Crafting Epic Worlds: Insights from Shannon Messenger

In this bonus edition of the Book Club for Kids, host Kitty Felde sits down with Shannon Messenger, the acclaimed author of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. The discussion offers a deep dive into the technical challenges of managing long-form storytelling, the evolution of creative ideas, and how a background in film school uniquely informs the pacing of her expansive novels.

The Architecture of a Long-Running Series

When asked about the genesis of Keeper of the Lost Cities, Messenger explains that she knew from the start this would not be a standalone book. She describes the central conflict as a "situation that exists because her world has deep fundamental problems," rather than a simple confrontation between a protagonist and a villain. Because these systemic issues cannot be resolved in a single volume, the series became a "massive series" by design.

Maintaining continuity in such a complex narrative proved to be a "daunting process." Messenger notes that traditional note-taking failed her because she would often neglect to update pages of notes as the story evolved through "multiple revisions." Her current method is more dynamic: she keeps PDFs of previous books open to perform "keyword search" functions. This ensures consistency, allowing her to verify exactly "what actually made it into the previous books" and what actions or dialogue have already been established.

Embracing Creative Evolution

Messenger advocates for leaving room for discovery, firmly believing that "your best ideas are not usually your first ideas." While the "ultimate problem" of the series remains fixed, she allows for organic shifts in the narrative. By staying flexible, she has introduced new character talents, expanded the cast, and refined the villains' motivations. She asserts that these changes, while not "originally anticipated," have made the story "so much better."

From Hollywood to Children’s Literature: The Film School Influence

Messenger’s transition from film school to children's book author was prompted by her realization that the reality of the Hollywood industry—characterized by high-stress production roles and collaborative writing environments—was a poor fit for her personality. She describes a moment of clarity where she realized she was writing for the "12-year-old version of myself," a discovery that felt like "the sky parts and the angels sing."

Despite the medium shift, her training in screenwriting remains a foundational pillar of her work. She highlights two specific areas where film school principles enhance her prose:

1. Naturalistic Dialogue: The rigorous training in creating dialogue that is "unique to a character" and avoids heavy-handed "exposition" has been invaluable in her book writing.

2. Efficient Pacing: Perhaps most surprisingly, Messenger credits her ability to write "very, very long" books to the constraints of the screenplay format. In film, where space is limited, writers are taught to avoid "wasted scenes." Messenger applies this same "criteria" to her novels. She insists that "everything that's in there is there for a reason," which contributes to the feedback she often receives: that despite their length, her books "read quite quick."

Through this synthesis of structural discipline and creative flexibility, Shannon Messenger continues to build a world that is as expansive as it is tightly woven, proving that the lessons learned in one creative field can become the secret weapon in another.