Hope for the Future

When I first embarked on my writing journey, I was newly retired at age 53 after teaching school for 32 years. Not ready for the rocking chair on the front porch—do you really know any Baby Boomers who are?—I decided to try my hand at writing books. Easy, Peasy, I thought. Boy, was I ever wrong! You can read more about my writing journey in my first blog entry back in 2020.

After saturating myself in KidLit workshops, conferences, blogs, webinars—you name it—I found one common theme throughout all genres and age categories. You need to leave your reader with a sense of hope as they close the final page. In other words, " . . . demonstrate resilience and optimism through character actions, ending with a message of renewed possibility."

Hope—easy enough to spell and pronounce. But what is it, exactly, and how do I, as an author, emit that emotion in a book for kids? The dictionary defines “hope” as: “A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.”

Cross your fingers much? How is that working for you?

Pursuing hope further, I found that there are several approaches to the word. For example, the psychological approach, based on Snyder’s Hope Theory, breaks down hope into three components: goals (a clear, future-oriented objective, whether large or small), pathways (the ability to generate different routes or strategies to reach that goal), and agency (the motivation and willpower to pursue those pathways and achieve the goal).

Then there’s the religious perspective: A hope for external circumstances to improve, a hope that provides strength and resilience during difficult times, and eternal hope: A hope that looks beyond current circumstances to a future spiritual or ultimate reality. 

Have you fallen asleep yet?

I prefer the Biblical perspective, which simply says that hope is more than a wish—it’s a confident expectation and sure certainty of God’s promises being fulfilled. In Jeremiah 29: 11, it says, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

In writing, we are taught to describe our characters, identify their goals, and then put a bunch of obstacles in their path. Life isn’t easy, so we make reaching their goals next to impossible. But in the final scene, as things wind down into the final resolution, whether or not your character was successful in reaching the goal, there’s got to be a feeling of hope. Everything’s going to be okay. The reader rejoices at the win, or laments the loss, but there’s still got to be a bright light somewhere at the end of the tunnel. What did the character learn? How did he/she grow in the end?

I’m a sucker for happy endings (cue: Any Hallmark movie ever made), so no matter how many obstacles are placed in the main character’s path, there has to be a win of some kind at the end.

Authors have shelves full of books they’ve read to help them become better writers. We are often called upon to share our favorites with others. Whether you’re another author looking for some mentor texts or someone who just wants to read good books filled with hope, here are a few of my faves:

Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne (picture book)

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (early middle grade)

After the Fall by Dan Santat (picture book)

Wonder by R.J. Palacio (middle grade)

The Someday Birds by Sally J. Pla (middle grade)

Pay Attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt (upper middle grade)

Linked by Gordan Korman (upper middle grade)

My Mortimer books are filled with laughter, family values, and no matter what shenanigans go on between a boy and a moose, there’s always hope and a positive message at the end. I’m starting a new Mortimer series featuring the younger sister, Lily, which sends the same kind of messages.

My latest work-in-progress (WIP) is about an 11-year-old boy, Sam, who embarks on a cross-country road trip with his cousin, Logan, and their eccentric grandma. Sam discovers a map and a note from his late mother, who designed one last adventure for the boys to complete. In the note, Sam’s mother writes: “As Christopher Robin says, ‘Always remember you’re BRAVER than you believe, STRONGER than you seem, SMARTER than you think, and LOVED more than you know.’

That’s hope in its finest form. What do you hope for this holiday season?

I’d love to hear your comments, as well as your favorite books that give you hope. Please write something in the comment box below.