KidLit Craft Podcast

The inspiration for Valor Wings came from my daughter's nightstand. One day the two books on top were Anne of Green Gables and Wings of Fire. Just for fun, I started concocting some scenes that merged the two into a story about a great granddaughter of the famous Anne who led a squadron of dragon riders in World War 2. So my working title for Valor Wings for a long time was "Anne of Green Dragons."

I want to write books that make people feel good. I wrote Crushing It during the pandemic, during a difficult time in my life. Writing this story was like a warm hug and a reminder that sometimes, things do turn out okay. 

Brainstorming a solid idea for a book is as much a part of the creative process as actually writing the book. Sometimes you’re struck by lightning and that can be exciting. But often it’s about putting on your thinking cap and solving the riddle of “What should I write next?”

My biggest tips for authors: 1) don't be afraid! New topics and challenging themes ARE possible. And 2) Ask for help! Books are built like houses: the results are much better with the help of a few experts.

Kristi Wright shares highlights from the latest season of the KidLit Craft podcast and its focus on theme in Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis.

This season, Erin Nuttall and Anne-Marie Strohman are diving deep into Kayvion Lewis’s YA novel Thieves’ Gambit.