The Writing Across Formats interview series features conversations with well established children’s-YA authors about creating a range of books–why they do so, what it’s taught them, and the pressures of author branding.
Click link from author name for more information about that contributor. Click link from “see WAF interview” to read more of their thoughts.
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Learn about Julia Durango.
What first inspired you to write across forms in children’s-YA literature?
When I first started writing for children, I wanted to write a historical fiction novel; but with two little boys underfoot, my progress on the novel was very slow.
At the same time, I was reading and enjoying dozens of picture books with my sons.
Learn about Carmen T. Bernier-Grand.
What first inspired you to write across forms in children’s-YA literature?
My editor at Marshall Cavendish asked me to write César: ¡Sí se puede! Yes, We Can! illustrated by David Diaz (2006) with a special voice.
The words started coming to me in the form of free verse.
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Michelle Knudsen is the author of 40 books for children. Her best-known title is Library Lion, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes (Candlewick, 2006), which was a New York Times bestseller and has been translated into several languages. Her latest book is a middle-grade fantasy novel called The Dragon of Trelian (Candlewick,
Learn about Sherry Garland.
What first inspired you to write across formats in children’s/YA literature?
It was my red-headed Scotsman frugal nature. I’m a waste-not/want not kind of person, so after doing three years of research for a non-fiction fifth grade book about Vietnam, I had accumulated lots of information that I didn’t want to “throw away.”
Since I am a fiction writer first and foremost,
Learn about Tanya Lee Stone.
What first inspired you to write across forms in children’s-YA literature?
Since I didn’t set out to write across forms in a deliberate way, I’m not sure there was any one moment of inspiration linked to that outcome. However, I do recall having a moment in which I gave myself permission to switch gears.
Learn about Nancy Garden.
What first inspired you to write across forms in children’s-YA literature?
I’m not sure anything in particular did. I think the ideas came first, and they dictated the form and the age level.
I don’t think I ever sat down and said, “Now I’m going to write a mystery,”
Learn about Shutta Crum.
What first inspired you to write across forms in children’s-YA literature?
Well, I’ve always loved children’s literature at all levels. However, here is the story of how I specifically came to writing one idea three ways.
Like many writers, poetry was my first love–as far as the written word is concerned.
Learn about Joseph Bruchac
What first inspired you to write across forms in children’s-YA literature?
Writing across forms seems to be something that comes naturally to me.
I started off as a poet, but when I had children of my own that led me into storytelling and then telling them stories.
Learn about Kimberly Willis Holt.
What first inspired you to write across forms in children’s-YA literature?
Writing for different age groups wasn’t a calculated decision. It just happened. I never thought I’d write a picture book or a series for young readers.
When I created a scrapbook filled with the moments waiting for my nephew to be born,
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