kidlitchat

TOPIC: Guess what? It's time for another quarterly check-in . . . already! Share what you've accomplished in the past three months: baby steps, or giant leaps, full landings or near misses . . . celebrate whatever has carried you FORWARD. #kidlitchat

TOPIC: What are you celebrating of a #kidlit nature these days on an industry level, a personal level, a reading level, a creating level, or any other level you want to go to? #kidlitchat

TOPIC: Let's talk names. We're #kidlitchat, which seemed spot on. But how do you come up with your character names? Place names? Or even... <gasp>... project names (aka titles!)?

TOPIC: The Olympics are full of plots/drama: ticking clocks, one-on-one competition, team competition, changing weather, too much available pasta, and more. So, how do you think about and add plot drama to your work? As a reader, what dramatic events hook you in and carry you along? #kidlitchat

TOPIC: Yesterday was Groundhog Day in the US. Taking a cue from the movie, let's talk do-overs--aka REVISIONS. How many revisions do you typically go through on a story or art? And do you sometimes keep revising to avoid . . . finishing? (Extra points for honesty.) #kidlitchat

TOPIC: Have you checked out the new crop of ALA award-winners yet? Huzzah to the winners and to everyone who had a book out this year. As always, we ask "what do you think? What books were left out?" And... what do the awards mean to YOU as a reader or maker of books for children? #kidlitchat

TOPIC: What's the most "YOU" aspect of your work? A character, a situation from your own life, a recurring theme, or the way conflict is resolved? What's uniquely you? #kidlitchat

TOPIC: While we're still thinking about fresh beginnings, what are some of your all-time favorite first lines in children's books? ("Where's Papa going with that ax?" is already taken!) And what do you think makes a first line really grab the reader? #kidlitchat

TOPIC: It's time for New Year's resolutions . . . or goals . . . or a word to define your mindset for 2026 . . . or your Guiding Principle for the year . . . or, what's the plan, Stan? (The focus here is for resolutions related to your #kidlit side, but share whatever you want!). #kidlitchat

TOPIC: Let's talk endings here at 2025's end. Do you know how you're going to end your story when you start? Do you know the ending first? Do you have tricks/tips for making your story's ending as satisfying as possible? #kidlitchat

TOPIC: What are your favorite bookish holiday traditions? Are there books you reread during the holidays? Favorite film adaptations? Family read-alongs? (And feel free to share other family traditions and favorite holiday pies!) #kidlitchat

TOPIC: What are your favorite bookish holiday traditions? Are there books you reread during the holidays? Favorite film adaptations? Family read-alongs? (And feel free to share other family traditions and favorite holiday pies!) #kidlitchat

TOPIC: We're all a year older and possibly a year wiser--did you accumulate any special insights in 2025, about your work, your process, motivations? #kidlitchat

TOPIC: Suggestions and recommendations needed: gifts for the literary-minded/artistic/creative in your life--yourself, included! What's on your wish list? What books or software or or or have caught your eye this season? #kidlitchat

TOPIC: It's quarterly check-in time! Time to bask in the accomplishments of the last three months--or breathe a sigh of relief that you've managed to *get through* the past three months. Either way, share what's been going, career-wise, since September! #kidlitchat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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