Rebecca Weber: Writing Conflict, Chapter by Chapter
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 Rebecca Weber.
A few years back (before the pandemic) I was invited to join an online middle grade writer’s group–the MGPies. Rebecca Weber also joined. We’ve become a tight knit group, providing support and acting as cheerleaders for each other. Rebecca quickly became one of our first published authors. I’m in awe of her ability to use beautiful metaphors and specificity in her descriptions. Rebecca also spearheads an online literary magazine for children. Both children’s literature and literature by children are her passion. And I’m delighted to cheer her on. —Kristi Wright
Welcome, Rebecca!
Question 1: What's your writing superpower?
My writing superpower is creating characters with depth and relatability. I’m proud of my descriptive prose, and my publisher describes my work as “middle grade with heart,” so I know my stories get readers emotionally invested. I believe good writing should offer an escape route from the everyday world, but also highlight themes or ideas that we identify with in our ordinary lives. I think I’ve got a nice balance of both.
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?
One of my favorite craft resources is Jill Elizabeth Nelson’s Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View. The book gives practical suggestions for ways to use sensory writing to enthrall readers, and the featured advice made a huge impact on the way that I write.
I have a more critical eye when I edit a chapter . . . I’ll double check that my writing engages the senses versus simply “telling.” I’ve also learned to pay a lot of attention to conflict or stakes for driving the plot. Obviously, every book has an overarching conflict, but each chapter should have its own smaller conflict, too. Creating tinier tense moments throughout the book keeps the reader turning the pages.
One of the best ways to add conflict for a character is through interiority, detailing whatever random thoughts and worries are running through their mind at a given time. My newest middle grade novel, Loophole, features a protagonist with anxiety and OCD. Her anxious trains of thought really drive the story and help us to understand who she is and why she behaves the way she does. Providing glimpses of a character’s thought process or mindset makes them more relatable so the reader can empathize.
Question 3: If you could travel back in time, what advice would you give yourself as a new author?
If I could travel back in time, I would tell 2020 me to be more flexible with my timeline and opinion of success. I originally signed with a small press for my debut in 2021, but the press went under and rights reverted back to me. Needless to say, I was heartbroken, but I decided to pull myself up by my bootstraps and query again.
Take two, I signed with another small press in 2022 and my debut published in 2023. My intention was to secure an agent for my second novel, and though there were plenty of manuscript requests, no agents made offers.
I signed with the small press who published my debut, Artemisia Publishing, because my initial experience had been so positive, and my second novel is due out spring 2025. But I wish I had entered the querying trenches with more open-mindedness. No two paths to publication look the same, and flexibility is such an asset to publishing authors. Make the decision that is best for you and your work right now versus being stuck in a one-size-fits-all mindset!
Question 4: What inspires you as a writer in your career?
I grew up with an immense love for books. As a shy introvert, books offered a companionship I craved. They helped me feel less alone. Nowadays, that’s what I want to achieve through my writing. I want to reach out a hand to help kids realize they aren’t alone, so I approach every project with child readers at the forefront of my mind.
As for story inspiration, I find it everywhere in the smallest things. I love books that accentuate “ordinary magic,” that capture the fantastical in our everyday lives. My first book, The Painter’s Butterfly, took regular art supplies and added a layer of magical capability. My second book, Loophole, is more contemporary than fantasy, but it shines a spotlight on the magic-like quality of self-empowerment and self-acceptance.
Question 5: What’s one book you think every kidlit author should read?
If we’re talking craft books, I think Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody is a must-read for every author, not just kidlit authors. It takes a deep dive into story structure and analyzes some of the most successful stories in an easy-to-understand way. Pantsers might be a little intimidated by the information (I should know, I started my writing journey as a pure pantser), but I guarantee you’ll be able to pull some of the suggestions and your work will no doubt benefit.
If we’re talking about children's literature books, I’ve always been fascinated by stories that take more serious themes, like grief or loss, and make said themes accessible to kiddos. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson is a prime example. Though not everyone’s cup of tea, the book doesn’t shy away from the hard topics, and I think kids need real-world challenges featured through their books the same way they need escapist literature. Books are a safe space for everything, where kids can ask questions and feel all the feelings without consequences. Also, Bridge to Terabithia (and other similar stories) provide a beautiful opportunity to talk with family about dealing with unexpected grief.
Bonus Question: What can fans look forward to next?
My greatest recent news is that I’m releasing my second novel, Loophole, in Spring 2025 through Kinkajou Press (an imprint of Artemesia Publishing)! Loophole follows an 11-year-old girl named Maybelline Reed who hasn’t spoken for 5 whole years since her Mama left. Maybelline must cope with diagnosed OCD and anxiety while entering sixth grade at a public middle school. And when she finds out the public library is closing, she has to step even further out of her comfort zone to try and save it.
I’m really proud of this book because I infused so much of myself into the main character. In a way, writing this story was a form of therapy for me. My goal is to get the book to kids who feel anxious and alone, and hopefully they can pull some helpful coping skills from Maybelline’s experience with therapy and healing.
Rebecca Weber is a Midwestern girl with a lifelong passion for books! She spends most of her time nurturing her baby girl and two Boston Terrier fur-babies, and flipping houses with her realtor husband. It took fifteen years to find the courage to craft her first novel, The Painter’s Butterfly, but now she’s never letting her feather pen go! While she misses teaching preschool-aged children their ABC’s, Rebecca is thrilled to have the chance to reach readers worldwide with her fantastical stories and poems. Loophole is her second published novel.
You can find her online on her website and on Instagram: @rebeccaweberwrites.
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