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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 1d

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 8d

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 15d

TOPIC: What professional or creative advice do you wish you could pass on to your younger self? (And would your younger self listen?!?) #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 22d

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 29d

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · Sep 3

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · Aug 27

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · Aug 20

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · Aug 13

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · Aug 6

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · Jul 30

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · Jul 23

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · Jul 16

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!

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · Jul 9

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?

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · Jul 2

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · Jun 25

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · Jun 18

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · Jun 11

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · Jun 4

TOPIC: We have a tradition here at #kidlitchat of checking in every quarter to share what we've been up to, career-wise. What have your past three months been like, and what's next? (Plans, daydreams and false starts are totally valid responses!)

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · May 28

TOPIC: What's your favorite part of the creative process? And what part is the hardest for you to work through? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · May 21

TOPIC: As we in the US head into the Memorial Day weekend and the unofficial start of summer, what's on your summer reading list? And how do you describe your perfect summer read? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · May 14

TOPIC: Let’s talk, if you don’t mind, about… well… wait for it… pacing! What are your tips for keeping your story moving briskly? In picture books, how does art impact the pace? What do you do when you find your story meandering? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · May 7

TOPIC: Let's talk... queries! What are your best tips for writing it great query? What do you avoid or, if you receive queries, reallllly dislike seeing? And... who and what are you querying these days? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · Apr 30

TOPIC: What are some of the key moments in your career/writing/illustrating journey? What are the moments or events that moved you forward or were turning points? And what has been "the best thing ever!" moment for you so far? #Kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · Apr 23

TOPIC: Happy Earth Day! Let's talk ultimate world-building by sharing tips on how to ground *every* story or illustration in its own unique world. #kidlitchat

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