Schulz’ Peanuts. Calvin and Hobbes comes pretty close, and you could make an argument for a handful of other strips, but Peanuts is a cartoon that is still able to find an audience despite its age (even the new media featuring these characters stays true to the storytelling of the original creator!). So what is it about these stories that makes them so timeless? And how can we, as creators, tap into that formula to create our own stories that stand the test of time?

My first ideas for Travis Daventhorpe started percolating back in 2017, and throughout the story’s development it has been imperative to me that I make the books as timeless as possible. It’s hard to do that these days! We want to make stories that are relevant to today’s audiences, but what happens when current trends and technology fade away? If we’re not careful, our stories become instantly dated, that’s what! So I’d like to share a few “timelessness” tips that I use when creating my stories. By following these “rules”, I hope to create stories that remain relevant for decades to come. I hope they’ll help you, too!

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Create a different universe.

This might be the easiest and most effective way to create a truly timeless story. It can work with genres that are more “realistic”, but undoubtedly works better with fantasy and some sci-fi. Franchises like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars continue to work well because they exist in universes that are outside of our time, and, as such, are not beholden to the rules of “the real world”. Physics and technology can behave completely differently in your imaginary world, and, by creating a new universe, you make it very easy for readers to open their minds and not get distracted by what is or is not possible. In fact, you don’t even really need to explain it; it just is.

That said, you need to stay consistent. It’s OK to make up your own systems, but you need to consistently adhere to the rules of those systems. And if a character is able to break those rules, you need to show why.

Case in point, in the Travis Daventhorpe series there is another world known as Solusterra that exists in a different universe. Solusterra has a few rules that are different than our own world, namely that there is magic and there are also dinosaurs. I didn’t think it would be difficult to stay consistent with the rules of this universe, but it has proven to be a challenge during the creation of the story. Thank God for editors who keep me on track!

Avoid slang as much as possible.

This is a tough one to adhere to in kid lit because kids use copious amounts of slang. But if you want your story to stand the test of time, you must avoid using slang at all costs. Nothing will date your stories more than generation-specific slang. Both of my sons are Gen Alpha, so I hear “skibidi” and “rizz” and “what the sigma?” on a daily basis. But I will never use these terms in my books, because they are too specific to their generation.

There are some slang words that are transcendent. “Cool”, “dude”, and “awesome” are a few that are still in use, but I would be careful not to overuse them.

You might be tempted to create your own slang terms for your character(s), which is not a bad idea. But it’s rare that it’s pulled off successfully. When you create your own slang terms, you run the risk of writing dialogue that sounds corny and forced. There are a few authors who have been able to do this, though. Megan McDonald’s Judy Moody series is a good example of how to create believable slang.

Avoid brand names like the plague.

Look. I get it. Using actual brand names is a fantastic way to make your stories feel more grounded and realistic. But it’s also a great way to make your work feel dated. Yes, there are brands that have been around for generations and have impacted culture in tangible ways. But, these days, most brands market themselves to be so intimately connected with our personalities that when they go out of style they are forgotten about quickly. And even despised and maligned for no other reason than they’re time has passed!

But brands are super important to kids, especially middle schoolers. Social pecking order is often decided by what kind of shoes, jackets, and backpacks a kid wears to school. So how do you tap into this phenomena without referring to specific brands?

My advice is to make up your own brands. Start by making a list of various products that your characters might use (i.e., computer, video game console, shoes, etc.). Then create fun brand names for each product type. You can then pepper those brand names in your work (especially if you’re a graphic novelist; you can find all kinds of cool ways to incorporate your original brand names into your art!). If you can do this well, you might even be able to create real-life products based on these in-universe brands (think “Duff Beer” from The Simpsons or “Stay-Puft Marshmallows” from Ghostbusters).

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Of course, there are exceptions to all of these “rules”, and I’m sure you thought of several as you read through my advice. What I’ve shared with you are features I’ve noticed about my favorite “timeless” stories. Take them with a grain of salt, and have fun creating your own stories that I’m sure will stand up for generations to come!

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