kidlitchat
@kidlitchat.bsky.social
#kidlitchat happens every Tuesday night at 9E/6P, co-hosted by @bonnieadamson.com and @gregpincus.bsky.social. The topic is posted here as each chat begins, as well as any important chat news.
Banner art by Brian Kirby: @boringstorybook.com
Banner art by Brian Kirby: @boringstorybook.com
TOPIC: Join us for our annual ThankFest: your opportunity to share the people, institutions, incidents that you are most grateful for in your professional or personal life--now or in the past. #kidlitchat
November 26, 2025 at 2:00 AM
TOPIC: Join us for our annual ThankFest: your opportunity to share the people, institutions, incidents that you are most grateful for in your professional or personal life--now or in the past. #kidlitchat
TOPIC: How do you come up with your story's structure? Are you a Save the Cat person? A hero's journey lover? Do you follow a natural rhythm, have another template or not even think about it? Discuss away! #kidlitchat
November 19, 2025 at 2:00 AM
TOPIC: How do you come up with your story's structure? Are you a Save the Cat person? A hero's journey lover? Do you follow a natural rhythm, have another template or not even think about it? Discuss away! #kidlitchat
TOPIC: What workshops/conferences/challenges are capturing your attention now, as the year winds down? In-person or online? If you were a NaNo participant, have you found a replacement? #kidlitchat
November 12, 2025 at 2:00 AM
TOPIC: What workshops/conferences/challenges are capturing your attention now, as the year winds down? In-person or online? If you were a NaNo participant, have you found a replacement? #kidlitchat
TOPIC: We just had a time change and, as always, times are changing, too. Do you keep an eye on trends? How do they inform how you work? And what trends are you noticing in the kidbook biz these days? #kidlitchat
November 5, 2025 at 2:00 AM
TOPIC: We just had a time change and, as always, times are changing, too. Do you keep an eye on trends? How do they inform how you work? And what trends are you noticing in the kidbook biz these days? #kidlitchat
TOPIC: It's almost Halloween which has us thinking about a lot of things, including... what makes a great Halloween (or any holiday tie-in) book? What #kidlit characters do you see becoming classic costume choices? And why are Reese's cups the best Halloween candy? #kidlitchat
October 29, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: It's almost Halloween which has us thinking about a lot of things, including... what makes a great Halloween (or any holiday tie-in) book? What #kidlit characters do you see becoming classic costume choices? And why are Reese's cups the best Halloween candy? #kidlitchat
TOPIC: How are you using social media and the online world for your career these days? Which networks or sites are still worth your time and energy? Are you posting more? Less? Both??? #kidlitchat
October 22, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: How are you using social media and the online world for your career these days? Which networks or sites are still worth your time and energy? Are you posting more? Less? Both??? #kidlitchat
TOPIC: It's Fall, a new season! The light is changing, disappearing sooner. And it makes us wonder - how do you use things like the seasons or light and darkness or other nature-driven details in your work? And when you read, how do those details effect you (and the story)? #kidlitchat
October 15, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: It's Fall, a new season! The light is changing, disappearing sooner. And it makes us wonder - how do you use things like the seasons or light and darkness or other nature-driven details in your work? And when you read, how do those details effect you (and the story)? #kidlitchat
TOPIC: Queries, pitches, log lines, synopses, comps--all the stuff that someone other than you needs to see (sometimes before they agree to see your work itself!). What are you especially good at? What do you dread? Any tips for coming up with good versions of any of those steps? #kidlitchat
October 8, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: Queries, pitches, log lines, synopses, comps--all the stuff that someone other than you needs to see (sometimes before they agree to see your work itself!). What are you especially good at? What do you dread? Any tips for coming up with good versions of any of those steps? #kidlitchat
TOPIC: What were your own favorite books from childhood? (Extra points if they're in the same genre you create now.) Do you ever revisit them for inspiration? #kidlitchat
October 1, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: What were your own favorite books from childhood? (Extra points if they're in the same genre you create now.) Do you ever revisit them for inspiration? #kidlitchat
TOPIC: What professional or creative advice do you wish you could pass on to your younger self? (And would your younger self listen?!?) #kidlitchat
September 24, 2025 at 1:01 AM
TOPIC: What professional or creative advice do you wish you could pass on to your younger self? (And would your younger self listen?!?) #kidlitchat
TOPIC: How do you recharge your creative energy? Is it by digging into more work? Time off? Going to a concert? Performing a concert??? What works for you... and how do you make sure you do it? (Psst. Please remember to do it!) #kidlitchat
September 17, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: How do you recharge your creative energy? Is it by digging into more work? Time off? Going to a concert? Performing a concert??? What works for you... and how do you make sure you do it? (Psst. Please remember to do it!) #kidlitchat
TOPIC: We want to know how you decide between first person or third person when you're working on a manuscript. Do you prefer one? Do you prefer reading one to the other? (FYI: behind the scenes, emails flew and they came up with this topic.) #kidlitchat
September 10, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: We want to know how you decide between first person or third person when you're working on a manuscript. Do you prefer one? Do you prefer reading one to the other? (FYI: behind the scenes, emails flew and they came up with this topic.) #kidlitchat
TOPIC: It's quarterly check-in time! Share what you want to (or can) about current projects, what you've been doing for the past three months, and what's next! #kidlitchat
September 3, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: It's quarterly check-in time! Share what you want to (or can) about current projects, what you've been doing for the past three months, and what's next! #kidlitchat
TOPIC: How do you know when to move on from a project? Is there an expiration date on your work? And how do you deal with the mountain of defunct research, drafts and sketches--not to mention the emotional toll of saying goodbye? #kidlitchat
August 27, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: How do you know when to move on from a project? Is there an expiration date on your work? And how do you deal with the mountain of defunct research, drafts and sketches--not to mention the emotional toll of saying goodbye? #kidlitchat
TOPIC: Why do you create/read the stories you create/read? Like… if you write MG, what makes THAT the age range you focus on? Yes, we all do lots of stuff, but if you gravitate towards one thing... why? #kidlitchat
August 20, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: Why do you create/read the stories you create/read? Like… if you write MG, what makes THAT the age range you focus on? Yes, we all do lots of stuff, but if you gravitate towards one thing... why? #kidlitchat
TOPIC: Annual milestones are zipping past: over halfway through 2025, summer is almost gone, school has started, or is about to start--whew! So . . . have you read any good books lately? What are your top picks for the year so far? What's on your TBR list? #kidlitchat
August 13, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: Annual milestones are zipping past: over halfway through 2025, summer is almost gone, school has started, or is about to start--whew! So . . . have you read any good books lately? What are your top picks for the year so far? What's on your TBR list? #kidlitchat
TOPIC: You have finally found your comfort zone. You begin to suspect that you know what you're doing! And then a small thought worms its way into your happy place: have you fallen into a rut, creatively? How can you tell--and what can you do about it? #kidlitchat
August 6, 2025 at 1:02 AM
TOPIC: You have finally found your comfort zone. You begin to suspect that you know what you're doing! And then a small thought worms its way into your happy place: have you fallen into a rut, creatively? How can you tell--and what can you do about it? #kidlitchat
TOPIC: Do you ever change up your routine - your workplace, schedule, genre, age range you normally focus on, etc.? Does it help? Heck - do you have a routine or wish you could set one (if it weren't for those pesky kids! Or work, etc.)? Tell us how you work and keep it fresh! #kidlitchat
July 30, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: Do you ever change up your routine - your workplace, schedule, genre, age range you normally focus on, etc.? Does it help? Heck - do you have a routine or wish you could set one (if it weren't for those pesky kids! Or work, etc.)? Tell us how you work and keep it fresh! #kidlitchat
TOPIC: Today is the second shortest day in history... which made us think about secondary characters, plots and settings and so on. And we wondered: how do you make sure they get enough attention when you're working on your manuscripts? Do you prioritize 'em? Get to 'em later? Or??? #kidlitchat
July 23, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: Today is the second shortest day in history... which made us think about secondary characters, plots and settings and so on. And we wondered: how do you make sure they get enough attention when you're working on your manuscripts? Do you prioritize 'em? Get to 'em later? Or??? #kidlitchat
TOPIC: What are some recent #kidlit books you think should get the full on movie treatment (from #picturebooks to #ya)? Which recent book-to-film adaptations have you loved? Do you 'cast' your work when you're creating it? And... heck... let's have some popcorn and have us a #kidlitchat!
July 16, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: What are some recent #kidlit books you think should get the full on movie treatment (from #picturebooks to #ya)? Which recent book-to-film adaptations have you loved? Do you 'cast' your work when you're creating it? And... heck... let's have some popcorn and have us a #kidlitchat!
TOPIC: [drum roll, please] As of tonight, #kidlitchat is 16 years old. Sixteen! We can't believe it, either! How long have *you* been a part of the #kidlit community--and how much has changed since you took your first steps on this path?
July 9, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: [drum roll, please] As of tonight, #kidlitchat is 16 years old. Sixteen! We can't believe it, either! How long have *you* been a part of the #kidlit community--and how much has changed since you took your first steps on this path?
TOPIC: Why #kidlit? You could focus on anything in your art, writing, editing, designing, agenting, teaching, librarying, etc… so what keeps you focused on the kid world? (Besides the big bucks, of course. Shh. That’s our secret!) #kidlitchat
July 2, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: Why #kidlit? You could focus on anything in your art, writing, editing, designing, agenting, teaching, librarying, etc… so what keeps you focused on the kid world? (Besides the big bucks, of course. Shh. That’s our secret!) #kidlitchat
TOPIC: You are moving along on a project and... something (anything!)... distracts your attention. Or you wrap up one project and have not yet engaged with another. How do you regain momentum? Or how do you keep focused in general with all this life and everything else! #kidlitchat
June 25, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: You are moving along on a project and... something (anything!)... distracts your attention. Or you wrap up one project and have not yet engaged with another. How do you regain momentum? Or how do you keep focused in general with all this life and everything else! #kidlitchat
TOPIC: How has your work changed over the last decade as the times have changed? Or has it? Do you focus on more universal emotions or do you, say, dive into the impacts of the covid years (or the arrival of AI or social media or or or or)? Or is it always how things intertwine? #Kidlitchat
June 18, 2025 at 1:00 AM
TOPIC: How has your work changed over the last decade as the times have changed? Or has it? Do you focus on more universal emotions or do you, say, dive into the impacts of the covid years (or the arrival of AI or social media or or or or)? Or is it always how things intertwine? #Kidlitchat
TOPIC: At what point do you figure out the subtext--the story within the story--and are you ever surprised at the themes that have embedded themselves in your work? #kidlitchat
June 11, 2025 at 1:05 AM
TOPIC: At what point do you figure out the subtext--the story within the story--and are you ever surprised at the themes that have embedded themselves in your work? #kidlitchat