Kinney. Pilkey. Story smashup. Enough said!

Two of the world's most beloved children's book writers and illustrators are coming together for a "story smashup!"

Jeff Kinney, creator of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, and Dav Pilkey, creator of the Captain Underpants series, are releasing a “Story Smashup” event that will be available on January 15, 2014 at 1:00pm ET. What is a story smashup, you ask?

We're glad you did. It's basically a super fun way of teaching kids how to write a story—exploring character, setting, plot, action, and more. Kinney and Pilkey will work together to create an original story, with art and pictures, live on stage based on suggestions from an audience of kids. It'll be hilarious. (Seriously. Viewers will also watch Kinney and Pilkey’s attempts to draw each other’s characters and to see if they can draw their own characters, Greg Heffley and Captain Underpants, blindfolded!)

The webcast will be globally accessible for free starting January 15, 2014, and afterward for replay, at www.scholastic.com/kpwebcast. That same day, Kinney and Pilkey’s never-before-seen six panel story starter will be available for download.

Teachers, go to www.scholastic.com/kpwebcast to pre-register for the webcast and to download a contest entry form and ask your students to create their own brilliant, one-of-a-kind, three-panel ending to Kinney and Pilkey’s original story! One Grand Prize Winner will have his or her entry framed alongside Kinney and Pilkey’s first six panels, autographed by each author. Ten Runners-Up will receive their very own illustrated storytelling extravaganza book collection.

Save the date!