--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that usually the risk in trying…" description: "\"I think that usually the risk in trying to write children in fiction is the tendency to make them too cute or something.\" — Kent Haruf" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/kent-haruf-18766_children_i-think-that-usually-the-risk-in-trying_2258295.jpg" --- # I think that usually the risk in trying to write children… ![“I think that usually the risk in trying to write children in fiction is the tendency to make them too cute or something.” quote by Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/kent-haruf-18766_children_i-think-that-usually-the-risk-in-trying_2258295.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/kent-haruf-18766_children_i-think-that-usually-the-risk-in-trying_2258295.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/kent-haruf-18766_children_i-think-that-usually-the-risk-in-trying_2258295.jpg) > “I think that usually the risk in trying to write children in fiction is the tendency to make them too cute or something.” [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author warns that writing children's fiction can become overly sentimental, losing authenticity and depth. **In simple terms:** Avoid making children's characters too cute. Key Takeaway Balance authenticity with charm in children's stories. Themes authenticity children writing Mood cautious considerate Type practical advisory When to use this quote - authoring children's books - editing - workshop critique Key Concepts sentimentality character development Questions to Reflect On - How can you keep children's characters realistic? - What depth can you add without losing charm? A Different Perspective Cuteness can alienate older readers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-fiction-1484636/) [Cute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cute/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Fiction Tendency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction-tendency-5186347/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk/) [Risk Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/risk-trying-510428/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Tendency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tendency/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think/) [Too](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too/) [Too cute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-cute/) [Trying](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying/) [Usually Risk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/usually-risk-5186348/) [Write](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write/) [Write Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-children-337293/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“I hope, that in the days, and weeks, and years to come, the question of where the dividing lines between adult and children’s fiction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/i-hope-that-in-the-days-and-weeks-and-years-to-come-the-question-of/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There were no small brown kids as the centre of the children's fiction I grew up with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konnie-huq/there-were-no-small-brown-kids-as-the-centre-of-the-children-s/) [Konnie Huq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konnie-huq/) > ['Harry Potter' made it cool to read children's fiction, and 'Twilight' did the same for a slightly older age group. What I'm seeing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/harry-potter-made-it-cool-to-read-children-s-fiction-and-twilight-did/) [L.A. Weatherly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-a-weatherly/) > [Children's fiction is the most important fiction of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/children-s-fiction-is-the-most-important-fiction-of-all/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Risk is trying to control something you are powerless over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/risk-is-trying-to-control-something-you-are-powerless-over/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) > [“I rather take the risk of trying to find real love than loving someone I know that is guaranteed”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristal-eley/i-rather-take-the-risk-of-trying-to-find-real-love-than-loving/) [Kristal Eley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristal-eley/) > [“Good testing involves balancing the need to mitigate risk against the risk of trying to gather too much information.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-m-weinberg/good-testing-involves-balancing-the-need-to-mitigate-risk-against-the/) [Gerald M. Weinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-m-weinberg/) > [“There are always two risks: the risk of trying something new, and the risk of not trying. You risk settling and continuing in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-bell/there-are-always-two-risks-the-risk-of-trying-something-new-and-the/) [Rob Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-bell/) > [“No gains are ever achieved without first taking the risk of trying.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norma-gail/no-gains-are-ever-achieved-without-first-taking-the-risk-of-trying/) [Norma Gail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norma-gail/) > [As women, we're always supposed to be catty, or too cute to dance. And it sucks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rico-nasty/as-women-we-re-always-supposed-to-be-catty-or-too-cute-to-dance-and/) [Rico Nasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rico-nasty/) > [“Ben had the most expressive face I’d ever seen. When he told a story, he dove into it, re-enacting each character with a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-duff/ben-had-the-most-expressive-face-i-d-ever-seen-when-he-told-a-story/) [Hilary Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-duff/) > [“Where I had expected to appreciate the monuments and love the natural environment, the reality was entirely the reverse. The immense beauty of many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-winton/where-i-had-expected-to-appreciate-the-monuments-and-love-the-natural/) [Tim Winton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-winton/) > [“You're pouting. Pouting is not allowed. It's too cute.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-jones/you-re-pouting-pouting-is-not-allowed-it-s-too-cute/) [Carrie Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-jones/) > [I just have this thing in my head that I want to do serious stories that are still just way too cute and drawn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-lee-o-malley/i-just-have-this-thing-in-my-head-that-i-want-to-do-serious-stories/) [Bryan Lee O'Malley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-lee-o-malley/) > [“Also I don't, um, eat meat?" "No problem. We'll vegetarianize some," she said. "Animals are just too cute?" Gus asked. "I want to minimize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/also-i-don-t-um-eat-meat-no-problem-we-ll-vegetarianize-some-she-said/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) ## More by Kent Haruf > [I began writing seriously in my mid-20s and didn't publish my first book until I was 41.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/i-began-writing-seriously-in-my-mid-20s-and-didn-t-publish-my-first/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [“quit trying to fix things and we settled into our long polite and quiet life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/quit-trying-to-fix-things-and-we-settled-into-our-long-polite-and/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [“You understand? If you can read you can cook. You can always feed yourselves. You remember that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/you-understand-if-you-can-read-you-can-cook-you-can-always-feed/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [“The precious ordinary. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/the-precious-ordinary-i/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [I enjoy bluegrass, folk, gospel, and classical. I don't listen to music when I write. I sometimes listen to music just before I sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/i-enjoy-bluegrass-folk-gospel-and-classical-i-don-t-listen-to-music/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [We'd do better to follow the admonition of Jesus about loving our neighbours. People in the U.S. are capable of forgiveness and willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/we-d-do-better-to-follow-the-admonition-of-jesus-about-loving-our/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [Writers who aren't from rural states in the Midwest or the West often treat such people as if they were the Waltons or the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/writers-who-aren-t-from-rural-states-in-the-midwest-or-the-west-often/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [My desire is to be anonymous, isolated, quiet, peaceful, and concentrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/my-desire-is-to-be-anonymous-isolated-quiet-peaceful-and-concentrated/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [“Alene looked out toward the fading sky. There was only a little light remaining. It would turn nighttime now and soon they would return…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/alene-looked-out-toward-the-fading-sky-there-was-only-a-little-light/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [“And so we know the satisfaction of hate. We know the sweet joy of revenge. How it feels good to get even. Oh, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/and-so-we-know-the-satisfaction-of-hate-we-know-the-sweet-joy-of/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [In terms of showing their emotions and acting on them, my women characters are a lot more advanced than the men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/in-terms-of-showing-their-emotions-and-acting-on-them-my-women/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [That was on a night in August. Dad Lewis died early that morning and the young girl Alice from next door got lost in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/that-was-on-a-night-in-august-dad-lewis-died-early-that-morning-and/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [“The evening wasn’t cold yet... But the air was turning sharp, with a fall feeling of loneliness coming. Something unaccountable pending in the air.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/the-evening-wasn-t-cold-yet-but-the-air-was-turning-sharp-with-a-fall/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [After finishing the first draft, I work for as long as it takes (for two or three weeks, most often) to rework that first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/after-finishing-the-first-draft-i-work-for-as-long-as-it-takes-for/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) > [I write in a journal first, briefly. Then read something I've read many times before, for about half an hour, then rework what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/i-write-in-a-journal-first-briefly-then-read-something-i-ve-read-many/) [Kent Haruf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) [Explore all 34 Kent Haruf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think that usually the risk in trying to write children in fiction is the tendency to make them too cute or something.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kent Haruf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/i-think-that-usually-the-risk-in-trying-to-write-children-in-fiction/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/i-think-that-usually-the-risk-in-trying-to-write-children-in-fiction/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/kent-haruf-18766_children_i-think-that-usually-the-risk-in-trying_2258295.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/kent-haruf-18766_children_i-think-that-usually-the-risk-in-trying_2258295.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/39c/kent-haruf-18766_children_i-think-that-usually-the-risk-in-trying_2258295.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think that usually the risk in trying to write children in fiction is the tendency to make them too cute…” — Kent Haruf", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Kent Haruf", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kent-haruf/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think that usually the risk...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/i-think-that-usually-the-risk-in-trying-to-write-children-in-fiction/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kent-haruf/i-think-that-usually-the-risk-in-trying-to-write-children-in-fiction/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```