Writing for children - with middle grade and YA fantasy author Diane Zahler

The Not-Starving Artist

Writing for children and young adults is what Diane Zahler does best. She’s the writer behind The Thirteenth Princess, A True Princess and Princess of the Wild Swans, Bakers Magic . When she’s not writing fiction for children, she’s writing textbooks for them or indulging her love of history. Diane lives in New York, with her husband and dog, Gulliver.

There is no one journey. The important thing is to write and to read.

Diane talks to us about:

• Her writing journey

• How she got her agent and the benefits of having one

• What publishers look for in manuscripts

• How to be noticed in the slush pile (she used to read the slush pile!)

• The nuances of writing for children

• Her writing style, and how she’s stayed true to it throughout the years, even when she received criticism for her “quiet” style.

• Her writing process and what inspires her for every book

• Her only piece of writing advice that she would give to writers

• Her submission process once the manuscript is written

• How she works through her editorial letters

• The value of a copyeditor

• Why she prefers smaller publishing houses

• Why she chose fairy tale retellings

Her favourite writers:

• Erin Entrada

• Laura Snyder

• Kate Messner

• Rebecca Stead

You can find Diane Zahler and all about her book here:

• www.DianeZahler.com

If you’d like to listen to other authors, then check out these fantastic podcast interviews:

• David Ashby - Pushkin children’s author

• Jodi Lynn Anderson - award winning teenage fiction (traditionally published)

• Joanne MacGregor - young adult and adult fiction (hybrid author)

• Lisa Reinicke - award winning children’s books (self-published)

• Fiona Ingram - award winning children’s books (self published)