Behind the Stories: A Conversation with Author & Educator Tara Tyler
One of my favorite parts of hosting The Truth About Storytelling is getting to sit down with authors I’ve known online for years—sometimes more than a decade—and discovering the deeper threads that connect us. No matter where these writers live or what genres they explore, one thing remains constant: every single one of them has a profound heart for community.
This week’s guest, author and middle-grade math teacher Tara Tyler, is no exception.
Tara writes stories that are undeniably fun—light-hearted, imaginative, clever—but beneath the humor and adventure is something steady and intentional: characters who fight to make their world better. Whether you pick up her middle-grade Beast World series or her futuristic techno-thriller Pop Travel, her work is grounded in connection, compassion, and the belief that ordinary people (or goblins, centaurs, ogres, and pixies!) can change their world.
In our conversation, Tara shared how she builds her settings—from futurizing real cities like Atlanta into bustling teleportation hubs, to crafting fantasy communities shaped by creature physiology and culture. She blends familiar emotions with imaginative worldbuilding, creating stories that feel both wildly inventive and deeply relatable. Tara also talked about her approach to technology in fiction, the importance of consistent magic rules, and humor.
“Even fantasy worlds need rules. Nobody can be unbeatable.”
Tara Tyler
One of my favorite things about Tara is how she channels her real-world experiences into her writing. As a teacher, she understands the rhythms, fears, and friendships of middle-grade life. As a traveler, she knows how to evoke the feeling of a place. And as a lifelong learner, she draws from science, tech, and human behavior to build worlds that feel lived-in and believable.
“You want to express how it feels to be in a place—that’s what makes a setting come alive.”
Tara Tyler
A small personal note: you may hear a bit of nervousness in my voice during these interviews. Meeting someone “for the first time” through live conversation—even someone I’ve known online for years—activates my social anxiety in ways public speaking never has. (Strangely enough, I’d rather speak to a room of 300 people than meet a new person one-on-one!)
But conversations like this are worth stepping out of my comfort zone. These authors matter. Their stories matter. And the way they care for community—through fiction, through teaching, through the way they show up online—is something I want to celebrate.
Tara Tyler embodies that spirit beautifully. I hope you enjoy the episode as much as I enjoyed recording it.
You can find Tara’s books atTaraTylerTalks.comand on Amazon. Her stories are fun. They’re imaginative. And they quietly remind us that we all have a part to play in building a better world.
