We chat with author Zetta Elliott all about The Enchanted Bridge, which is the fourth installment in her Dragons in a Bag, along with writing, book recommendations, and more!
Hi, Zetta! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Sure! THE ENCHANTED BRIDGE is the fourth book in my Dragons in a Bag series and my 41st book for young readers. I started writing for kids twenty years ago and I left my job as a Black Studies professor in order to write full-time back in 2014. I grew up in Canada and have lived in the US for most of my adult life. I relocated to Chicago after living in Brooklyn for two decades and brought my protagonist Jaxon with me!
When did you first discover your love for writing?
As a child, writing was just something I did for school—it wasn’t my favorite subject, I don’t think, but I did love telling stories to other kids on the playground. My life got kind of hectic when I was about 8 and I think I made sense of the disruptions by weaving stories about my family. It wasn’t until high school that I had an amazing English teacher, Nancy Vichert, who pulled me aside one day and told me I had a future as a writer. That sort of gave me permission to write outside of school and for something other than a good grade. Writing—like storytelling in the schoolyard—made me feel powerful and in control. Unlike sports, I didn’t need parental involvement and that was also liberating.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
I wish I could remember the title of this picture book from the 1930s—it was about happy blond children who always seemed to have lollipops! I think Jamaica Kincaid’s novel Lucy made me want to write about my own experience; prior to that, I’d only read books by White authors with White protagonists and Kincaid’s experience was so close to my own that it made me feel like my experiences were worth writing about, too. During the pandemic it was hard to focus but I made myself read for at least half an hour every day and An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon is with me still. Incredible storytelling!
The Enchanted Bridge is the fourth installment in your Dragons in a Bag series! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Magic, adventure, loyalty, and betrayal!
What can readers expect?
In this novel, Jax and his friends have to grow up as they learn that all adults aren’t trustworthy. This is the first book in the series set almost entirely in Palmara, the realm of magic, and I think it has a lot more action. The kids develop magical abilities and learn to rely on themselves as they try to prevent war from erupting between Palmara and the human world.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?
Kavita is a lot of fun to write because I remember what it’s like to be the little sister that no one wants to have hanging around. She’s determined to prove what she can do and in THE ENCHANTED BRIDGE, she finally learns to tame her temper and channel her frustration as she releases the dragon within!
Do you have any advice for those who may have set some writing resolutions for the new year?
Start small and build your stamina! Developing a writing practice takes time so it’s better to set a realistic goal that you are likely to meet without too much effort. You can’t write a novel if you haven’t been writing and reading for quite some time, so feed your imagination and build your stamina by aiming for 15 minutes of uninterrupted writing time every day. It doesn’t have to be project-based writing—write anything but do it with commitment on a daily basis. It’s like running a marathon: you have to train, and stretch, and eat right to reach the finish line. Be sure to have people around to cheer you on as well!
What’s next for you?
I just parted ways with my agent so the new year will be about writing for pleasure with less pressure. THE WAR OF THE WITCHES, the fifth and final book in the Dragons in a Bag series, was finished last summer so I’m now free to finish some older projects and continue my exploration of puppetry. I had a fellowship with Puppet Showplace Theater last spring and will start a new class with them right as Book 4 get released!
Lastly, are there any 2023 releases our readers should look out for?
In May I’ll have another picture book released by LBYR—A Song for Juneteenth. David Anthony Geary’s opening illustrations are just stunning so I hope folks will check out his debut book.
