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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · 17h

Don't fear your novel revision! Instead, join us for a workshop on Sat., October 18, with acclaimed KidLit author Misa Sugiura ("Momo Arashima Duels the Queen of Death") about revising. You'll get all the tools you need to revise without the scaries. Register: https://www.kidlitcraft.com/workshops

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · 16d

Announcing: KidLit Craft Fall Workshops!

Developing Plot by Exploring Character
Michael Leali
OCT 4

Novel Revision
Misa Suguira
OCT 18

And . . . Scene! Writing Active, Emotionally Resonant Scenes
Michael Leali
NOV 1

Plot Party!
Ann Dávila Cardinal
NOV 15

Sign up at kidlitcraft.com/workshops

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Aug 8

We’re on break!

#KidLit Craft is taking a few weeks off to rest, relax, and, of course, read and write #KidLit!

Get excited… when we come back, we’ll be announcing a host of great offerings this fall, from classes to workshops.

Until then, wishing you words—and a spectacular end to the summer!

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Aug 1

Maybe you love sour gummy worms. Or maybe you devour salty pretzels by the handful. Every writer has a go-to snack to enjoy during writing (or procrastinating). Tell us in a comment: what’s your favorite writing munchie?

#kidlit #kidlitwriters #amwriting #writingcommunity #writesky

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 25

Being a KidLit writer is a unique experience shared by the KidLit community. We understand the challenges—and joys—of writing books for children.

So how can you tell us you’re a #KidLit writer without saying you’re “a KidLit author”? What inside jokes or niche references we'd recognize? #writesky

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 23

What happens if the timer goes off before your character can achieve their goal?

Listen to the podcast here:

https://www.kidlitcraft.com/podcast-archive/thieves-gambit-ep10-chapter-and-scene-pacing

#amwriting #writesky #kidlit #kidlitwriters #writingcommunity #writers

Thieves' Gambit, Ep. 10: Chapter and Scene Pacing — KidLit Craft

Pacing scenes and chapters in an action/thriller might seem to be all about how to move through the story as fast as possible, but in this episode Anne-Marie and Erin focus on controlling the pace, why you want slower moments, and how to move fast without sacrificing clarity or emotional resonance.

www.kidlitcraft.com

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 23

Will the security guard come back to find her mid-heist? What if something unexpected happens—will she be able to adapt?

Now you try. Think about ways you can include a ticking clock element in your story. What kind of deadline would it be? For how long?

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 23

That’s because the security guards have a 20-minute rotation. But the character knows she’d be cutting it close by that timeline, so she gives herself 15 minutes to get the job done just in case she runs into trouble.

And so the clock starts. Will she get the object without being seen?

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 23

As we discuss in Episode 10 of the second season of KidLit Craft’s podcast, Kayvion Lewis effectively includes a ticking clock in her novel “Thieves’ Gambit,” our mentor text.

In this YA thriller, a character hoping to steal an object from a museum knows she only has 20 minutes to do it.

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 23

The momentum pulls your character—and reader—through the story and will keep your audience flipping pages to find out if all will be resolved before the deadline expires.

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 23

Be sure to define a consequence of what happens if the character doesn’t pull it off before the clock runs out. By doing so, you also raises the stakes for the story.

With the pressure to beat the clock, your protagonist will be forced to act quickly before time runs out.

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 23

With this technique, include an element of time, like a deadline, that adds urgency to the story and pushes your character into action.

A ticking clock could last just a few minutes.

Or it could be a longer range of time, like thirty days.

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 23

And now for a crafty tip!

How do you craft well-paced scenes that move the plot forward?

One way is to introduce a “ticking clock” element.

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 18

It’s Friday! What kind of writing day are you having?

Whether you’re typing, deleting, or thinking today, we here at #KidLit Craft see you and your writing. We hope you have a great weekend ahead no matter what kind of writing (or not writing!) you’re doing.

#writesky #amwriting #writingcommunity

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 16

How can you introduce some fun in between heavier moments? In a lighter story, how could you incorporate stretches that explore not-always-sunshiny truths your young readers might be learning?

#amwriting #writesky #kidlit #kidlitwriters #writingcommunity #writers #booksforchildren

KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 16

Walliams respects his young reader enough to acknowledge that life isn’t always sunny and perfect. But nor is life strictly negative.

One lesson of childhood is learning that the balance between light and dark, humor and pathos, comedy and tragedy is part of life.

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 16

Tom and the other members of the Midnight Gang decide to put on a show for Sally about the life she wants–but may never have given her prognosis.

All the way through, Walliams uses humor to lighten the mood without minimizing the harsh realities of living with serious health challenges.

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 16

But while Tom and his new friends make the most of the experience of being in the hospital, tragedy is never far from the edge of the story, in particular the character of ten-year-old Sally, who is gravely ill.

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 16

Twelve-year-old Tom unexpectedly lands himself in the children’s ward of a hospital. There he falls under the watch of the sadistic Matron and other frightful adults. Tom and his fellow kid patients go on late-night adventures together, exploring the hospital and having fun.

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 16

As writers, we can pen stories that find that balance and help children adjust to the ups and downs that affect us all, young and old.

In the middle grade novel, “The Midnight Gang,” author David Walliams expertly steers his reader through bursts of comedy and passages of sorrow.

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 16

Tonal shifts, from humor to tragedy, can make for emotionally complex and rewarding reading experiences. Young kid readers are learning that life isn’t always positive, but it’s not always negative, either.

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 14

When people can’t see your vision, that’s exactly when Nadia Salomon (“A Rakhi for Rakesh”) urges writers to “keep following your arrow.”

In our interview, we cover writing topics from world building to why #KidLit writers should read “Beowulf.”

Read here: https://bit.ly/3ZCOFL2 #writesky

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 11

For more on crafting a Writer’s Artist Statement, read this article by Heather Demetrios (“I’ll Meet You There”): https://heatherdemetrios.com/blog/how-to-write-a-writers-artist-statement

#amwriting #writesky #kidlit #kidlitwriters #writingcommunity #writers #booksforchildren #childrensbooks

How To Write A Writer's Artist Statement — Heather Demetrios >> Mindfulness + Coaching for Writers

Align your words with your values.

heatherdemetrios.com

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 11

Revisit your Writer’s Artist Statement whenever you’re discouraged by the publishing world, feeling helpless with a work in progress, or just burned out and disillusioned. It can anchor you when it feels like life—and your writing—is falling apart.

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KidLit Craft @kidlitcraft.bsky.social · Jul 11

Get specific and dig deep. Really think about who you are as a creative and why you write.

Perhaps most important, why, in particular, do you feel called to write for kids?

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