In this post I’m sharing another example of the five plus qualities of a story place (see day 29). I’m a big fan of Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series. This series of novellas begins with Every Heart a Doorway, which is a quick and engaging read. I highly recommend it.
Every Heart a Doorway introduces readers to a context where young people can discover hidden doors designed specifically for them. When they walk through these doors, they find other worlds, and even if they would like to stay, they are often sent back. The specific location of this story is a boarding school that seeks to help students who don’t want to forget cope with the loss. The first novella is about how Nancy deals with the problem of being sent away from a world she loved and that fit her perfectly.
Portals to personalized worlds. Within the main story world portals to other worlds are specific to a particular person(s). This is not commonly known outside of the people who travel. The doors in this world are both literal and metaphorical.
Worlds as growth catalysts. Each world is a place that matches the young person’s heart and soul (it meets their need), but also offers them what they need to confront in order to grow. In this context home is “a place that understood you so well that it had reached across realities to find you, claiming you as its own and only.” It is interesting to consider what each world values in the person and their behavior.
Doors are typically temporary, not stable. Lundy, one of the adults at the school, explains, “The chances of finding a stable door that resonates with the story you need are slim.” Because people are always changing, especially during childhood and adolescence, the person who exits the door is not exactly the same person who entered. There is the essence of the person, but people always have the opportunity to change and to grow.
Strict rules in each world. These rules sometimes defy our own world’s logic, but they are internally consistent.
World classification system: Worlds are organized on a grid that measures nonsense/logic and virtue/wicked. The system affects how the inhabitants of different worlds interact. See this article with a map of Wayward Children worlds and those of several other stories.
Danger in home worlds. Just because the worlds are tailored to the person doesn’t mean it will be safe, and children face survival threats in those home worlds. The danger often comes from the inherent nature of the world rather than a particular antagonist.
Dissatisfaction in this world. Children/teens are not typically trusted/believed by adults in our world, and their agency is constrained in some way.
Readjustment struggles. Children who return often have difficulty reintegrating into our world, leading to psychological and social challenges.
This post is part of a 75-day writing challenge and experiment. From September 9 through November 22, I'll be posting daily thoughts on writing, storytelling, and creativity based on recent readings or reflections. While my intention was to keep them very short—250 to 400 words—I've found that this range doesn't give me enough space to cover these topics adequately. I aim to keep them brief enough to be read quickly, but they will often be longer than 400 words.
At the end of the challenge, I will organize and revise the material with intention. For now, the object is to explore and share.