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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Erin Nuttall 7/3/23 Erin Nuttall 7/3/23

Inspired by the World: a Q&A with Martha Brockenbrough

Kat St. Claire 9/23/21 Kat St. Claire 9/23/21

Confessions of a (Not So) Reformed Pantser

"I understand more clearly that an outline need not be a construct that dominates my writing, a rigid form that must be adhered to, but it can be a tool to help manage what I write, to help me not get distracted or sidetracked, and instead work toward my goal--even if that goal isn’t completely clear to me as I shuffle, twist, and rearrange things on the page, the way I am prone to do."

Anne-Marie Strohman 5/1/21 Anne-Marie Strohman 5/1/21

SIDEWRITING TAKEOVER: Sidewriting Challenge Roundup

The authors and contributors we interviewed had so many wonderful sidewriting challenges, we thought we'd put them all in one place. Each exercise will have a link back to the original post so you can learn more about the author and how sidewriting works for them. Enjoy!

Anne-Marie Strohman 4/27/21 Anne-Marie Strohman 4/27/21

SIDEWRITING TAKEOVER: Ask "Why?" with Margaret Chiu Greanias

Margaret Chiu Greanias: Until I was asked to do this interview, I'd never heard of sidewriting. I thought maybe it was something only novelists did. But as I read Erin Nuttall's kick-off post, I realized sidewriting is something picture book writers could do too. And then, I realized it was something that I actually do do.

Anne-Marie Strohman 4/26/21 Anne-Marie Strohman 4/26/21

SIDEWRITING TAKEOVER: Messy Sidewriting with Kristi Wright

Kristi Wright: "Ultimately, you don’t need to be fancy and organized when it comes to sidewriting. It’s the thing that gets to be as messy as you want it to be. There’s no shame in it--no right way or wrong way. I’m always going to be the equivalent of Charlie Brown’s friend Pig-Pen when it comes to sidewriting, and I’m cool with that."

Erin Nuttall 4/20/21 Erin Nuttall 4/20/21

SIDEWRITING TAKEOVER: Start with a Glimmer with Sarah Aronson

When I don’t know the WHY behind a scene or a character, there is nothing more helpful than stepping away from the manuscript. When I am writing away from my story, I am free to explore my characters, setting, plot, theme…well everything. And since it doesn’t “count,” it also doesn’t have to be good—that is the permission slip I need.

Erin Nuttall 4/17/21 Erin Nuttall 4/17/21

SIDEWRITING TAKEOVER: Asking the Right Questions with Louise Hawes

I've finally discovered a way of dumping this inner perfectionist for at least part of the journey. I learned through trial and error that the keyboard, domain of the delete key, precursor to print, was where my perfectionist tended to take control. Pencil and paper was where my heart led the way. Which is why I began to "channel" my characters through freewriting. Like poetry, freewrites are a way I ditch my inner critic and make the switch from common sense to felt sense, from thoughts to emotions.

Erin Nuttall 4/10/21 Erin Nuttall 4/10/21

SIDEWRITING TAKEOVER: Gossip Your Way Through the Story with Mary Winn Heider

The sidewriting exercise I rely on most is really simple. I write a messy, gossipy version of my story (or scene or conflict). I handwrite it, like it’s a note I might pass in class, and I allow myself plenty of gossipy digressions. . . . I’ve developed a kind of outlining process I love, but sometimes I really crave the structure of gossip, the way it’s built on cause and effect.

Erin Nuttall 4/6/21 Erin Nuttall 4/6/21

SIDEWRITING TAKEOVER: Time Traveling with Jennifer Ziegler

I always start with character. For me, that’s the spark that makes me want to write. Who is this person in my head? What are they grappling with? What do they need to figure out (about themselves and/or life in general)? To answer these questions, I write scenes about them and sometimes in their voice.

Kristi Wright 3/11/21 Kristi Wright 3/11/21

Tackling Different Styles and Genres in Children's Literature: A Q&A with Rajani LaRocca

"I’ve learned that the most important thing is to keep writing about what I love, what’s important to me, what I’m curious about. I’ve learned to put a piece of myself in every story. And I’ve learned that being vulnerable in my writing means that it will resonate with others."

Kristi Wright 5/6/19 Kristi Wright 5/6/19

Elements of a Picture Book: Wordy Birdy by Tammi Sauer and Dave Mottram