Stories are for Putting Darkness in its Place

Overwhelmingly, in my own family and far beyond, the stories that land with the greatest impact are those where darkness, loss, and danger (emotional or physical) is a reality. But the goal isn’t to steer kids into stories of darkness and violence because those are the stories that grip readers. The goal is to put the darkness in its place.

— N.D. Wilson, http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2016/04/why-i-write-scary-stories-for-children/478977