We spent part of last month’s Studio sessions talking about creative theft. Many agree that this is one of the most important skills that we can teach young writers. How do we do this, though? The tool below supports this simple approach: select multiple texts, study them with a very distinct lens, illuminate just this aspect of each text, and capture what you learn about craft. Then, use what you discover to inspire your own…
Austin Kleon’s books have had a huge influence on Studio writers of all ages…whether they know it or not. In Steal Like an Artist, he validates everything I’ve ever said to parents who worry when their kids begin writing fan fiction. “My daughter just ripped off J.K. Rowling,” a concerned mother will tell me, and I’ll find myself pulling on some version of Kleon’s words in response. Nothing is original, he reminds us. Everything is…