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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Jenn Bailey: Crafting the Ultimate Payoff
Author Interview Anne-Marie Strohman Author Interview Anne-Marie Strohman

Jenn Bailey: Crafting the Ultimate Payoff

“If your climax feels a little flat, or if you aren’t feeling the emotional payoff you’ve expected, look at earlier chapters and scenes. Make sure you’ve written in the reasons that make this climax inevitable. And that you’ve positioned your main character in the kind of emotional state where this final scene will let readers feel a satisfactory resolution.”

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Kate O'Shaughnessy: Patience with the Process
Author Interview Kristi Wright Author Interview Kristi Wright

Kate O'Shaughnessy: Patience with the Process

“I’m always trying to tell myself to do less and trust the reader more. Trust that the actions of your characters will speak for themselves. Have them do kind things and you won’t have to describe them as kind. The reader will understand it, because the reader is smart. And it’s always much more exciting to figure something out than to be told it.”

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Cindy Chang: Playing with the Past
Author Interview Anne-Marie Strohman Author Interview Anne-Marie Strohman

Cindy Chang: Playing with the Past

“Writing about a lived experience, especially a difficult one, can be challenging. As much as you may want to share exactly how the events unfolded in reality, it’s okay to take some creative liberties. Ultimately it’s more about figuring out the story and focusing on communicating the wants, conflicts, and lessons learned through your lived experience. And in doing so, you may find yourself feeling a little freer from the past.”

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Serena Gingold Allen: Success with Scenes
Author Interview Anne-Marie Strohman Author Interview Anne-Marie Strohman

Serena Gingold Allen: Success with Scenes

“Even though it can be intimidating to share your work with others, particularly when you're starting out, find and join a critique group. It's important to find a good match, so keep trying out new ones if the first one you try doesn't work. I wouldn't be the writer I am today without my critique partners!”

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Writing for Everyone: A Q&A with Patricia Tanumihardja, author of Ramen for Everyone
Author Interview, Picture Books Anne-Marie Strohman Author Interview, Picture Books Anne-Marie Strohman

Writing for Everyone: A Q&A with Patricia Tanumihardja, author of Ramen for Everyone

"I focused on just his family members because I realized that I wanted to weave together themes of food and family, in particular the father-and-son relationship. Food has always been a very important part of my family, both when I was growing up and now that I have my own family. My mom liked to cook and it was her way of showing her love for us. Similarly, I like to cook my husband’s or son’s favorite dishes and/or add in favorite ingredients here and there, just because I want to show them I “see” them and I love them."

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Taking Poetic Risks: A Q&A with Margaret Chiu Greanias
Author Interview, Picture Books Anne-Marie Strohman Author Interview, Picture Books Anne-Marie Strohman

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.

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A Novel-In-Verse is a NOVEL first: An Interview with Aimee Lucido
Author Interview, Middle Grade Anne-Marie Strohman Author Interview, Middle Grade Anne-Marie Strohman

A Novel-In-Verse is a NOVEL first: An Interview with Aimee Lucido

"Craft study has helped me tremendously to make better books, and to hone my ear so that I know when something is working or not. I've become so much better at writing stronger characters with more compelling arcs, I can tell when my language is pitch-perfect and when it's falling flat, I can revise more quickly than ever before, I can look at comp titles when I get stuck, I can pull from a wider range of craft techniques when I'm struggling to convey something . . . the list goes on and on. Learning craft has helped me become a better writer in countless ways."

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