2026 MCWC Instructors, Emily Lloyd-Jones (MG/YA) and Tara Sim (Speculative Fiction), share a conversation about their writing journeys, world-building, and the perfect witty line.
Emily: So Tara, you've been writing for a while now! Tell us about your writing journey? And what made you want to become an author?
Tara: I've always been fascinated with writing, even from a really young age. It started with dictating short stories to my dad, then getting obsessed with telling longer, more complex stories as I got older. I wrote my first novel at 15 and loved it so much that I realized I wanted to keep doing it over and over!
Emily: What is your creative process like in five words or less?
Tara: Make it weird and angsty.
Emily: What is the most surprising part about world-building?
Tara: How much research I need to do for the smallest details. Often when I draft I'll realize I need to describe something--an item of clothing, a piece of furniture, a food, etc.--which leads to a spiraling research rabbit hole. All for one or two sentences, tops.
Emily: What are you excited to teach in your workshop?
Tara: All the ways in which worldbuilding can be accomplished! You'd be surprised what sort of details you can add to your world to make it more fleshed out.
Emily: What do you hope your students will take away from your workshop?
Tara: That building a world from the ground up--or even expanding on our already-existing world--is less of an impossible challenge and more of a fun exercise.
Emily: And most importantly, do you have any furry assistants?
Tara: My two cats, Beka and Rey, routinely demand pets and treats. It gets me away from the desk, so they're just making sure I take enough breaks. How did you start out writing? What was your path to publication like?
Emily: I started out with crayons and printer paper! Eventually I graduated to writing on the family computer. I was that typical kid who always carried around a book at any social events. I knew I wanted to make my worlds, my own stories.
Tara: What’s your favorite thing to write? Lore, chase scenes, romance?
Emily: Banter! Dialogue! Humor! I love putting characters together and just watching them play off of one another. There’s nothing like coming up with the perfect witty line.
Tara: I find that plotting is one of the most difficult yet most rewarding parts of writing a story. What are your thoughts on it?
Emily: I have way too many thoughts about it, which is why I’ll be putting them into a 3-day workshop! But the short version is that I really, really adore looking at narrative as a structure. How we build our stories, what makes them click, what drives readers to pick up certain plots—I adore it all. I’m that nerd who enjoys taking stuff apart. And I’ve spent years working on my own plots, seeing what works and what doesn’t.
Tara: How do you feel about plotting and narrative arcs compared to other story components like worldbuilding or characterization?
Emily: I think you can’t have one without the other! A story needs a plot. A plot needs a character. And a character needs a goal… which leads into the plot arc. Each of these components feeds into one another and creates a wholly realized story.
Tara: What do you hope your students will learn in your workshop?
Emily: I hope my students will learn that plotting is fun! I know so many people who look at the blank page like it’s terrifying, but it’s really all potential. Knowing how narrative works, knowing what kind of stories you want to write—hopefully it will demystify the process.
Tara: Last but not least: What are your go-to work snacks/drinks?
Emily: Coffee. All the coffee.
Registration for our 2026 conference is open until June 30. Save your seat in a workshop with Emily Lloyd-Jones (MG/YA) or Tara Sim (Speculative Fiction) today! Spots are filling fast.