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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Anne-Marie Strohman 6/22/23 Anne-Marie Strohman 6/22/23

Perfect-for-This-Book Patterns: Ramen for Everyone by Patricia Tanumihardja

Patterns can help shape a story, from the big-picture themes to the moment-by-moment actions. Giving kids the opportunity to “read” the patterns gives them practice in making meaning. And it gives them satisfaction in reading as well.

Erin Nuttall 8/25/22 Erin Nuttall 8/25/22

The Magic Number Three: Brand-New Bubbe by Sarah Aronson

Numbers have power, magic, even. Not the abracadabra kind, but the kind that makes a reader sit up and pay attention even though they don’t know why. Sarah Aronson understands the power of the number three as a literary device and uses it masterfully in her picture book, Brand New Bubbe.

Anne-Marie Strohman 2/3/22 Anne-Marie Strohman 2/3/22

KidLit Craft Goes to the Movies: The Emotional Antagonist in Eddie the Eagle

Some great stories make use of what Melanie Jacobson calls the emotional antagonist. The emotional antagonist is on the protagonist’s side, but the protagonist doesn’t have their approval or support.Jacobson believes emotional antagonist can be a powerful addition to a book because it gives a story an extra satisfying ending–a resolution with the emotional antagonist. We can see the emotional antagonist in action in Eddie the Eagle (2015).

Anne-Marie Strohman 1/20/22 Anne-Marie Strohman 1/20/22

Taking Poetic Risks: A Q&A with Margaret Chiu Greanias

Since I began writing picture books, I've longed to tell the story of my relationship with my Amah (grandmother, in Taiwanese). Even though we saw each other infrequently, I adored her. But like Kylie, my main character in Amah Faraway, I always felt a bit shy at the start of our visits--due to my own cautious nature, the distance, language barrier, and cultural differences.

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.

Anne-Marie Strohman 10/29/20 Anne-Marie Strohman 10/29/20

Story Questions

Framing your story with a STORY QUESTION that gets answered by the end of the novel works because it adds forward momentum, keeps your reader wanting to turn the page, and--since you delay the final answer to the question until the end--builds tension

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

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