Of Pretend Play & Fiction Writing

In the second year of life, children start pretending with simple acts, like pretending to sip imaginary milk from an empty cup. Their pretend play becomes more complex and imaginative as they enter preschool years. However, there has been a belief that pretend play declines as children enter middle childhood and engage in activities like games with rules. Recent research challenges this notion and suggests that pretending in older children is underestimated, and individual differences in childhood pretending may relate to later types of imaginative activities.

Creating an imaginary companion is one type of pretend play strongly associated with early childhood. Around 65% of children under seven have played with imaginary companions. While little is known about the fate of childhood imaginary companions, some evidence from diaries and biographies suggests that a few continue into adulthood in a diminished role or as cherished memories.

Instead of looking for imaginary companions in the exact form they occur in childhood, it may be more productive to consider a wider range of fantasy activities adults enjoy. Adults often consume fantasy through activities like watching films, theatre, or reading novels. But the closest comparison to childhood imaginary companions involves adult production of fantasy material, such as role-playing games, historical re-enactments, and writers’ creation of fictional characters.

When exploring the relationship between writers and their characters, it becomes evident that authors often describe having personal relationships with their characters and imagining conversations with them. Writers perceive their characters as autonomous beings with minds of their own, fully formed in their imagination. Some authors report that their characters argue with them about the direction of the story or even provide unsolicited advice about the author’s real life. In some cases, the characters seem to dictate the story, and the author feels like an observer.

These accounts of writers’ experiences suggest that the activities of an adult fiction writer are not so far removed from those of a child playing with an imaginary companion. While children have personal interactive relationships with their pretend friends, writers also develop personal connections with their characters, who seem to exist independently and influence the narrative. The characters become real to the writers and play an active role in the creation of the story.

Childhood pretend play, including the creation of imaginary companions, holds a fundamental role in human cognition. While the exact form of childhood imaginary companions may change or diminish in adulthood, the inclination for elaborate fantasy and the creation of fictional characters remains significant. Exploring the relationship between writers and their characters provides valuable insights into the phenomenology of pretending for individuals of all ages.