All Creatures Great and Small Shows People Still Love Quiet Stories

 

All Creatures Movie Poster from pbs.org

Every time I attend a webinar about what readers are buying now, it is discouraging. For a writer (like me) who has just written a contemporary, quieter story, the news is never good.

Horror is "having a moment" right now, perhaps due to its popularity in movies. Or some say that scary stories are popular because they are a safe way for kids to deal with their fears and anxiety. 

May I present another choice? One that won’t give kids more things to be afraid of.

My family loves All Creatures Great and Small. Season six starts this weekend, which must mean someone likes it and not just us.

Nothing of significance happens in the show. The stakes are low. Usually there’s a problem with an animal or personal relationship that is resolved by the end of the episode. James and Helen—a married couple on the show—get along and work as a team. It seems a given that no important characters will die.

                                             All Creatures Great and Small Season 6 Preview from pbs.org

Last year, I was inspired by a post on Facebook by Karen Andreola, author of the novel, Michael’s Gentle Wife and nonfiction books about homeschooling.

She talked about having a glimmer of sunshine in your stories instead of filling it with things that might trigger your reader.

If you do add those glimmers of goodness, she says, you might have to write outside the norm.
It seems every writing book I’ve read says, “Make it darker, darker, darker.” That’s what makes people turn the page. It’s like watching a car accident on repeat.

Is that the only thing that makes people turn the page?

I’m not saying that all books or stories need to be quiet, because I also enjoy fantasy and mysteries. But if you are a reader who likes quiet, everyday stories, remember that there is a long legacy of popular books in this genre, especially for children and teens. And hopefully, there will still be people who write them.

Books that people come back to again and again. Because they feel like friends.

Here are a few of my favorite quiet reads, both old and new:

Anything by Kate diCamillo, but especially The Three Rancheros Series

Anne of Green Gables (of course!)

Nancy Cavanaugh's books

Maud Lovelace (Although I love her Betsy, Tacy series, Emily of Deep Valley is my favorite.)

The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall

The Vanderbeekers series by Karina Van Glaser

Wonderland by Barbara O'Connor

 

Your Turn:

Are you drawn to more quiet stories or action-packed or does it depend on your mood? What types of books would you like to see more of? Do you have any quiet books you love? I'm always looking for new gems!

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Virtual Nature Walk: The Coast in Winter

One of my favorite things I did when my kids were younger was go on nature walks. It might be just to our backyard or the nearby park, but we'd look for leaf miners (those interesting bugs that make leaves transparent), mushrooms, the new growth on pine trees, to name a few. It taught us all to notice things.

My son's drawing of our hermit crab molting from '09.

And now, even though they are in their teens, they are still noticing things. My 15 year old likes to call that being a detailist. :)

As writers, isn't that our job too? In my first writing class, we had to keep a journal of details from daily life--interactions with people, descriptions of nature. Doing so teaches you to pay attention.

Here is my online nature journal of our recent trip to the Oregon Coast. The coast itself wasn't very hospitable, so we had to settle for enjoying God's creation at the aquarium. They were having a sea punk exhibit. Combining sea creatures with steam punk. I call that brilliant.

Barnacled log from the one moment we made it onto the beach before the waves attacked.

The Oregon Coast in winter

A porthole of clownfish

Sea nettles

Starfish

Lionfish

A puffin in winter. Fun fact: They don't get their famous plumage till mating season.

All these creatures are native to the West Coast of the United States except for two. Can you guess which?