Do you have a friend or relative who says the right thing at the right time? Or, maybe, you have that one funny person in your life who just drops the right joke when it’s needed? If so, these are all examples of kairos, or timeliness. The meaning of kairos is not overly complex. This post will dissect kairos and show how you can use it in your own writing to stay current.
Continue reading Kairos Meaning: Timeliness in RhetoricMonthly Archives: July 2025
Marked for Doom: The Literary Origins of the Black Spot
In Treasure Island (1883) by Robert Louis Stevenson, a nasty, blind pirate named Pew gives ex-pirate Billy Bones a mark of revenge. This act is precisely what the black spot stands for when given in malice: judgement day. For those who hold it are doomed to die! But what is the literary origins of the black spot? Why did Robert Louis Stevenson choose the black spot as his means of vengeful conveyance? In this post, we will examine the literary origins of the black spot.
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An Analysis of Claude McKay’s “After the Winter”
Sometimes the summer heat comes in too early and there’s the threat of tornadoes. Or even other damaging winds. The hard times are over, but we should always be careful. Nevertheless, it’s a pleasant feeling when the warmth comes in to embrace a thawed out population. In this post, we will discuss another form of thaw, in Claude McKay’s poem “After the Winter.”
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The Truth About Writing Spaces: Myth vs Reality
There seems to be a consensus that it is lame to write in a coffeeshop. Obviously, the reason for this is because it appears to be a cry for attention. Yet, day after day, month after month, year after year, the reality of a writer’s den becomes clearer. Namely, it doesn’t matter where you write as long as the writing gets done.
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Underlying Gothic Terror: The Haunting of Hill House
Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House is a quintessential novel in the horror genre. Yet, understanding the inner workings of her haunted house story is important, as it is firmly rooted in gothic horror. It’s also a novel about atmosphere and what lies under the surface. More so, it is all about the slow burn. By analyzing this text, we can understand more about the genre itself and what true horror looks like.
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The Wizard of Oz: Chapters 18-24 Summary and Analysis
In this post, we come to the end of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Therefore, we are going to summarize and analyze chapters 18-24 and reflect on the book. In the following chapters, as in the previous chapters, Dorothy attempts to find her way out of Oz after the Wizard abandons her accidentally. Moving forward, she has a host of strange encounters.
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The Raven Analysis: ‘Nevermore’ and the Descent into Despair
For the average reader, there are too many fantastic literary experiences when reading through the litany of classic literature to count. However, maybe the most common is when one reads “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe for the very first time. It goes without saying that Poe’s poem is remarkable in every conceivable way. The introduction itself–“Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary”–is so iconic and mechanically sound that one has to wonder if a divine creature gifted this line to Poe. Maybe from some Plutonian shore. Yet, Poe has many fantastic poems that should be shared and revered. In this post, we will analyze the language of “The Raven,” and discover what makes it such a famous piece of writing.
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Wendigo Analysis: Origin, Description, and Symbolism
The cold and forbidding forests of Canada and Northern Michigan are home to a plethora of natural wonders. Surely, the frozen landscape is beautiful enough. But when the winter wind howls and the trees crack–surely something evil creeps in the frightful dark. In Indigenous cultures, the beast goes by the name “wendigo.” This post will analyze the lore around this monstrous creature and see how the strength of folklore influences culture and history to this day.
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Writing Action Scenes: Techniques to Engage Every Reader
What is good action in a narrative? How do we write good action scenes? Sometimes it’s the tension in a conversation in a drama, and sometimes it’s the clatter of swords on a pirate ship. In this post, we are going to look at tips on writing action and examine some examples from other texts. By the end, you should have a well-rounded approach to incorporating more heart-pounding moments in your writing.
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Writing Suspense Stories: Techniques to Hook & Hold Readers
Writing suspense stories is akin to writing music. You want something catchy to pull readers in, but then you want to continue creating new lines of interest to maintain attention. Luckily, books and stories have huge windows to maintain attention. In this way, you still want to move readers through a narrative adroitly. The suspense keeps readers reading, and that’s a really good thing. In this post, we are going to discuss a few ideas about how to build tension and suspense accordingly.
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