“As I searched for a direction for my creative writing career, I never thought about writing for children until I got an opportunity to work in children’s animation. It was a lot of fun because sometimes writers that work in children’s animation are big kids themselves.” These are the words of screenwriter Denise Downer, whose Stillwater team was nominated for a Daytime Emmy award for Outstanding Writing Team for a Preschool Animated Program and a Peabody Award for Children and Youth Programming.

Stillwater is based on the 2005 children’s picture book by Jon J. Muth called Zen Shorts. It centers around three siblings Michael, Addy and Karl, and their wise panda neighbor called Stillwater. The title of the book gives us an insight into the Zen way the television series plays out.

The Deceptive Simplicity Of Children’s Programming

Many writers don’t fully appreciate the complexity in the deceptive simplicity of children’s stories. Firstly, children’s stories must fit into compressed time frames. A half-hour or full-hour time slot is simply to long for a child’s attention span.

Given that kids rapidly experience distinct educational, emotional and spiritual stages, due consideration must be also given to each of these in their story construction. The maturity of a pre-schooler is different than that of a tween, so themes and storylines must cater to each group as well as their parents. Ultimately, a good story is a good story, so pre-schooler’s programs should also be enjoyed by adults.

“I write primarily for pre-school audience which runs from 2 – 5 years. You’re writing the basic life skills that kids need as they prepare for school,” said Downer. These skills include learning to wait your turn, sharing common items, and listening to the teacher. “There is also the bridge age group that separates the pre-schoolers from the older kids aged 6 – 11. This varies because some shows target the 6 – 8 year age group or 5 – 7 group.” These distinctions might seem minor, but developmentally, they are significant. Downer also stated that she typically writes to the top of the age group, since most kids aspire to be older.

Denise Downer. Photo by Neal Colgrass

When writing stories for pre-schoolers, “You mainly focus on a character and their world, whether it’s Puppy Dog Pals or Thomas and Friends,” added Downer. “You start with the concerns of the characters.” Denise cites the Disney TV show, Puppy Dog Pals, which centers on two puppy brothers who want to make the other animals and their owners in their world happy. “You’d think about what might be a problem for anybody in their world, especially their owners.” The show’s creators can then brainstorm various missions for the animals to go on to make the owners happy. Afterwards, the writers can explore the parameters of the story world and their limitations which can potentially cause story conflicts.

The writer states that it’s common to work with educational consultants and child psychologists in the pre-school programming space. “They can advise on what is appropriate for kids at a particular age level – both worldly and in terms of their comprehension.” However, there is strong overlap between the age groups in terms of sparking a character’s journey, an obstacle and a resolution at the end.

“As you target older children, the subjects and focus of the characters gets more sophisticated,” Downer continued. “I think about what would be of interest to these characters and the older audience.”

The Stillwater Approach

Stillwater doesn’t merely focus on simple problems that are solved in a 10-minute time slot. “Michael, Addy, and Karl don’t necessarily find a solution to their problems, but rather, a different way of looking at them,” expanded Denise Downer. “The conclusion is reframed for them so they have a different understanding of the situation. Stillwater, the Panda, never gives the children the answer. He guides them. The children don’t necessarily get what they wanted at the start of the show at the end, but they are wiser.”

The way Denise Downer approached the resolution in each episode is the hook of the show. “Each episode doesn’t succumb to the surprise of giving the characters what they want at the end.” They don’t necessarily give them what they need either. The kids just learn “what is” without judgment.

This invites the children to explore empathy, acceptance, peace, equilibrium, and finding the good in any situation. In reference to Zen Shorts, Stillwater incorporates shades of Buddhism and Taoism in its storytelling. Sometimes, these nebulous philosophical concepts are difficult for children to grasp, so it’s imperative to make them tangible and accessible.

Stillwater and Addy

“I never use the word “Zen” in a story. I give a character a moment to breathe. I demonstrate rather than state the mindfulness,” she continued. Downer quotes an episode where the kids get a dog and Michael wants it to be his best friend, but the dog has other ideas. Michael accepts that rejection is okay because the dog has other friends and brings them all happiness.

The fact that Stillwater is a panda not a coincidence either. “A panda represents a wisdom, playfulness, calmness, and hopefulness,” according the screenwriter. Traditionally, pandas represent peace, balance between two opposing sides, and power in such lore.

Each Stillwater episode runs 11 minutes so there are two episodes per half-hour time slot. This is to ensure that the pre-school audience remains engaged and focused.

In the writers’ room, the writers pitch out ideas and story possibilities. Unlike TV shows for older audiences, a Stillwater episode typically lacks a B story or a serialized storyline. Each episode reads at a moderate clip of approximately one page per minute which roughly corresponds to the scene length of one scene per minute.

If there are extended scenes, “there needs to be more activity and play between the characters. You also need to move around in the one location. For instance, if a scene is set in a park, move the action to different locations in the park such as the jungle gym and the picnic table.”

The animation medium is ideal for children’s shows because “they are drawn to the visuals and the energy of seeing the characters moving around. Animation brings a story to life in a different way.”

As a screenwriter, Denise Downer gravitates toward certain themes in her work. “I often write about a character trying to do their best in a way that’s respectful of other people and acknowledges their differing point of view.“