Making It Up as You Go Along -- Patricia Forde, Hardcover

Learn how to write stories with Patricia Forde and some of the best middle-grade children's authors.

In this fun and practical illustrated guide, young writers can learn from some of Ireland's most beloved authors, including Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl) Catherine Doyle (Twin Crowns), Pádraig Kenny (Stitch) and Derek Landy (Skullduggery Pleasant), and discover how to:

• Find inspiration to start your story
• Craft and develop twisty plots
• Create brilliant characters
• Build spectacular new worlds

Also includes imaginative exercises, accessible explanations of writing terms and engaging illustrations by beloved Irish artist Mary Murphy.

Author: Patricia Forde
Publisher: Little Island Books
Published: 02/17/2026
Pages: 296
Binding Type: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781915071903

About the Author
Patricia Forde is from Galway on the west coast of Ireland. She has published several picture books in Irish and in English, and four novels for children with Little Island. The List was published by SourceBooks in the US, and The Girl who Fell to Earth (a Bank Street Best Children's Book 2024) was published in the US by Little Island in 2023. Two of her novels with Little Island: The List and The Last Lie, are Library Association of America Notable Books for Children, and were awarded White Raven awards by the International Youth Library. She is currently Laureate na nÓg, Ireland's Children's Literature Laureate (2023- 2026).

Mary Murphy's first book, I Like it When... was published with Egmont in 1997. Since then she has written and illustrated about 50 books, mainly bright, strong books for preschoolers. Her first novel, The Minute Minders, was published by Pushkin Press in 2024.