Choose a category:

A sketch-style black-and-white portrait of Crystal Crawford, the author from this website.

Welcome to Crystal Crawford's official author blog!

Find my Announcements and all my other typical Blog content here!

(Looking for my fiction? Check my Story Subscribers Content page! I've relocated my available fiction content there, but not everything requires a paid subscription. You'll find the "FREEBIES/SAMPLES" section right at the top of the page.)

Or explore my most recent posts:

Questions from Growing Writers, #1: How do you write character arcs in a series?

Welcome to the first in a series of videos/blog posts I hope to make, answering questions submitted to me from young writers, aspiring writers, and/or my former writing students! Each time I answer one of these questions, I plan to post both a YouTube video and a blog post, so you can get the answers in whichever format you prefer (or both!) Both will have the exact same content (though adapted for video or for the blog), and I'll embed the video here in the blog so you can a

Writing Craft

Crystal Crawford

Feb 8, 202516 min read

3 Simple Tips for Writing on Kindle Vella

Hello, everyone! For those who are new here, I'm sure your first question is, "Why should we listen to YOU about how to write on Kindle Vella?" Well, the briefest explanation is, I've been part of Kindle Vella since it first launched in July 2021. With a few short breaks here and there, I've been posting weekly episodes (sometimes multiple weekly episodes) for the majority of the 2+ years (and counting) since Kindle Vella first became a thing. I've got 2 completed serials on

Author Business

Crystal Crawford

Sep 28, 20234 min read

ChatGPT: What Is It, and How Does It Work? (Featuring an Excerpt Written by ChatGPT)

If you're following the writing landscape much these days, you've probably heard about ChatGPT... and you've probably also heard people freaking out about it. I wanted to understand more about what ChatGPT actually is and how it works, and whether or not it is bringing about the end of writing and publishing as we know it like so many are worried it is (or possibly the impending doom of civilization, depending on whom you're listening to). So I decided to play around with it

Author Business

Crystal Crawford

Apr 24, 202315 min read

Chapter 7 - Week 3

10/6/2016 8:57 AM

STORY: I'm Not a Stalker

Crystal Crawford

Jul 1, 202215 min read

What's Up with YA Parents?

A new Trope Talk video is up! This month we're chatting about the absent or clueless parent trope found in many young adult books. What does this trope communicate to teens? Why is this dynamic used so often in YA fiction? Does it serve a purpose? And what can we learn from it -- or take as a caution -- as readers and/or writers? Join us today for Trope Talk #2: What's Up with YA Parents?

Reading Life

Crystal Crawford

Jun 18, 20211 min read