Craft Articles
Join us in exploring others’ craft and building our own.
Here you will find explorations of mentor texts – articles that dive into specific craft elements in published books, interviews with authors, and tips on growing and improving as a writer.
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Cindy Chang: Playing with the Past
“Writing about a lived experience, especially a difficult one, can be challenging. As much as you may want to share exactly how the events unfolded in reality, it’s okay to take some creative liberties. Ultimately it’s more about figuring out the story and focusing on communicating the wants, conflicts, and lessons learned through your lived experience. And in doing so, you may find yourself feeling a little freer from the past.”
Deborah Underwood: Writing Dynamic Dialogue
“You can communicate so much using dialogue alone. Try telling your story in dialogue only and seeing what happens. Even if that doesn’t work for the final version, it might help you to find a character’s voice or learn something new about them.”
Erin Becker: Go For It!
“I want to write books that make people feel good. I wrote Crushing It during the pandemic, during a difficult time in my life. Writing this story was like a warm hug and a reminder that sometimes, things do turn out okay.”
Tim McCanna: Embrace Brainstorming
“Brainstorming a solid idea for a book is as much a part of the creative process as actually writing the book. Sometimes you’re struck by lightning and that can be exciting. But often it’s about putting on your thinking cap and solving the riddle of ‘What should I write next?’”
Lindsay Lackey: Welcome Ideas Out of Your Comfort Zone
“My biggest tips for authors: 1) don't be afraid! New topics and challenging themes ARE possible. And 2) Ask for help! Books are built like houses: the results are much better with the help of a few experts.”