Writing for Young Readers - by Eugie Foster

June 2007
An Interview with Mark Justice of Story Station

Mark Justice is the editor of Story Station ( http://www.viatouch.com/Learn/Storystation/Storystation_main.jsp), the biweekly webzine offering the "Finest Children's & Young Adult Stories of Fun & Adventure," sponsored by Viatouch.com, an online tool for educators, students, and parents. In addition to editing Story Station, Mark writes fiction, produces the podcast Pod of Horror (http://www.horrorworld.org/poh.htm) and hosts a morning radio program in Kentucky. His chapbook, Deadneck Hootenanny, is now available from Novello Publishers and Dead Earth: The Green Dawn (with David T. Wilbanks) is forthcoming from PS Publishing. He has also recently sold a collection to a major small press horror publisher. You can learn more at http://www.markjustice.blogspot.com.

What makes a manuscript really stand out for you? What do you look for that makes a story really right for Story Station?

Good writing.

To be specific, clear storytelling, strong characterization, and the feeling that the writer knows where she or he is headed. A sense of wonder, the feeling that the world is one great adventure is what I really want to see more of.

Are there any subjects you don't want to see or material you see so much of that it's a hard sell?

Yes. One is what I call the Johnny-learns-a-lesson story. This is the "Afterschool Special" sort of tale where a mischievous child does Something Bad -- tame, perhaps, but still Bad -- but, by the end of the story, realizes that's it's wrong to steal Grandmother's jewelry/set the cat on fire/hide Dad's reading glasses.

It's very hard to do something fresh with that idea. Most submissions in that vein tend to be too preachy and simplistic. Even though this is fiction for a young crowd, it's okay to give it some depth.

Also, I get far too many fantasy stories populated by characters with names like A'ral and D'avi who live in a world of magic and talking animals and talking trees and talking rocks. A lot of these concentrate far too much on setting and not enough on story. And many of these tales are Johnny-learns-a-lesson stories dressed up in wizards' cloaks.

Now, having said all of that, there are exceptions. A well-written and fresh take on either of those types of stories will get serious consideration.

Likewise, is there any subject matter or trope which you're especially looking for, that you'd like to publish more of?

Stories with the aforementioned sense of wonder. Stories that do what good writing should always do: transport the reader into an exciting world where anything is possible. By that I don't mean just fantasy or SF. Mysteries, horror stories, westerns, historicals . . . they can all be captivating.

I guess it's simpler to say that Story Station stories should be fun. The worst thing a writer can do is bore me (or not follow the guidelines or use profanity or include graphic sex or send a 3000-word story as one single paragraph or submit religious rants disguised as stories . . . all of which has happened in the last year).

Your guidelines state that fiction should have "at least one protagonist in the 6-12 year old age range." Why do you think it's important to have a child protagonist? And would you consider a story with a protagonist who isn't in that age range but who has a personality and sensibilities appropriate to a youngster of that age, like an alien or fantasy creature?

That rule was originally instituted because I got a lot of what I suspect were trunk stories that had been rejected by Asimov's, Analog, Realms of Fantasy, and Cemetery Dance.

After the rule, I got a lot of trunk stories with kids hastilyÑand in many cases poorlyÑshoehorned in.

Now, after running Story Station for a couple of years, I don't think that a child protagonist is always necessary. I leave the rule in the guidelines because I know if I don't I'll get a ton of stories involving adults grappling with a cancer diagnosis or a single mom being stalked by a serial killer, etc.

It's a way to help writers stay focused on our target audience of children/young adults.

But the rule is, as Buffy the Vampire Slayer might say, "bendy."

Your guidelines also specify "no excessive violence" and that Horror stories "must be palatable to a young imagination; nothing too gruesome or gory." As what constitutes too much violence or gore can be somewhat subjective, is there a specific criteria or review process you use to determine what's acceptable or is it essentially a gut feeling?

100% gut feeling.

It's like what Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said about pornography: I'll know it when I see it.

A good rule of thumb regarding gore and violence is if it wouldn't run on The Disney Channel, it probably won't work for Story Station.

Can you provide an overview of the consideration process a typical manuscript goes through when it is submitted to Story Station?

I give each manuscript a quick read-through to check for subject matter, manuscript formatting, and anything unusual, like the one-long-paragraph story mentioned above.

Probably half of the submissions get rejected in this stage, for many reasons: because the story is too similar to something we've recently published, or the material is inappropriate for kids, or English is not the writer's first language. Some are rejected for excessive grammar and punctuation catastrophes.

Another problem I encounter quite often is a story without dialogue. These are usually fairy-tale or fantasy stories, and while the idea may be good, the lack of dialogue makes for a dry tale.

All the stories that survive round one get a second critical reading. Acceptances depend on my needs at the moment, though as always, a well-written story that blows me away can make the cut even if it doesn't follow every point in our guidelines.

Your guidelines state that Story Station's main goal is "to entertain." Do you think there are universal elements that children find entertaining that have remained essentially the same over the years, or have children's interests and sensibilities changed and evolved over time?

While I certainly think children are more sophisticated than when I was young, some things remain the same. Just look at the success of Harry Potter.

Good storytelling will always find an audience.

What do you think is the most important thing beginning writers need to focus on when writing for children?

Write clearly. Have a beginning, middle, and ending to your story. And in the name of Beatrix Potter, don't write down to your audience.

Tell a good story. Don't schmaltz it up or dumb it down.

What do you see as the advantages and drawbacks of Story Station's electronic publication format versus a traditional print magazine, if any?

The fact that we can publish very quickly, and our archive is easily accessible.

Considering your background in radio and podcasting as well as the rising popularity of fiction podcasts, is there any chance of a forthcoming Story Station podcast?

Hmm. Now there's an idea. Do we have to pay you for that?

Not this time . . .

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