Katharine's Writer's Block

Millennials, like me, grew up with some unique cultural experiences. While we indulged in the earliest, if not the best, years of cartoons, video games, internet, and music, we also read books to earn our own pizzas. Millennials, like me, remember this as the Pizza Hut Book It Program (or just the Book It Program). The premise of the Book It Program was simple (and free): reading goals are set between October and March for students between preschool and sixth grade. Goals can

Theme is the heart of the story Many of the necessary story elements have tangible aspects that make them easy to identify or develop....

“What’s in a name, that which we call a rose by any other would smell as sweet?” In this well-known line from Romeo and Juliet , Juliet...

In 1979, video killed the radio star . The one-hit wonder reflected on the impending shifts in music and music entertainment at the time. Its music video inaugurated the then-new MTV network. I wouldn’t be surprised to find the song among “oldies” playlists one of these days. It is a little dated, but it's still interesting to keep around. Older forms of writing and communication are the same way. While we have MacBooks and Chromebooks, we still have physical, paper notebook

Is there a writer in your life? What kind of gifts would be liked by one gifted with an affinity for words? Here are recommendations from me and other writers: Writing-focused material or courses Tools or opportunities that nurture writing potential are one of the most practical things to give the writer in your life. Buy them a subscription to writing courses, magazines, or a retreat. Gift them books, services, or software to help them hone their craft or navigate the world

Have you ever thought about the phrase, “The pen is mightier than the sword”? It implies that the written word can be more effective than violence when trying to invoke social or political change. Most writers write to be read, sharing an array of unique experiences, perspectives, and ideas in their literary expression. A modern, democratic society thrives on an unhindered exchange of these. In the spirit of the pen-and-sword adage, the expressions of some certainly find divi

A well-rounded story has characters, plot, setting, and theme. Without these, a story falls flat. Additionally, a story can be defined by many of these elements. The plot can have up to seven unique structures that identify how development pans out. While theme, characters, setting, and content help distinguish the literary genre of your story. There is one more quality to consider: word count. A story’s word count is something of a technical feature. A MasterClass guide on

Key ingredients of a typical story are setting, characters, plot, and theme. A story’s plot can have unique qualities that ultimately...

Today’s lesson is loosely based on a Twitter post... The fuller context of this remark is within a growing battle between human- and...

Whether you are writing research into an essay or--like me-- casually blogging about pop culture, some deliberation may be encountered...