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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Lea Lyon: Following Curiosity and Trying New Things
Lea is the illustrator of several picture books, including Lailah's Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story by Reem Faruqi. Lea is also the author of Ready to Fly: How Sylvia Townsend Became the Bookmobile Ballerina (illustrated by Jessica Gibson) with more books for kids on the way. Her nonfiction book for older kid readers, The Double V Campaign: African Americans Fighting for Freedom at Home and Abroad, won the Grateful American Book Prize.
Seina Wedlick: Deconstructing Story Structures
Traditional publishing is often a slow process...There are occasionally books that get snapped up and released really quickly, but, more often than not, it’s a much longer wait . . . It’s so important for writers to plug into a community of other writers they can share this journey with and to use the “waiting period” to work on something new or hone-in on their craft.
Retro Post #9: VOICE IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS: SAL AND GABI BREAK THE UNIVERSE BY CARLOS HERNANDEZ
Through a combination of humor, culture, warmth and language, Hernandez uses voice to make his characters unforgettable and his novel hard to put down.
Visiting New Spaces: A Q&A with Meera Sriram
Meera Sriram’s picture books take kids to a not so often visited “space”—people, place, experience—to evoke wonder and spark conversations. Sriram feels empowered and hopeful when she thinks about how her stories have the power to influence a child’s worldview.
Co-Authoring Interfaith and Intercultural Stories, with Bridget Hodder and Fawzia Gilani-Williams, authors of The Button Box
Our focus today is on co-authorship, and specifically on how two authors can write interfaith or intercultural stories together--a great way to make sure that the books our children read are based on a rich variety of authentic, lived experience.
Follow Your Curiosity: A Q&A with Darshana Khiani
Follow your curiosity. Write and draw what you like. Know there are no set rules but it is important to understand the current book market. Picture book writing is all about how strong the concept is and then how well it is executed.
Voice is Where the Magic Happens: Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez
Through a combination of humor, culture, warmth and language, Hernandez uses voice to make his characters unforgettable and his novel hard to put down.
Give Your Character an Interesting Job, or Use an Ordinary Job Well: Renée Watson’s Ways to Make Sunshine
Unremarkable jobs used in interesting ways can also enhance your character, drive some of the plot of your story, and perhaps provide the skills characters need to succeed at their biggest challenges.
