7 Simple Tactics I Used to Hook 2 Kids Into My Story

Welcome to Tatsuki's Sunday Snack, a newsletter where I share snacks spicier than a Vindaloo.

I'm sitting at a small beach restaurant on a Caribbean island called Grenada.

It should be relaxing.

But there is chaos.

Sand is flying everywhere. Table mats are being thrown on the floor.

And the sound of screaming fills the air.

I'm with my parents, 16-year-old brother, 21-year-old sister and another family.

This family 2 small children.

One is 2 and the other is 4 years old.

These 2 gremlins are the cause of the chaos.

It's like watching cocaine bear, except there's 2 of them.

The younger one jumps onto the table and starts crawling across.

I have to grab my Piña colada before it gets bulldozered over.

No one can get them to calm down.

But then I ask them if they've heard about the Boy on the Moon?

Their ears prick up.

They stare at me quizzically and say "No..?"

So I start telling them a story.

I've always been terrible at off the cuff storytelling.

It always feels like trying to swim before you've learnt any strokes.

Like you're flailing your arms hoping for the best.

But this time...

I used the lessons I've learned on storytelling over the last 5 months.

And the kids were hooked.

For the next 20 minutes they sat in silence.

Listening closely to every word.

So in this newsletter, I'm sharing 7 simple tactics I used to hook the kids into my story.

Let's snack on!

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1. Relatable Character

People love the stories where they can imagine themselves in the shoes of main character.

So make your character relatable.

My main character was a 6-year-old boy called Sam who had strict parents and a Teddy bear called Fred.

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2. Goal

Your main character needs to have one overarching goal through the story.

This gives the story structure and direction.

Frodo - Destroy the ring

Harry Potter - Defeat Voldermort

Batman - Protect and save Gotham

In my story, Sam wants to build a rocket and fly to the moon. Quite a tall order. But most story goals are.

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3. Struggle

The struggle is what creates a good story.

Everyone wants the main character to succeed.

But no one wants it to be easy.

If Sam just built a rocket in his back garden and flew it to the moon.

It would be a great story for his mum to brag about to the other mums at school.

But it would not make it into any children's books.

Use internal struggles like fears, trauma and social dynamics.

And external struggles like mountains, monsters and battles.

In Sam's story to the moon...

He has to journey all the way to the middle of the earth to find a scientist called Darren Penfield who will give him a rocket.

The journey takes 3 days and Sam faces his fear of darkness, missing his parents and a few creepy crawly monsters along the way.

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4. More Relatable Characters

Teamwork makes the dreamwork.

So throw in a few more relatable character to make your story more interesting.

This also allows different types of readers to feel involved in the story.

If you were a girl, you probably wanted to be Hermione more than Harry Potter.

You can also create other 'mini goals' within the story and add in some romance to really spice things up.

In Sam's story...

I made sure his teddy bear Fred could speak, added in Ellie, a (girl) friend who asks to go on the trip with him, and a dog called Wilfred who guides them along the way.

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5. Add Spurts of Tension

Tension really brings the reader into the story.

But make sure it is realistic and not overdone.

I hate a lot of Zombie films because it feels like they rely on it too much, and it often feels forced.

For example...

Character leaves the main group for no apparent reason and walks into a dangerous dark room. And oh shock horror. There is a bloody zombie there. WHO would have thought...

In my Sam's story...

I used tension when he was leaving the house to travel to the middle of the Earth.

His parents had said he wasn't allowed to go, so he had to escape at night.

This meant creepy along the hallway on creaking floorboards trying not to wake his parents.

I love this kind of tension because it's so relatable.

Who hasn't snuck around the house trying not to wake parents as a kid...

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6. Use Present Tense

Speaking in present tense is a superrr simple tactic that you can use in every story.

It makes the story feel like it is happening now.

Adding more tension and making it easier to visualise.

Past tense:

"Sam walked to the bathroom door, when suddenly he heard a big bang, and a massive rat jumped out at him.

Present tense:

"Sam walks to the bathroom door, when suddenly, he hears a big bang, and a massive rat jumps out at him."

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7. Showcase Transformation

Every story is about transformation.

Because humans love it.

The best performing content on Twitter is typically transformation.

It inspires people.

If Sam is the same person before and after he gets to the room, then we don't have a great story.

But instead...

He overcomes he learns to read a map, overcomes his fear of darkness, and becomes Ellie's boyfriend.

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Summary:

1. Relatable main character
2. Overarching goal
3. Struggles
4. More relatable characters
5. Tension
6. Use present tense
7. Showcase transformation

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That's all for today you snacker.

Apologies if there were any typos.

I wrote this in a manic rush as I need to leave the hotel in literally 2 minutes...

As I'm on holiday in the Caribbeans on a small island called Grenada.

And we are heading out on a boat which is leaving very soon.

Have a great day,

Tatsuki

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