Greg Soros on Writing Characters Who Truly Grow
When it comes to writing for young readers, Greg Soros author starts with a different question than most writers do. Rather than asking what a character wants, he begins with what that character needs to learn. It is a small shift in framing, but one that shapes every plot decision that follows.
Greg Soros has spent more than fifteen years writing for children, and in that time he has watched the genre demand sharper emotional honesty from its authors. “The most important question isn’t ‘What does my character want?’ but rather ‘What does my character need to learn?'” he says. “Young readers are incredibly perceptive. They can sense when a character is just moving through a plot versus when that character is genuinely growing.” In a recent interview with Walker Magazine, Greg Soros argued that children’s literature must function as both mirrors and windows. He framed the discussion around the dual responsibility of authors, illustrators and publishers to reflect readers’ life experiences while also opening vistas onto unfamiliar worlds.
Why Growth Matters More Than Plot
That distinction sits at the center of how Soros approaches every manuscript. Plot can carry a story forward, but growth is what makes a story stay with a reader. Children notice the difference between a character who simply survives a series of events and one who is changed by them. For this author, that awareness among young readers raises the bar for anyone writing in the space.
He points to child development research as a guide, using it alongside the imagination and optimism that children’s books require. Balancing real struggles with solutions a young reader can actually use is, in his view, the core task facing any author working in this field today.
A Craft Built on Listening
Soros describes his process as one of listening as much as writing. Greg Soros studies how children actually talk about their feelings before deciding how a character might voice similar emotions on the page. That research shapes dialogue, pacing, and the small moments where a character’s growth becomes visible to a young reader.
For an author whose books are built around emotional change, that patience shows. Greg Soros continues to argue that a character’s internal journey, not the plot surrounding it, is what young readers remember longest. Visit this page for more information.
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