Written Out Loud is a writing and storytelling program that works with schools and students outside of schools to teach writing and empathy skills through collaborative storytelling practices. The education program was founded by Joshua Shelov, a filmmaker and screenwriter who wrote the Green Street Hooligans, starring Elijah Wood, and co-wrote and directed The Best […]
Over 30 years ago, I received my bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Tennessee. Despite the passing of time, I still hold dear two items from my five-year educational journey: my framed diploma and a small book entitled “The Word: An Associated Press Guide to Good News Writing” by Rene J. Cappon. This […]
The songwriting process can be difficult, and when you’re struggling to come up with the words, you can get demotivated to carry on. Whether you’re struggling to expand your song idea or you need a fresh one, there’s always a way to deal with writer’s block. Fortunately, you don’t have to be stuck with writer’s […]
Whether you’re freelancing, blogging, or crafting fiction, writing is often a challenging task. Coping with writer’s block–or even garden-variety procrastination–can slow the progress. Here are several accountability tools for writers to help you stay on track and keep the words flowing. 1. Use Time-Tracking Tools. Commit to writing a certain number of hours each day […]
Anyone writing about the German novelist Thomas Mann faces the same problem that Mann himself often did. How do you write about a family with six children? How do you juggle the lives of Erika (b. 1905), Klaus (b. 1906), Golo (b. 1909), Monika (b. 1910), Elisabeth (b. 1918) and Michael (b. 1919)? It would […]
Let’s confront the elephant in the room of this discussion: Artificial Intelligence (AI) screenwriting programs are incapable of producing great scripts. Although there’s a prevailing notion on social media that AI will soon take over the screenwriting industry, it’s essential not to be swayed by the hype of AI writing. I’ve been fortunate enough to […]
Some of the new words, phrases and abbreviations added to dictionaries in the past few years. My 11-year-old son recently reported with horror that the word “funner” has been added to the dictionary. “What’s wrong with that?” I asked. He gaped. “IT’S NOT A WORD.” “Sure it is,” I said. “Little kids say it all […]
The 38th Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which will take place from Feb. 8 through Feb. 18, has already announced an impressive lineup of screenings and a star-studded roster of actors and actresses who will attend career-retrospective tributes at the fest, including Cate Blanchett ( whose evening I will be moderating on Feb. 10 ), […]
Valentine’s day is a celebration marked by sharing messages of love with others. Children are delighted by making and receiving messages; demonstrating the care shared between special people in their lives! From the beginning of February, you can tap into the opportunity to inspire and strengthen students’ writing skills for real-world purposes with these Valentine’s […]
As a long-time writer and educator, Kathie Giorgio is no stranger to the emotional impact words can have. The importance of a good piece of writing and how a story can uplift, inspire, and change one’s life is not lost on her, as she uses her talent for the best possible task: to share it […]
