Tirzah Price: Don’t Stop Challenging Yourself
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 Tirzah Price.
I met Tirzah through Vermont College of Fine Arts, and she is a powerhouse. She’s a voracious reader, and a fierce advocate for books and reading, championing access to books throughout her career in her work as a writer and editor at Book Riot and as a librarian and bookseller. Her writing is sharp, and her generosity is wide. We are so pleased to have her today.
Welcome, Tirzah!
Question 1: What's your writing superpower?
I've always enjoyed writing banter--I could write two characters just having conversations for pages! Of course, I've had to learn to reel it in because talking heads don't carry an entire novel, but I find that dialogue comes really easy, and I really enjoy it.
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?
For my last two books, I wrote in dual POV. While I've written in dual POV before, these books starred two love interests. I found it really fun and yet challenging to write about characters falling for each other and getting into each of their heads to explore the misunderstandings and misconceptions they might have, but also how each of them feels about each other.
One of the things I always tried to keep in mind as I wrote was to find ways to highlight all the ways these characters were meant to be (shared values, a similar way of approaching problems, or just similar reactions or instincts) as well as the ways they might differ or clash in order to find balance in the narrative.
I was really mindful of not wanting to write about them having a major fight as the source of conflict, so it was interesting to explore the misunderstandings or misconceptions they might have, but also the ways that they could grow together.
I learned that getting inside both characters' heads really made me think more deeply about the romance aspect of the book, and I had a lot of fun writing these characters working together while falling for each other and figuring out their future.
Question 3: If you could travel back in time, what advice would you give yourself as a new author?
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! I found that it can be easy to let those things distract from your creativity when the focus shifts to the business side of things. It took me some time to get back into writing after I had published two books, but it's important to remember why we write in the first place and to challenge yourself creatively along the way.
Question 4: What inspires you as a writer in your career?
I find inspiration everywhere--in doing new things and going to new places, meeting new people, reading nonfiction, walking through my neighborhood and in the woods. Any time I'm feeling stuck creatively, I've found that just doing something new or immersing myself in an unfamiliar setting can be really inspiring.
Question 5: What’s one book you think every kidlit author should read?
Oh, it's so difficult to pick just one book...but I really adore One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. I think the voice is just so excellent, and I love how Rita's child protagonist is learning to think about bigger issues outside herself and her family. It's so well-written, and Delphine is such a relatable character.
Tirzah Price is the author of the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries series, and the spin-off Lizzie and Darcy Mystery series. Her books have been USA Today bestsellers, Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections, and named Best YA Books of the Year by BuzzFeed. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and has worked as a bookseller, librarian, freelance writer, and podcaster. When she’s not writing, reading, or thinking about YA books, she splits her time between experimenting in the kitchen and knitting enough socks to last through winter. She lives in Michigan.
You can find her online on her website and on Instagram: @tirzah.price
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