The Art of Writing Adventure Stories: A Guide for Children's Writers
- David Salariya
- 4 days ago
- 18 min read
Adventure, it must be said, has fallen into a curious state of probation.
A Necessary Admission Before We Begin
Before I say anything more about adventure as a genre, I should be clear about where this is coming from.
I am currently working on an adventure novel of my own: The Last Giant of the Northern Forest. It is a story set at the edge of the wild - about a child, a disappearing forest, and a creature that should not still exist - in which movement, danger, and moral choice are not decorative, but structural. The story asks what happens when the old world is thinning, the adults are absent or compromised, and a young person has to decide what they are prepared to protect - and what it might cost them.
Which is precisely why writing it has been… complicated.
Because the moment you try to write a modern adventure story with care and intent, you feel the genre hesitate under your feet. Adventure, it must be said, has fallen into a curious state of probation.
It is now expected to explain itself, justify its risks, and quietly reassure the reader - in advance - that no one will be too frightened, too endangered, too unsupervised, or too changed by what happens. The cliff edge must be fenced. The forest must come with disclaimers.
This guide is written with the best intentions - and with full awareness of the problems. I am not interested in resurrecting adventure unchanged, nor in pretending its past is uncomplicated. I am interested in understanding what still works - pace, jeopardy, consequence, child agency - and how those elements can be rebuilt for children who live in a world of surveillance, systems, and adult anxiety.
In other words, this is not a defence of adventure.It is an attempt to make it viable again.
Once Upon a Time...
Once upon a time, children wandered unsupervised down cliffs, through jungles, sailed to islands, dived down to shipwrecks, jumped through quicksand, and of course went on the occasional morally dubious expedition straight into the unknown. Now, adventure is often required to show its workings, justify its risks, and promise - in advance - that no reader will be unduly unsettled.
This is understandable. Children today live under rules, surveillance, and adult anxiety unimaginable to earlier generations. But it also means that adventure, properly understood, matters more than ever.
A good adventure story is not about recklessness. It is about children acting independently, encountering danger, making choices, and discovering - in safety - what courage feels like.
Not the loud, cinematic kind, but the quieter bravery of pressing on when things are tough and the future is uncertain.
The challenge for modern writers is not to abandon adventure, but to re-engineer it: to preserve its momentum and peril while grounding it in emotional truth, ethical awareness, and to be genuinely child reader centric. That is what this guide to writing Adventur Stories is really about.
A Necessary Detour: The Golden Age (With Caveats)
Any honest discussion of adventure must acknowledge its past - even when that past makes us uncomfortable.
Writers: H. Rider Haggard, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Rudyard Kipling shaped the grammar of adventure: quests, trials, hostile landscapes, moral testing under pressure.
Their books were thrilling, propulsive, and unapologetically dramatic.
They were also products of the British empire, class certainty, and cultural assumptions that are long outdated...but seem alive in The Telegraph comments.
The answer is not to pretend these books never existed, nor to hand them unexamined to new readers. It is to recognise what they did well - pace, jeopardy, physicality, consequence - and to build something better on top of that inheritance. Modern adventure is not a rejection of the past; it is a correction with momentum.
Writing children’s adventure novels
Writing children’s adventure novels is a creative journey. When you create a story of daring escapades, unknown landscape, and original characters, you capture the imagination of young readers in a way few other genres can.
But what makes an adventure story truly come alive for children? How can you, as a writer, create a tale that both entertains and educates? I will look into the elements of writing adventure stories for young readers, with examples from some of prolific authors.
Let's discover the short answer before we head into one of my favourite adventure story writers.
Writing children's adventure novels involves creating relatable protagonists, exciting plots, and vivid worlds. Key elements include action, themes of friendship and teamwork, and a satisfying conclusion. Balancing fast-paced sequences with emotional depth helps capture young readers' imaginations and keep them engaged.
Who Was John Masters - and Why He Still Matters Here
Before considering what writers can learn from him, it’s worth pausing to say who John Masters actually was.
Masters was not a children’s author, nor did he write with young readers in mind. He was a career soldier - a British Indian Army officer who served with the Gurkhas and later with the Chindits behind Japanese lines in Burma during the Second World War - and he wrote adventure fiction shaped by lived experience rather than nostalgia. His novels, many set in India across several generations, were adult historical adventures: physically demanding, morally complex, and relentlessly forward-moving.
He was also prolific. Between the early 1950s and the late 1970s, Masters produced a long run of novels and memoirs that sold widely, were adapted for film and radio, and helped define mid-century popular adventure writing. Today his books sit awkwardly with modern sensibilities - politically, culturally, ethically - and are largely out of fashion.
Bhowani Junction, one of John Masters’ best-known novels, is set in the volatile final days of the British Raj, as India moves towards independence and the subcontinent fractures under the strain of Partition. It has often been said that Rudyard Kipling knew India, but Masters knew Indians - and Bhowani Junction bears that out in its close, humane attention to people caught between cultures, loyalties and futures.
Against a backdrop of political upheaval, religious tension and collapsing imperial certainty, the novel follows Victoria Jones as she tries to decide who - and what - she is in a country being remade around her. In the final, feverish days of British rule, her choice between a British army officer and the Sikh officer Ranjit becomes symbolic of a much larger question: where does one belong when the world that shaped you is disappearing?
The novel is one of seven in which Masters traced generations of the Savage family serving in the British Army in India - adventure stories rooted not just in campaigns and conflicts, but in moral ambiguity, cultural collision and personal reckoning. Bhowani Junction was later adapted into a 1956 film starring Ava Gardner and Stewart Granger, but it is the novel itself that remains the richer exploration of what adventure looks like when history itself is breaking apart.
And yet.
Masters remains useful not because his worldview should be revived, but because his command of adventure mechanics was formidable. He understood pressure, momentum, consequence, and the way character is revealed when systems close in. Studying him is not about imitation; it is about understanding how adventure works when it is treated as serious narrative business rather than escapist decoration.
That is why he earns a place here.
His novels are flawed, politically awkward, and deeply rooted in a world that no longer exists, yet they remain instructive for one simple reason: they move. Masters understood pace, pressure, and moral testing under strain. He put characters into systems - regiments, empires, wars - and forced them to choose how they would act inside them. He was prolific not because he repeated himself lazily, but because he treated adventure as a discipline: clear stakes, physical jeopardy, emotional cost, and forward motion. You need not share his worldview to learn from his craft. If anything, his work reminds us that adventure writing is not about innocence, but about responsibility - and that danger without consequence is not adventure at all.
The Magic of Adventure in Children’s Books
Adventure stories have always been an essential part of children’s literature. From Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling, the genre of adventure has continued to captivate readers of all ages. But what is it about adventure stories that resonate so strongly with children?
At its heart, an adventure story is about discovery. It’s about taking readers on a journey, whether through magical lands, far-off islands, or hidden caves and letting them explore the unknown.
For children, this can be a safe way to experience excitement and challenge. The escapism offered by these stories allows young readers to see the world through the eyes of brave heroes, making them feel empowered and adventurous themselves.
Age-Specific Adventure
Adventure changes with age. Younger readers want immediacy and reassurance; older readers want consequence, ambiguity, and agency.
Children don’t want to be protected from fear - they want to master it.
Key Elements of Writing an Adventure Story
1. A Strong, Relatable Protagonist
The protagonist of an adventure story is often an ordinary child who finds themselves caught up in extraordinary circumstances. They may be reluctant at first, but through the course of the story, they grow, develop, and discover hidden strengths.
Think of Harry Potter. He starts as a quiet, seemingly ordinary boy living in a cupboard under the stairs. But as his journey unfolds, he evolves into a courageous young man capable of facing dark forces.
Children need a character they can identify with, someone who mirrors their hopes, fears, and dreams. Creating a relatable main character is essential in helping young readers connect with the story. This character should face challenges that they can’t immediately overcome but must learn to navigate using their wits, bravery, and sometimes the help of friends.
In The Chronicles of Narnia, Lucy Pevensie is the youngest of the siblings, often overlooked by her older brothers and sisters. Yet, it is Lucy who first discovers Narnia, and throughout the series, she proves to be the most courageous and insightful of the children. Her relatability stems from her innocence, optimism, and sense of wonder, qualities that resonate with young readers.
2. A Thrilling, Engaging Plot
The backbone of any adventure story is its plot. It should be fast-paced and filled with suspense, but at the same time, it needs to offer moments of emotional depth and character development. A strong plot will include key elements such as a clear objective, obstacles to overcome, a central mystery, and moments of triumph and defeat.
In adventure novels for children, there’s often an emphasis on teamwork, friendship, and self-discovery. The protagonist may embark on a quest, solve puzzles, face dangerous foes, and travel to unknown lands. Each step of the journey should bring new challenges and revelations, with the tension building towards a thrilling climax.
3. World-Building and Imagination
Children’s adventure stories thrive on imagination, and world-building is essential to creating a setting that feels rich and immersive. Whether your adventure takes place in a magical kingdom, a far-off galaxy, or an alternate reality, the world should be vividly described and full of possibility. Readers should feel as though they could step into that world and experience it themselves.
Effective world-building isn’t just about describing landscapes or cities; it’s about creating a sense of wonder and awe. What makes the world special? What rules govern it? Are there magical creatures, ancient prophecies, or hidden secrets waiting to be discovered?
4. Action and Adventure
What would an adventure story be without action? It’s essential to include exciting sequences that keep young readers on the edge of their seats. These action scenes should be dynamic and engaging, often showcasing the protagonist’s courage, quick thinking, and determination. However, the action mustn’t be mindless, it should serve the story and contribute to the character’s growth.
Children often enjoy the action that feels like a puzzle, where the protagonist must think their way out of a tricky situation, whether that’s outsmarting a villain, navigating a treacherous landscape, or solving a mystery. The stakes should always feel high, and the action should move the plot forward.
5. Themes of Friendship and Teamwork
While an adventure story can be thrilling, it is often the relationships between characters that provide the emotional backbone of the tale. Whether the protagonist is leading a group of loyal friends or working alongside unlikely allies, the importance of teamwork and friendship is a central theme in many adventure stories. These themes resonate deeply with children, who are learning about the importance of collaboration and emotional support in their own lives.
Classic adventure stories work because children:
choose to go on
choose to help
choose to disobey
choose to risk themselves
6. A Satisfying Ending
A good adventure story needs a satisfying conclusion that ties up loose ends and rewards the reader for the journey. Whether it’s the discovery of treasure, the defeat of the antagonist, or the resolution of a mystery, the ending should feel earned and provide closure.
However, it doesn’t necessarily need to be a perfect, fairy-tale ending. In fact, sometimes the best stories leave room for further adventures or a more bittersweet conclusion.
Phones, Cameras, School Policies
Today's children experience much more surveillance than those of past generations, with phones, cameras, school policies, and well-intentioned adults influencing nearly every part of their lives. Consequently, the nature of modern adventure has evolved. It has moved from simply escaping into the wild to finding freedom within constraints - exploring boundaries, making independent decisions, and asserting autonomy in regulated settings. The most impactful contemporary adventures recognize this truth, providing young readers not with an escape from rules, but with creative ways to navigate within them.
Tips for Aspiring Children’s Writers
Start with a Strong Hook: Capture the reader’s attention right from the first page. Whether through mystery, danger, or humour, make sure the opening of your adventure grabs them.
Write with Energy: Children thrive on fast-paced stories, so keep the energy high. Use active language and avoid slowing down the plot with unnecessary exposition.
Keep the Language Simple: While adventure stories can be complex, the language should be accessible. Younger readers especially need to be able to understand the action without feeling overwhelmed by vocabulary.
Balance Action with Emotion: Don’t forget to slow down at key moments for character development. Children enjoy seeing their heroes struggle, learn, and grow emotionally as much as they enjoy seeing them conquer external challenges.
What Editors Actually Look For in Adventure Stories
Editors reading adventure stories are rarely asking whether the idea is clever or original in the abstract. They are looking for evidence that the story will move, hold, and reward a young reader across a whole book - and possibly beyond it.
They look first for momentum. Adventure fiction lives or dies by forward motion. Each chapter should create a reason to keep reading, whether through danger, discovery, or a question left hanging. If the story pauses too long to explain itself, the adventure leaks away.
They want clarity of stakes. The reader must understand what can be lost, and why it matters to this child, not just to the world at large. The most effective adventure stories make the risk personal: friendship, belonging, safety, or self-belief are often more compelling than abstract threats.
Editors pay close attention to believable child agency. The protagonist must be active, not carried along by adults, coincidences, or magical solutions. Young readers want to see children making decisions, taking risks, and sometimes getting things wrong. Competence matters - but so does fallibility.
They also look for visual thinking on the page. Adventure is inherently spatial: journeys, obstacles, objects, maps, and moments of action. Stories that leave room for illustration, diagrammatic moments, or strong visual beats are easier to publish, easier to market, and more engaging for younger readers.
Finally, editors notice series potential, even when a book is pitched as a standalone. A world that feels expandable, a protagonist with more to learn, or a setting rich enough to sustain further stories all suggest longevity. This doesn’t mean cliff-hangers, but it does mean not closing every door.
When these elements are present, editors can see not just a good story, but a workable book - one that understands both the imagination of children and the realities of publishing.
Why Adventure Stories Are Often Rejected (and What That Really Means)
Most adventure stories aren’t rejected because the idea is bad. They’re rejected because a few of the writing elements aren’t quite working yet.
Editors can often stumble at the opening. If the story takes too long to get moving, or the situation isn’t clear early on, young readers may not stick around long enough for the adventure to begin.
Another common issue is unclear stakes. The action may be exciting, but if it’s not obvious what the child stands to lose - friendship, safety, belonging - the tension doesn’t fully land.
Sometimes the main character doesn’t have enough agency. If adults, coincidences, or convenient magic do most of the problem-solving, the adventure can feel distant. Editors want to see children making choices, even imperfect ones.
Tone can also be tricky. A story that’s pitched a little too young or a little too old for its intended audience may struggle to find a home, even if the writing is strong.
Finally, editors may hesitate if the story feels completely finished with no room to grow. A sense that the world or character could return - without forcing a sequel - often makes a book feel more publishable.
None of these are dead ends. They’re signals. And they’re all fixable.
Self-Check for Younger Readers (approx. ages 6–8)
Adventure for younger readers thrives on immediacy, clarity, and reassurance.
Is the adventure clear right away? Does something curious, exciting, or unsettling happen very early to pull the reader in?
Can the story be followed without stopping? Are the sentences direct, the vocabulary accessible, and the action easy to track?
Is the danger exciting rather than frightening? Do challenges feel manageable, with a sense that safety and resolution are possible?
Is the main character emotionally recognisable? Can readers easily understand what the child wants, fears, or hopes for?
Are visual moments built in? Would key scenes work well in illustration, picture strips, maps, or diagrams?
Does the ending feel comforting and complete?Is there a clear sense that order has been restored, even if new adventures might come later?
Self-Check for Middle-Grade Readers (approx. ages 8–12)
Middle-grade adventure allows for more complexity, consequence, and emotional depth.
Does the story present a meaningful problem early on? Is the disruption strong enough to carry a longer, more layered narrative?
Are the stakes personal and cumulative? Do challenges build over time, with decisions affecting what happens next?
Does the protagonist have genuine agency? Are choices difficult, imperfect, and sometimes costly?
Is the emotional arc as strong as the plot? Do fear, doubt, loyalty, or courage change the character as the story unfolds?
Is the world rich but not overwhelming? Does the setting feel immersive without slowing the story down?
Could this story continue? Does the ending resolve the main adventure while leaving the character or world open to future journeys?
Self-Check for Prose-Only Adventure Fiction
(traditional middle-grade novels, text-led chapter books)
Prose-only adventure must do all the heavy lifting through language and structure.
Is the world vivid on the page? Are place, movement, and mood clearly conveyed through well-chosen detail?
Does each chapter earn its place? Are chapters shaped around tension, discovery, or consequence rather than simply marking time?
Is the inner life of the protagonist present? Can readers feel fear, doubt, excitement, or resolve as events unfold?
Are action scenes easy to follow? Is it always clear who is where, doing what, and why it matters?
Does the voice carry momentum? Is the narrative voice confident and propulsive enough to sustain long stretches without visual support?
Is the ending emotionally resonant? Does the resolution land through character change as much as plot outcome?
A Quiet Publishing Reality (Worth Saying Aloud)
Editors don’t expect writers to be illustrators - but they do expect awareness of format. A manuscript that understands whether it is text-led or visually driven is far easier to publish, position, and pair with the right creative team.
A Final Reassurance for Writers
Many submissions falter not because the story is wrong, but because the manuscript sits between these two age groups. Being clear about who you’re writing for - and shaping the adventure accordingly - is one of the most valuable skills a children’s writer can develop.
Reading list: Action & Adventure Novels Worth Taking A Look At Books that understand pace, stakes, and child agency - without leaning on nostalgia or spectacle alone
1. The Explorer
Katherine Rundell | Bloomsbury Children’s Books | 2017 Four children survive a plane crash in the Amazon rainforest and must rely on ingenuity, teamwork, and moral courage to escape. A masterclass in survival narrative, landscape-as-antagonist, and stripped-back stakes.
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/explorer-9781526634610/
2. Wolf Wilder
Katherine Rundell | Bloomsbury Children’s Books | 2015 Set in the frozen Russian wilderness, this novel follows a girl who rehabilitates wolves and must defend her home from authoritarian forces. Fierce, physical, and emotionally intense, with a strong sense of ethical choice.
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/wolf-wilder-9781526634603/
3. Brightstorm
Vashti Hardy | Scholastic UK | 2018 A sky-bound quest involving airships, dangerous expeditions, and sibling loyalty. Classic adventure structure with modern values, blending wonder, peril, and grief into a highly readable journey.
4. The Last Wild
Piers Torday | Quercus Children’s Books | 2013 In a future where animals are extinct, a boy who can communicate with them becomes central to humanity’s survival. Environmental themes are embedded in action, escape, and pursuit rather than delivered as message.
5. Race to the Frozen North
Catherine Johnson | Pushkin Children’s Books | 2018 Inspired by real events, this historical adventure follows a mixed-race teenage girl on a perilous Arctic expedition. High-stakes survival, racism, endurance, and leadership combine without sentimentality.
6. Scar Island
Dan Gemeinhart | Chicken House | 2018 A group of boys escape from a brutal reform school and attempts to survive on an abandoned island. A dark, Lord of the Flies–adjacent adventure that foregrounds power, morality, and consequence.
7. Cogheart
Peter Bunzl | Usborne Publishing | 2016 A clockwork-powered Victorian chase involving mechanical creatures, inheritance, and conspiracies. Combines relentless pacing with warmth and clarity, making it ideal for younger middle-grade readers.
https://usborne.com/gb/cogheart-9781474915007
8. The Girl of Ink & Stars
Kiran Millwood Hargrave | Chicken House | 2016 A cartographer’s daughter joins an expedition across a dangerous island to save a missing child. Exploration, mapping, and quiet bravery drive the narrative, with landscape and mythology tightly interwoven.
9. Orion Lost
Alastair Chisholm | Nosy Crow | 2020 After a catastrophic space accident, children aboard a school spaceship must survive alone. A rare example of science-led adventure where decision-making, logic, and teamwork genuinely matter.
10. The Boy Who Climbed into the Moon
David Almond (illus. Polly Dunbar) | Walker Books | 2010 A small, strange, inward adventure about curiosity, imagination, and stepping beyond the ordinary. Proof that adventure doesn’t need speed or danger to feel transformative.
Adventure Story Tropes That May BeTired Out...Flogging a Dead Storyline!
Manuscripts aren't rejected because agents or editors recognise the trope - they reject them when the trope does all the work and the story does none.
The Chosen One (with paperwork already filed)
Prophecies, birthmarks, ancient scrolls, and secret destinies remove tension. If the hero is meant to succeed, the adventure becomes procedural rather than risky.
The Absent or Conveniently Inept Adult
Adults who vanish, are useless, or conveniently fail to notice danger feel like scaffolding rather than story. Editors now prefer worlds where adults exist - but children still have meaningful agency within them.
The Map That Solves Everything
Maps are great - in fact I feel maps should be compulsory in every book; maps that instantly unlock the plot are not. Adventure works best when navigation involves uncertainty, wrong turns, and consequences rather than tidy guidance.
The Villain Who Is Evil Because They Are Evil
One-note antagonists drain energy from the story. Editors look for opponents with motives, pressures, or systems behind them - not moustache-twirling obstacles - did anyone ever know why the Hood in the original 1960's Thunderbirds was evil?
Endless Chase, No Emotional Cost
Action without consequence reads like noise. If nothing changes internally for the protagonist, the adventure feels hollow, however fast it moves.
Overbuilt Worlds, Underdeveloped Characters
Complex lore, invented histories, and rules often arrive before we care who the story is about. Editors want to meet the child first, the world second.
The Reset Button Ending
If the world snaps back to exactly how it was before the adventure began, the journey feels pointless. Change - even small, quiet change - matters.
The “This Will Be a Seven-Book Series” Pitch
One strong, satisfying story first. Over-promising future volumes before the current book works is a warning sign, not an asset.
A Useful Reframe for Writers
Tropes aren’t the problem. The most successful adventure stories take old machinery and make it work harder...Mark Twain said "there' is no such thing as an original idea". and this is a popular concept, suggesting all new thoughts are remixes or combinations of past knowledge, experiences, and existing concepts, rather than entirely new creations from a vacuum, making originality about unique combinations and perspectives.
While some argue for truly unique ideas, the current view is that human creativity involves building upon a vast, shared cultural and informational foundation, where innovation comes from novel arrangements, improvements, or applications of what's already known.
The Art of Writing Adventures: A Guide for Children's Novelists - To Finish On…
Adventure has never really been about jungles or treasure, maps or monsters.
It has always been about children being allowed to act - to decide, to risk, to fail, and to continue.
What has changed is the landscape around them. Modern adventure does not throw children into the wild and walk away. It places them inside systems - schools, cities, families, technologies - and asks how courage operates there.
The best adventure stories still move. They still unsettle. They still leave the quiet promise that the child who finishes the book will feel slightly braver than the one who opened it.
That, in the end, is the job.
The Last Giant of the Northern Forest is a myth-inflected eco-adventure for readers aged 10 - 14 that brings ancient legend into collision with modern genetic science. Set in a collapsing northern ecosystem, the novel follows a solitary girl who uncovers the truth behind the ‘Hatchling’ - a creature revived not by magic, but by human intervention - and is forced to confront urgent questions of extinction, responsibility, and belonging. Blending storytelling with contemporary science, the book explores what it means to protect a future shaped as much by myth as by technology, and asks who gets to decide what should be saved when the old world refuses to stay buried.
About the Author
David Salariya has spent a lifetime inside books - making them, breaking them apart, rebuilding them, and occasionally arguing with them. He began his career in publishing when books were still glued together by hand and editors smoked thoughtfully over layouts, and went on to found The Salariya Book Company, creating and publishing internationally successful illustrated series including You Wouldn’t Want To Be…, A Very Peculiar History, and Spectacular Visual Guides, translated into more than 35 languages.
Over four decades, he has worked across almost every corner of children’s publishing: author, illustrator, designer, editor, publisher, packager (a term he views with suspicion), rights negotiator, innovator, and reluctant realist. He was among the first to experiment with interactive formats and augmented reality in children’s books, long before anyone knew quite what to do with them. His work has won many awards, been exhibited in galleries, and reached millions of readers worldwide.