Video Resource List for Authors
- Samantha
- Jul 29, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 24, 2025
New links added weekly
General
The video examines why Greek mythology persists in modern literature and popular culture, and what makes these ancient stories so relevant to writers today. It talks about how myths give us timeless character types, big dramatic themes, and story shapes that still feel human, and how authors can remix or retell them in new ways—like shifting the point of view, updating the setting, or using mythic ideas as more profound metaphors (think Frankenstein as a modern Prometheus). Overall, it’s a brief examination of how understanding old stories can help writers craft fresh ones with greater resonance and emotional impact.
Character Building
This video outlines the nine biggest mistakes writers often make with their main character—and shows how to spot and fix them—covering issues such as lack of internal conflict, inconsistent behavior, passive goals, and missing stakes. It’s a helpful watch for authors who want their protagonist not just to exist, but to matter and keep readers rooting for them (or at least interested) throughout.
Grammar
This video dives into a quirky but powerful grammar trick in English — what linguists call “ablaut-reduplication” (think “flip-flop”, “ding-dong”, “tick-tock”) — showing how seemingly small patterns of sound shift and repetition actually tie into how we instinctively use words, order name pairs, create idioms, and shape our narration to feel natural. It’s a fun pick for writers because it highlights how paying attention to subtle language rhythms and word-pairing habits can make dialogue, character voice, and prose layouts feel more fluent and convincing.
Sentences
Vocabulary
TED-Ed Playlist
This playlist delves into the fascinating and diverse world of language—how everyday words, dialects, idioms, and local speech evolve, surprise us, and reveal deeper cultural narratives. It’s full of short, punchy episodes that take something like “yankee,” “lady,” or “odd” and trace its quirky history or how its meaning has shifted, showing why an author’s ear for words and their back-stories can bring texture, authenticity, and subtle meaning to their writing.
Being a Reader
This video delves into what happens when a story is told by someone you can’t fully trust: it explores the concept of the unreliable narrator, how authors utilize it to shake up perspective, play with truth, and surprise the reader. You’ll see how this tool shifts power in storytelling, keeps readers guessing, and opens up creative possibilities for character voice and point of view.
An engaging mini essay about what happens when we stop thinking about what creators intended and instead focus on what the audience experiences—basically the famous idea of the “author” dying (sort of) so the work stands alone. The video guides readers through how this shift enables them to interpret stories in new ways, explores its implications for meaning-making, and demonstrates how writers can utilize—or challenge—this concept to experiment with voice, intent, and reader expectations.
Being a Writer
This short animated talk demonstrates how excellent descriptive writing is akin to casting a spell—it employs sensory details, unexpected metaphors, vivid language, and strong verbs to draw readers into the world. Nalo Hopkinson offers advice on how to bring your fiction to life by selecting words that feel fresh and immersive, rather than falling into clichés.
Literary Devices
Publishing
Walks through the real-world lessons an author picked up the hard way before launching their first published book—things like setting realistic expectations, understanding the editing/publishing process, marketing your work, dealing with rejection, and coping with the emotional side of putting your writing out in the world. It’s a solid pick for writers who are thinking about getting published and want a behind-the-scenes look at what’s often not talked about.
Genres
This video breaks down the real mechanics of writing funny stuff—not just jokes, but scenes, timing, and character — and Jodie Houlston-Lau talks through how humor often comes from emotional truth, how to let your characters’ pain or weirdness drive the laughs, and why good comedy is as much about conflict and honesty as it is about punchlines.
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