Write a poem. Work with clay. Draw or paint a day away. Knit or dance. Make a song. Film a movie all night long. Use your hands, Brain and heart. Live! Create! Go make some art. #poetry #NationalPoetryMonth #art #create!

TOPIC: How do you use dialogue to shape your characters? Your plot? How do you maintain the balance between dialogue and narration? #kidlitchat

TOPIC: What are the tools you use for the business side of the kidlit business? How do you track submissions or expenses or who is where or school visits or or or? Share your tips and tools and questions! #kidlitchat

TOPIC: Character development--where does it come in your process? How do you create fully-realized characters? Does *every* character need to be fully realized? Share your thoughts, tips, and fave resources.... #kidlitchat

TOPIC: So . . . the age-old question: are you a plotter or a pantser--a step-by-step process-follower, or a free spirit? (Or a little of both?) How do you manage your creativity when it comes to producing the work? #kidlitchat

BTW, for those still here, please know that #kidlitchat is also happening over on that blue place. the sky one. when/if you get there, you'll find it.

TOPIC: What are you reading now? What's on your TBR pile? (We know there's a pile . . .) Share your current and soon-to-be favorites! #kidlitchat

Well, it being Tuesday and all that... #kidlitchat coming up here in 3 minutes!

TOPIC: What's the best advice you've ever received (or read, or heard) regarding the nature of the business, the creative life, or any other aspect of your #kidlit career? #kidlitchat

Sure, we're gonna #kidlitchat here again tonight. Still free and easy, I tell ya. 6 minutes away at 9 PM Eastern/6 PM Pacific!

Thanks, y'all, for jumping into another #kidlitchat. We're crafty people, clearly. Here's to good craft in the week ahead... and see you here soooooooon!

I had just been re-reading Leonard Marcus' Ways of Telling. I'm not sure this is exactly a craft book, but I do know that reading it helped my picture book writing... so I'd say "yes." #Kidlitchat

TOPIC: What are your favorite books on craft? Or your favorite websites/newsletters/whatever that you turn to for the craft side of things? #kidlitchat

It being a Tuesday, we shall #kidlitchat at the top of this very hour (9 PM Eastern/6 PM Pacific). I hope you'll join us

Thanks to the hearty few who are still with us here at the original #kidlitchat. If this thing still turns on, we'll see you here next week, too, methinks....

TOPIC: It's time to check in with what you've been working on since June! No need to be specific--and we count everything, including what you may have been only *thinking* of doing. Planning is progress! #kidlitchat

Well, it being #kidlitchat day (which others oddly call "Tuesday"), we're gonna see if this thing is still working. Chat at the top of the hour (9 PM Eastern/6 PM Pacific). Hope to see you here.

Thanks to all you #kidlitchat stalwarts for checking in here. We'll see you next week!

My 'partially read and will return to it but something else jumped ahead" pile (PR&WRTIBSEJA pile, as it is known) is also exceedingly large. But the TBR one is larger for sure. #kidlitchat

I find that my TBR pile gets metaphorically taller whether I'm reading actively or not. Any genre. Any age range. Any... thing. #kidlitchat

TOPIC: What's at the top of your TBR stack? Note that you don't have to be actively reading, just *intending* to--for those of us hopelessly behind on our reading! #kidlitchat