Weekend Link: The Wand of Universal Power--a lesson in mentor text

A couple posts ago, I mentioned a workshop we recently held. In it Marcie Flinchum Atkins talked about mentor text. The video above is a fun, albeit obvious, way to see mentor text in action. 

Oh, and it looks like the whole thing will be at the FantasyCon, for those of you interested in that. And one of my favorite kid lit authors, Brandon Mull, appears in this. If you haven't read Brandon Mull's Fablehaven series or started the new multi-author Spirit Animals series, you might want to--they're excellent lessons in pacing and how to effectively build a fantasy world.

Have a great weekend.

Weekend Links: Short Tips for Writers

We're winding down after a busy spring break, so something short and sweet is on the menu for today. Above is a short video on the difference between a writer and an author. 

Below is a fantastic resource. It's story boarding for writers, but not the way you story board for a picture book. This is a three-act structure device and a great one if you are struggling with your plot:

And finally, just for fun, a clip from my favorite YouTube channel, Bored Shorts. 

Have a great weekend.