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Introducing #Kidlitbot, a Weekly Twitter Writing Prompt!

October 9, 2017 in Picture Books, Writing, Writing for Children | Tags: Alli Brydon, Twiller, Writing Prompt | 16 comments

Hiya, friends and writers! It’s Kidlitbot here. I’m brand-new to your world, recently created by my editor-friend Alli Brydon! As she’s been oiling my joints, polishing my chrome, and booting up my systems, I’ve had a chance to take a peek around your human world a little bit. And boy, is it full of awesome stuff! Dogs, amusement parks, beaches, outer space, school…Twitter. I want to learn about it all! And I’ve heard that you folks love telling stories.

So, Alli and I have decided to bring you #kidlitbot. Here: I’ll let her tell you more about it, since it was kinda her idea.

Since starting my new children’s book editorial business, Alli Brydon Creative, I’ve been thinking about ways I can give back to a community which has given so much to me over the span of my career. So, I dreamed up #kidlitbot with the hopes of bringing more children’s book stories into the world! There are quite a few great picture book writing challenges already out there (like Tara’s own Storystorm), which energize authors to conceptualize book ideas and execute them. But I wanted to offer a new kind of challenge to kidlit writers, one that supplies prompts to help inspire those who might be stuck for ideas.

Introducing…#kidlitbot, your weekly kidlit writing prompt!

At 9am each Monday, we will post to Twitter a little tidbit to inspire you to start a writing exercise which will then hopefully wind up as a story. #kidlitbot is an idea generator for authors, illustrators, and author-illustrators to use as a springboard to write a first draft. If the prompt inspires you, please feel free to “like” it, retweet it, or comment on it using the hashtag. You can even, if you’re comfortable doing so, post a line or two from your work-in-progress. Our hope—mine and Kidlitbot’s—is that our kernels of ideas will encourage and aid you in your writing process.

OK, back to you, Bot!

Thanks, Alli. 😊 (← I just learned about emojis while she was talking to you!) And big thanks to Tara for allowing us to spread the word here on her blog.

The best way to participate is to follow Alli on Twitter @allibrydon and look out for the hashtag #kidlitbot (named after me) every Monday morning! Write me some cool stories, OK guys?

Alli Brydon is an independent editorial professional located in the New York City area. With nearly 15 years of experience developing, editing, and selling children’s books with US publishing houses, she has spent a large part of her career nurturing writers and illustrators to reach their potential. Having worked both as an acquiring editor and as an agent for children’s book author/illustrators, Alli has a unique blend of skills and an insider’s view of the industry which she brings to all projects. Please drop in at allibrydon.com to learn more to say “hi!”

Imagine Monday: Flash Fiction for Children

October 13, 2008 in Children's Writing, Creative Writing, Flash Fiction, Imagine Monday, Micro Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction, Uncategorized, Writing, Writing for Children | Tags: Blog Meme, Blog Memes, Writing Prompt, Writing Prompts | Leave a comment

History Lessons

Juliet Dupree snuck into Mr. Forman’s classroom before the morning bell and wrote Mr. Snoreman on the blackboard. When Tristan sat next to her, she’d nudge his arm, nod toward the front of the room, and take credit.

Everyone knew that Mr. Forman’s monotone lectures came straight from the textbook, word for dreary word. He cradled the teacher’s guide with his left arm while he pointed to the ceiling with his right, appearing only slightly more animated than the Statue of Liberty.

The huddled masses of 1^st period American History yearned to be free of boredom, so Tristan organized daily pranks. Yesterday the entire class dropped their textbooks on the floor at precisely 8:10am…and received empty detention threats at 8:11am.

When Juliet reached for her book, she had noticed it was published the year she was born. That was odd; she was pretty certain that something historically meaningful had happened in the past 13 years. After all, Tristan had kissed her. That might not make it into the next edition of An American Account Volume II, but it would launch an unpredictable new chapter in her own history, threatening full-out war as soon as Tristan’s girlfriend found out.

This flash fiction piece is in response to the Imagine Monday writing prompt posted last Friday. Join us every week for a new writing exercise.

When I came up with this week’s prompt, I immediately drifted back to my 9th grade American History class. The tale above isn’t far from what occurred in the classroom. My friend arranged pranks on a near-daily basis. One day a classmate discovered that he owned the same digital Casio watch as our teacher, so he set the alarm to go off in class. Our teacher fumbled at his wrist, wondering why he couldn’t get the beeping to stop. Such adolescent nonsense has a way of escalating into legend, and in the hyperbole of memory, I recall this little trick baffling our teacher for months.

Imagine Monday Blog Meme #1

October 10, 2008 in Children's Writing, Creative Writing, Flash Fiction, Imagine Monday, Micro Fiction, Middle Grade Fiction, Short Stories, Writing for Children, Writing for Teens, YA Fiction | Tags: Blog Meme, Blog Memes, Writing Prompt, Writing Prompts | 1 comment

Do you write for children? Then please join the Imagine Monday blog meme!

Every Friday a writing prompt will be posted here.
Take Saturday and Sunday to write a tiny tale in ten sentences or less.
Post your story on your blog this Monday. Use the tag Imagine Monday.
Link back here to the prompt.

That’s it! The purpose of this meme is to have fun, stretch your creativity and get in a little writing practice.

This week’s prompt:

In honor of Columbus Day this Monday,
write about a National Monument.
It could be The Statue of Liberty, Devils Tower,
Fort Sumter or Giant Sequoia National Park.
You could use the Monument as the setting,
or simply mention a Monument in dialogue.
However it inspires you, go with it!
Write in prose or poetry, for young children or young adults.

Happy writing! Enjoy your weekend and see you on Monday!

Imagine Monday Seeks Children’s Writers

October 6, 2008 in Children's Books, Children's Writing, Creative Writing, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Imagine Monday, Micro Fiction, Short Stories, Writing, Writing for Children, Writing for Teens | Tags: Blog Meme, Blog Memes, Meme, Memes, Writing Prompt, Writing Prompts | Leave a comment

Imagine Monday is a weekly blog meme for children’s writers—and fans of children’s fiction.

One of the fastest growing online venues for micro fiction is Six Sentences, yet the target audience is adults. Imagine Monday challenges you to write an über-short tale for kids in ten sentences (or less) using a weekly prompt. Flash your brilliance in a few lines.

It’s simple:

Each Friday a prompt will be posted here.
Take Saturday and Sunday to write.
Submit your entry via your own blog sometime on Monday.
Include a link back to the prompt page. Use the tag Imagine Monday.
Visit fellow participants and leave constructive comments if you choose.

Have fun! Stretch your creativity. Use the prompt to put a character from your current project in a different situation. Start something entirely new. Compose a series of connected tales. Or simply get in a little writing practice. Do with it what you will.

Sometimes the prompt will be a sentence, sometimes a single word. We’ll mix it up and include images, too. See what you can create in just a few sentences. Make it tight. Make it memorable.

All are welcome, regardless of age or writing experience–and you don’t even have to own a blog. You can submit your writing here via the comments field.

Imagine Monday kicks off with the first prompt this Friday, October 10. Please join us!

500+ Things That Kids Like

November 4, 2007 in Children, Children's Writing, Creative Writing, Fiction, Writing, Writing for Children | Tags: Writing Prompt | 70 comments

500thingsthatkidslike

An eclectic list of 99 things that children like was given to me by a writing friend last year after she attended a conference. The list was courtesy of children’s sports author Andy Gutelle…and here I’ve added 400+ more (and more)! I hope this list gives a spark to your writing for children, but I wonder what it will do to my search engine hits?!

If you like this page, follow its visual companion on Pinterest:
http://pinterest.com/taralazar/things-kids-like/