Nedda Lewers: Linking Plot with Character
KidLit Craft is back with another Snack-Sized Author Interview. In this series, we ask authors five quick questions that give us insight into their craft and process. Today we’re talking with author Nedda Lewers.
Nedda Lewers and I met through our MGPies middle grade writers group, and we quickly became fast friends. When I had the chance to read an early version of Nedda’s debut middle grade novel, set in Egypt and told through a deeply personal lens, I was completely entranced. Her magical, high-stakes adventure duology weaves ancient Arabian fairy tales into a contemporary, culturally-rich story of a young, science-loving protagonist visiting her Egyptian relatives. I’m always grateful for Nedda’s wisdom whether in relation to the craft of writing or life itself. She is a shining example of someone who leads with heart, kindness and creativity. –Kristi Wright
Welcome, Nedda!
Question 1: What's your writing superpower?
Oh gosh, what a hard but important question. It’s so easy to be critical of myself, so I’ll try to make space to celebrate what I’m good at.
At first, writing dialogue popped into my head since it comes much more easily for me than writing description. But I’m not sure I would call that my superpower.
Instead, I believe it is (and it wasn’t always—I had to learn it) using plot and character in tandem so that they are constantly playing off each other. My main character must be the best-suited individual to learn the lessons that the plot they are at the center of will teach them. And the choices I make when it comes to plot must serve to challenge my protagonist so that they come out a changed (hopefully for the better) version of themselves.
Question 2: What’s an element of craft you explored in your latest project and what tips can you share with other authors for growing in their use of that particular element?
I love this question since my craft is one of the few things in publishing within my control.
In my latest project, I paid a lot of attention to the purpose of each scene. How was it serving the story in terms of the external plot and the character’s internal arc?
Since my work-in-progress is a mystery, not only was I concerned about what new information was being presented in each scene but also what was not being presented. Was I leaving my readers with questions they cared about and would turn the page to get answered?
When it comes to leaving readers guessing, my tip would be to 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.
Question 3: If you could travel back in time, what advice would you give yourself as a new author?
I’ve always wanted to time travel, and if I could, I would let my new-author-self know to focus on the aspects of writing and publishing that I enjoy the most. For me, I love crafting stories and sharing them with kids. I relish school visits. The marketing and promotion on social media part isn’t as enjoyable for me. It’s not that I don’t do any marketing or promotion, but I now try to prioritize my time with what brings me the most joy.
Question 4: What inspires you as a writer?
I am constantly in awe of the power books have to transport readers, not just into fantastical reams and high-stakes adventures but into the most intimate thoughts and smallest moments of a character who may not outwardly look like them or live like them but who, at their core, also needs to feel safe and be loved and valued. Readers’ relatedness to those core needs, whether on a conscious or unconscious level, has a magical way of creating connection, compassion, and light in our world.
Question 5: What’s one book you think every kidlit author should read?
There are several that I love for different reasons. But if I had to choose one, it would be Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. It’s one I go back to over and over when fear gets in the way of my creativity. My favorite passage from that book is where the author addresses fear on a metaphorical family road trip.
“There’s plenty of room in this vehicle for all of us, so make yourself at home, but understand this: Creativity and I are the only ones who will be making any decisions along the way. I recognize and respect that you are part of this family, and so I will never exclude you from our activities, but still—your suggestions will never be followed. You’re allowed to have a seat, and you’re allowed to have a voice, but you are not allowed to have a vote.”
So good! It never gets old. Elizabeth Gilbert did a series of podcasts inspired by Big Magic, where she interviews creatives from across the arts, which is also worth a listen.
Nedda Lewers is an Egyptian American author and former teacher. She writes books that take children on fun adventures and feature characters who are trying to make sense of the big, complicated world and their place in it. Her debut middle grade novel, Daughters of the Lamp, has been chosen as an Indies Next List Pick and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, among other accolades. Children of the Wind, the second installment in the Daughters of the Lamp series, was released in June 2024 and is also a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. She lives in Manhattan Beach, California, with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs. Her favorite place to craft stories is an old but loved striped chair in her living room with her puppies nestled at her side.
You can find her online on her website and on Instagram @neddalewersbooks
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