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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Rhonda DeChambeau: Writing Heart Moments
“I once heard Jane Yolen say that ideas are all around us, that they are like leaves, and we just have to notice them. I find when I’m tuned in to being creative, paying attention, or being mindful, when I’m taking things slow and not just rushing through my day to check off my to-do list, I notice the ideas around me.”

Laura Murray: Write What Your Heart Wants to Write
“Write what your heart wants to write, and pursue ideas that make you excited. Don’t worry about trends or predictions - because by the time you finish, the trends and predictions will have changed.”

Danielle Dufayet: Write More than One Story
“Don't get hung up on one story. I didn't start writing new stories for a long while in my writing journey. I was emotionally attached to one particular story which held my progress back. You have to know when to let go of a story and start a new one. It's important to keep writing new ideas.”

Kerry Aradhya: Listen to Your Intuition
“Sometimes a critique partner or editor suggests a change to wording that definitely improves the manuscript. Other times, they might suggest a change that doesn't feel right to me. I listen to my intuition and choose the words that have a rhythm and read-aloud quality that resonates with me the most.”

Liz Garton Scanlon: Be Brave and Break Rules
“Be brave, break rules, do things in your own voice and in your way. (This is hard when we're trying so hard to learn how to do something well and right, and how to fit into a field that is already crowded and esteemed. But fitting in and doing everything right isn't what makes our work really shine.)”

Sydnie Suskind: Find Your People
“Find your people—the ones you trust as a sounding board, who will be constructive, supportive, and honest. Keep writing. Keep reading other people’s work. And most importantly, keep learning and challenging yourself.”

Erica George: It’s a Journey
Social media is really all smoke and mirrors, and every writer’s journey is going to look remarkably different. It can be debilitating for a newbie author to see what seem like huge deals or other authors being favored by their publishing houses. The goal, no matter what, is writing the best book you possibly can in order to connect with your readers. That’s what really matters.

Tirzah Price: Don’t Stop Challenging Yourself
Keep writing the next book, and don't stop challenging yourself! When you're a new author, there's so many fun "firsts" and great experiences that come with being published and you should definitely enjoy them! But it's important to remember why we write in the first place and to challenge yourself creatively along the way.

Nedda Lewers: Linking Plot with Character
When it comes to leaving readers guessing, try to find the sweet spot between revealing too much (they know how it will end) and not enough (they have no idea what is going on). Your readers should feel curious but not confused. Critique partners and beta readers can help you find this balance because, unlike you, they don’t know how the story will end.

Jenn Bailey: Crafting the Ultimate Payoff
“If your climax feels a little flat, or if you aren’t feeling the emotional payoff you’ve expected, look at earlier chapters and scenes. Make sure you’ve written in the reasons that make this climax inevitable. And that you’ve positioned your main character in the kind of emotional state where this final scene will let readers feel a satisfactory resolution.”

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.”

Christine Evans: Kicking Your Story Forward
“There's no rush. Take your time to make your work the best it can be before sending it out.”

Casey W. Robinson: Writing Stories with Heart
“Find a book you loved from your childhood and re-read it. How does (or did) it make you feel? What was it about the language, the read aloud, the characters, the storyline that captivated you? I've noticed that I connect to these “old” heart stories differently than I do newer mentor texts. As writers for kids, this kind of first-hand knowledge can help our subconscious brains make smart editorial decisions when we’re drafting.”

Lea Lyon: Following Curiosity and Trying New Things
“If you're researching for a nonfiction project, search beyond library databases. Reach out to librarians and archivists. Visit locations where events from the story you're researching took place, and visit archives and libraries in the area. Above all, reach out to experts in the subject matter. They are invaluable resources and are invested in the public (especially children) knowing more about their area of expertise.”

Seina Wedlick: Deconstructing Story Structures
“Traditional publishing is often a slow process...There are occasionally books that get snapped up and released really quickly, but, more often than not, it’s a much longer wait . . . It’s so important for writers to plug into a community of other writers they can share this journey with and to use the ‘waiting period’ to work on something new or hone-in on their craft.”

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.”

Inspiring Activism: Interview with Carrie Firestone, author of THE FIRST RULE OF CLIMATE CLUB
“My books are all an extension of the activism and community organizing in my life. My teaching was also a reflection of that. I take on political/social realities that I would like to see in the world.” –Carrie Firestone

Walking with Lennon: How to Find Inspiration and Shape a Story
Novels are amalgams. Your experiences. Your friends’ memories. Stuff you’ve read. Stuff you’ve heard about. Be open to it all. Mash up the different elements. The real secret of the secret sauce of novel-writing is that no one knows what goes into it.