iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

TOPIC: What do you want from a creative partner? Anyone from a critique partner or beta reader to an agent, editor or art director. In your journey to shape a project, what are you looking for: validation, support, a dash of cold water, or...what else? What takes you to the next level? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

TOPIC: It's the fall equinox here in the Northern Hemisphere - bringing to mind harvesting ideas and storing them up for winter. Do you stockpile ideas, characters, words, or anything? And how do you decide which idea of yours is ripe for starting? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

TOPIC: Let's talk about saying "no!" We get demands on our time, get notes that might pull our story away from what we intended, and even our characters can tell us to go places we don't want to. How do you know how and when to say no to... anything? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

TOPIC: Where do you feel you shine when crafting a query? And where do you struggle? Is there something about the query process you'd change if you could? ("Abolish queries" is already taken.) #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

TOPIC: It's time to check in with what's been going on in your creative world since June. (Yes! Another quarter gone!) Victories large and small, plans, goals--it's all part of the journey worth sharing and celebrating! #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

TOPIC: Do you have an ideal reader in mind when you're working on a manuscript or illustration? Is it you or someone you know... or is it just an idea to help guide you? If you don't, what helps you guide your work for its audience? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

TOPIC: We know your TBR stack keeps growing! How about old favorites? Are there books you read as a child/teen that you keep coming back to, that never disappoint "older you"? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

TOPIC: What are you doing these days to maintain a professional presence that also reaches your audience? Is it... websites? Social media? Newletters? Video? Text? ESP??? All or some or... what is working for you? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

TOPIC: Continuing our celebration of 17 years chatting, tonight we're re-upping the very first topic from the first #kidlitchat: "Why children’s literature? What excites you about it, whether it’s reading, writing or ???"

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

TOPIC: #kidlitchat is 17 this month! Which is . . . REALLY OLD in social media years! How do you use milestones to shape your characters? How do all the "firsts," the annual celebrations, and the rites of passage provide opportunities to define character?

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

TOPIC: When you're pitching your manuscript (in any form - query letter, elevator, pitch contest), how do you communicate how the reader is going to FEEL when they're done, not just tell the story of what happens? What are your tips to finding the way to give a reaction to your pitch-ee? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

TOPIC: What books, from board books to YA, have you read recently that you think should be a movie or a TV show? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

TOPIC: What are your favorite and LEAST favorite parts of your creative process? And how do you keep a balance between "want to" and "have to"? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

TOPIC: Let's talk serendipity and happy accidents. How have these impacted you and your work? How do you keep yourself open to them? Hard work matters, of course, but do these other things ever factor in? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

TOPIC: How do you see a work-in-progess with fresh eyes when you're deep in it? Share your tips and tricks for seeing your work anew... #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

TOPIC: The kidlit world lost one of its brightest lights recently, and it has prompted us to ask: whose work inspires you? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

TOPIC: Now that you have THE WHOLE SUMMER to catch up on your reading, what's at the top of your TBR list? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

TOPIC: When you're developing a main character, what are the things that you think of beyond the physical (Music they'd like? Colors they'd wear? Recipes they'd love?)? Do you make mood boards or...? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

TOPIC: What are your favorite craft books, podcasts, and videos? And... why are these the ones you turn to? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

TOPIC: Let's talk about feedback - both navigating the feedback you get and crafting helpful feedback when you give. What works for you on either side of the equation? Tips? Strategies? Best pie to soothe unexpected feedback? We want it all.... #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

TOPIC: Due dates, expenses and subs . . . oh, my! How do you keep track of everything? Software, whiteboards, legal pads? Or do you just wing it and hope for the best? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

TOPIC: How many pitches do you have on hand for your manuscript? Do you have different pitches for contests, online pitchfests, queries and random meetings in elevators? How are they the same/different? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

TOPIC: What are you best tips and tricks for seeing your manuscript anew when it's time to revise, re-envision, edit, or work on a draft again in any way? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

TOPIC: How and where do you keep up with the news, reviews, and people in our business? Is your work informed by what you learn - trends, gaps, what’s selling or not - or do you just like to keep current? Or… other? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

TOPIC: We spend a lot of time revising... fixing... even frustrated with our work. But for this hour of #kidlitchat, let's talk about what you LIKE or LOVE about your own work. SPECIFICALLY. What are you good at? How do you use your strengths when you approach your work?

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

TOPIC: Do you have warm-up exercises you do before you work? Fast writing? Drawing from a prompt? Reading something? Do you have a startup routine (that involves anything other than eating pie, which is a given when possible)? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

TOPIC: It's Spring here (allegedly), the time of new growth and new ideas. So, what are YOUR ideas for new topics you'd like to suggest for #kidlitchat?

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

TOPIC: Do you use contests, conferences or challenges to help you move forward with your work? What makes that kind of external motivation helpful--and are there any you would particularly recommend? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

TOPIC: What’s the biggest, boldest, or wildest thing you’ve done for or to one of your stories? Think theme, characters, setting, format . . . Or if there's something you *want* to try, but haven't, WHY HAVEN'T YOU? #kidlitchat

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

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!)?

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 19/11/2025

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

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

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kidlitchat @kidlitchat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

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

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