Anne-Marie Strohman 7/8/21 Anne-Marie Strohman 7/8/21

Feminist, Funny, and Fierce: Q&A with Emma Kress, Debut YA Author of Dangerous Play

I first heard Emma read from a chapter-book-in-progress, and her voice blew me away. Emma's writing as such attention to detail, such personality, such emotional resonance. She can write funny and serious--sometimes in the same sentence. Emma's debut YA novel, DANGEROUS PLAY comes out August 3, and I'm so glad we get a peek into Emma's brain and writing process. I highly recommend both DANGEROUS PLAY and Emma herself.

Kristi Wright 6/10/21 Kristi Wright 6/10/21

Grounding Fantasy in the Familiar: An Interview with Sam Subity

With contemporary fantasy, it doesn't take such a stretch of the imagination for the reader to follow along when you blend the familiar with the unfamiliar.

Kristi Wright 5/13/21 Kristi Wright 5/13/21

Crafting Magic From a Small Idea: A Q&A with Christine Evans

I choose the stories (fiction or nonfiction) that give me a fluttery feeling. It’s been true of all my projects so far. When an idea takes hold, you can’t shake it off, and you just have to learn more, then that’s the idea to follow.

Kristi Wright 3/11/21 Kristi Wright 3/11/21

Tackling Different Styles and Genres in Children's Literature: A Q&A with Rajani LaRocca

"I’ve learned that the most important thing is to keep writing about what I love, what’s important to me, what I’m curious about. I’ve learned to put a piece of myself in every story. And I’ve learned that being vulnerable in my writing means that it will resonate with others."

Kristi Wright 2/11/21 Kristi Wright 2/11/21

CRAFTING MEMORABLE MIDDLE GRADE NOVELS: A Q&A WITH JANAE MARKS

I love exploring what it’s like to be twelve years old, an age where you’re not quite a kid or a teenager. It’s such a transitional time, and can be full of so much drama. (My middle school days certainly were!)

Anne-Marie Strohman 1/14/21 Anne-Marie Strohman 1/14/21

Design Thinking for Writers: A Q&A with Vicky Fang

"As a product designer, I am used to solving creative problems. I think that’s partially why I’m drawn to different formats, because I get inspiration from the problem. My design experience also helps me take critique feedback well as I’m very used to harsh critiques and revising based on understanding the problems that a critique uncovers."

Anne-Marie Strohman 12/10/20 Anne-Marie Strohman 12/10/20

How Rejection Helps to Shape a Story: An Interview with Kristen Mai Giang

This particular inspiration was already the second or third version of this story, which I knew I wanted to be about girls and friendship. In previous versions, they weren’t cousins. And for each version, I did literally dozens of revisions.For Ginger and Chrysanthemum, part of that was due to the submission process, during which agents and editors asked to see widely varying changes. The characters of these hot-and-cold cousins never changed once they were born, though, and it wasn’t until then that the story began to attract attention.

Kristi Wright 11/12/20 Kristi Wright 11/12/20

An Interview with Lisa Moore Ramée Who Has More Than Something to Say

With an issue of a debate being at the heart of this story, it’s of course important to try to truly explore the issue, and I hope I did that.

Kristi Wright 10/8/20 Kristi Wright 10/8/20

Interview with Brian Weisfeld: On Developing and Co-Writing a Series to Inspire Entrepreneurship

The four years of creating that original manuscript were the hardest and most humbling of my entire career. But my journey is also a reminder that there are a lot of different paths to publication.

Lindsay Lackey 9/17/20 Lindsay Lackey 9/17/20

Catching Up with Lindsay Lackey--a debut author's first year

Get to know our September featured author, Lindsay Lackey! Lindsay's debut middle grade novel All the Impossible Things came out on September 3, 2019. Read on to find out about everything from her book launch to school visits to writing the next novel, as well as the biggest surprise moment of her 2019.

Kristi Wright 8/20/20 Kristi Wright 8/20/20

An Interview with Mae Respicio: Learning Craft Will Always Set Writers Off on the Strongest Foot

Learning craft will always set writers off on the strongest foot.

Anne-Marie Strohman 8/13/20 Anne-Marie Strohman 8/13/20

Day Job Connection: Laura Stegman, actor and publicist

"Like querying, acting is full of rejection. Give up, and you're done. So, armed with an actress' resilience in the face of rejection and a publicist's ability to attract a reader's eye, I have been well trained for an author's career. As Lady Gaga says, 'If you have a dream, fight for it.'"

Anne-Marie Strohman 7/9/20 Anne-Marie Strohman 7/9/20

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."

Kristi Wright 6/11/20 Kristi Wright 6/11/20

Interview with Kate O’Shaughnessy: Writing with Honesty and Heart

Ignore trends entirely, and write the book that truly calls to you.

Kristi Wright 5/14/20 Kristi Wright 5/14/20

Interview with Lindsay Lackey: Craft and Community--a Perfect Fit

I love the deep sense of wonder writers of children’s books possess, and how we all—deep down—still believe in magic. The world is so often dark and stormy, but kidlit writers relentlessly gather around the flickering candles in the darkness.