FAQs About Virtual NTL
What time does NTL 2023 start?
The Virtual National Teen Lock-In Event starts at 6pm Eastern time.
What time does NTL 2023 end?
The Virtual National Teen Lock-In Event ends at approximately 1am (July 29th, 2023) Eastern time.
How is Virtual NTL going to be held?
The Virtual National Teen Lock-In is going to be held on NTL’s Discord. To join our Discord, use this invitation link: https://discord.gg/hBf3DgceN8
Do I have to come to the whole NTL session?
Nope! You can join anytime between 6pm and 1am, you can even come and go.
What’s the schedule?
The schedule thus far is planned as listed below. Any changes that need to be made will be updated here
Photo Scavenger Hunt Opens at 6pm, due for Prize Drawing on Monday, July 31st by 12pm EDT. Winners will be announced on Monday, August 14th.
Can you tell me about the Candy Art session?
Participants will have 20 minutes to create candy art around a theme.
Supplies may be provided by the library, or participants can gather their own using the supply list provided here.
Can you tell me about the Watercolor Art session?
This is a follow along step-by-step painting tutorial where participants will end up with their very own masterpiece! Supplies may be provided by the library, or participants can gather their own using the supply list provided here.
What are you doing to combat potential inappropriate behavior?
NTL has a Code of Conduct that we expressly expect everyone to follow during the program. Author chats are hosted through Zoom and will only be open to the interviewer and the Author, to provide safety to our Authors, who agree to the chats without any compensation. None of the teens will be recorded, however NTL may take screenshots of programs for promotional purposes only. If anyone does warrant being removed from the program due to inappropriate behavior, they will not be able to return to the event.
How will teens receive their prizes?
Teens who win prizes will have to submit their First and Last name and their participating Library Name. Prizes will be sent out to the host libraries participating in NTL and it is up to each library to distribute these prizes to the teens.
Do you have a Code of Conduct? A virtual permission form?
Yes, you can access our Code of Conduct here. We also have a Virtual permission form (it is up to you to decide to require this form, however, do show/send out our Code of Conduct to all teens that are registered for Virtual NTL 2023.)
My library is participating in NTL, do we need staff from our library present during the full NTL event?
Nope! NTL Staff will be present during the full NTL event but each library participating is welcome to have staff attend as well.
If we attend as library staff is there a specific way you would like us to represent ourselves on Discord?
Yes, please use your name and library initials when possible. Also let NTL staff know who you are to gain access to our staff/volunteer chat.
Can library staff participate in the trivia and games during NTL?
Absolutely! Challenge your teens to try to win against you!
How can we submit questions to the authors for Author Chats?
You can submit questions for the authors in the general channel on Discord or email nationalteenlockin@gmail.com with the email subject of Author Questions.
Want all the info about this year’s authors? Check it out below!
Author chats!
Who are this year's author chats with?
Ray Stoeve @ 6:30pm Eastern
Francesca Padilla @7:30pm Eastern
Abdi Nazemian @9:30pm Eastern
Ray Stoeve is the author of the young adult novels Between Perfect and Real (2021) and Arden Grey (2022), both Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections. They also contributed to the young adult anthology Take The Mic: Fictional Stories of Everyday Resistance. They received a 2016-2017 Made at Hugo House Fellowship and created the YA/MG Trans and Nonbinary Voices Masterlist, a database that tracks all books in those age categories written by trans authors about trans characters. When they’re not writing, they can be found gardening, making art in other mediums, or hiking their beloved Pacific Northwest.
Francesca Padilla is a Dominican-American fiction writer born and raised in New York City. She is the recipient of a Walter Dean Myers Grant from We Need Diverse Books and holds a BA in Creative Writing from the State University of New York at Purchase College. Her debut novel What’s Coming To Me was published by Soho Teen in August 2022. She lives with her family in Rochester, New York. You can usually find her tweeting about books, astrology, health & human services, New York State things, and occasional dumb sh*t @frannypadilla
Abdi Nazemian spent his childhood in a series of exciting locations (Tehran, Paris, Toronto, New York), but could usually be found in his bedroom watching old movies and reading.
Abdi’s first novel, THE WALK-IN CLOSET, was awarded Best Debut at the Lambda Literary Awards. He has written three young adult novels, all published by Balzer + Bray / HarperCollins: THE AUTHENTICS (2017), LIKE A LOVE STORY (2019), and THE CHANDLER LEGACIES (2022). LIKE A LOVE STORY won a Stonewall Honor and was chosen by Time Magazine as one of the 100 best young adult books of all time.
Abdi has written for three television shows: NBC's ORDINARY JOE, Fox’s ALMOST FAMILY, and NBC’s THE VILLAGE. He has written six produced films including THE ARTIST’S WIFE (Strand Releasing, 2020) MENENDEZ: BLOOD BROTHERS (Lifetime, 2017), and THE QUIET (Sony Pictures Classics, 2006). He also wrote, directed and produced the short film REVOLUTION (2012). He is proud to say that his words have been spoken by the likes of Carmela Soprano, The Nanny, and The Girl With The Most Cake.
As Head of Development for Water’s End Productions, Abdi has been an executive producer or associate producer on numerous films, including CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, IT HAPPENED IN L.A., THE PRICE, THE HOUSE OF TOMORROW, and LITTLE WOODS.
Abdi lives in Los Angeles with his two children and husband, and holds dual citizenship between the United States and Canada.
Abdi is not the inspiration for Madonna’s children’s book “The Adventures of Abdi,” though he will forever insist that he is.