The submission window for the 2021–2022 SCBWI WWA Mentorship Program is still open, but only for a couple more weeks! We’re sharing interviews with each of our talented mentors to help prospective mentees get to know them better. Learn more about the mentorship program, including how to apply, here. Deadline: July 30!
Sarah Kapit is a middle-grade author. Her debut novel, Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!, came out from Penguin Random House in 2020, receiving three starred trade reviews. Sarah’s second novel, The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family, came out in March of 2021. She lives with her family in Bellevue, WA. Visit Sarah’s website at www.sarahkapit.com, and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
I like to mentor because . . .
Mentorship programs have played a major role in my development as a writer and path to publication. For me, having someone show confidence in me as a writer and help me learn how to revise were so helpful and validating. I like to pay it forward to other writers by mentoring them. When I see a mentee level up on their writing or achieve a publishing milestone with my help, it is so gratifying to me.
I also find that helping other writers on their manuscripts is a great way for me to develop my own craft. I want to keep improving as a writer, and helping other writers refine their craft has been a great way for me to keep learning.
What can a mentee expect from your mentorship?
My mentee can expect me to provide honest feedback. I will let you know what I love about your manuscript, but I will also provide a thorough critique of how you can improve. For my first edit letter, I will break down my thoughts into four sections: character, plot, worldbuilding, and writing style. After I send my edit letter, I will be available to answer questions to clarify my ideas. We will meet to discuss a plan for revisions.
Once you send me a revised version of your manuscript, I will offer my thoughts on how the revised version is working. I may have additional feedback on big-picture issues, or we might be ready to move onto sentence and paragraph-level issues. While I cannot provide a line edit of your entire manuscript, I can edit a select number of pages to give you an idea of how you might improve your writing at a sentence level.
What books did you love when you were a child or teen?
I loved the Animorphs series as a tween and I still do. Some other favorite reads from my childhood and teen years: A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle, Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E. L. Konigsburg, and The Princess Diaries series, by Meg Cabot.
What are you reading lately?
I’m currently in the middle of A Queen of Gilded Horns by Amanda Joy and really enjoying it. Some recent middle-grade reads I’ve loved are Starfish, by Lisa Fipps, and The Gilded Girl, by Alyssa Colman.
Besides writing, what’s something you’re good at?
I don’t know if I’m particularly good at it, but I knit and am definitely competent. I also am very good at Apples to Apples.
What are you working on these days?
I am currently working on a middle-grade contemporary story about friendship and what happens when it gets fractured. In some ways this is the most deeply personal story I’ve ever written and I am super-excited about it. Musical-theatre figures prominently in it!
What do you listen to when you create?
Classical music usually works best for me, because music with words can get in the way of coming up with my own words.
What does being a successful published professional look like to you?
For me, success as an author looks like consistently putting out books of which you can be proud. It’s not just about the first book, but being able to create a body of work and expand your readership over time. Some writers might want to explore multiple categories and genres, while others feel more comfortable in one niche. But the key is that they are consistently putting out works that explore new ground in some way.
What roles do diversity, equity, and inclusion play in your writing?
My books, which focus on explicitly neurodivergent and Jewish characters, would not be possible without the We Need Diverse Books movement. In writing, I am always conscious of wanting to represent my communities in a way that hopefully resonates with other people. No single book can represent the entirety of an identity, but by putting more books out in the world we increase the chances that kids can find themselves in books. I am always so gratified when I hear a child say of my books, “This represents me!”
What qualities would your ideal mentee have?
For me, it’s most important that a mentee is open to looking at their work critically and make changes when necessary. Writers are, rightfully, proud of our work, but if you want to progress as a writer you can’t be too attached to a single vision of how your book should be. I don’t expect my mentee to agree with me on everything, but I want to work with someone who at least hears me out. If you listen and then disagree, that’s fine! I want to work with you to realize your vision for the book, not mine. But I want mentees to at least seriously consider what I am saying and why I am saying it.
What’s the writing advice you give most often?
This advice is pretty cliched at this point, but I say it anyway: Read in the category you want to write in. Preferably, books published within the last two years. If all you know about middle-grade literature is the books you loved as a kid, you are not prepared to write for today’s market. As a published author it’s always helpful to boost other authors, so it’s also helpful in that regard.
Brought to you by Suma Subramaniam and Jenny Tynes, SCBWI WWA Mentorship Program, and Dolores Andral, Pen & Story