In 2008, Zarr contributed to the young adult for Obama project started by fellow YA author Maureen Johnson.

In 2013, Zarr joined the faculty of Lesley University’s Low-Residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program.

With her 2017 novel, Gem & Dixie (loosely based on some of her early life experiences[9][10]), Zarr moved to the HarperCollins imprint Balzer + Bray, and has another book slated with them for 2018.

[11] It marks Kyra Sedgwick's directorial debut and features Sedgewick's husband, Kevin Bacon.

Zarr has spoken and written openly about growing up in an alcoholic family system and its influences on her writing.