Cathartic Writing & Cathartic Reading—An Intersection

By Bonnie Randall

Part of The Writer's Life Series 

JH: Stories do more than simply entertain or inform us. Bonnie Randall shares why reading is critical to good health, and why writers should write the tough stories.

‘Catharsis’—a word derived from the Greek Katharos; to purify, and Katharein; to cleanse. To experience catharsis is to know a sense of ‘renewal upon release’, and much material has been compiled on cathartic writing: there are analysis out there on everything from personal journaling to the Taylor Swift lyrics that appear to process the artist’s angsty relationships.

Less, though, has been written about the concept of cathartic reading, yet perhaps at no time quite like the unusual era we are living in now do the benefits of cathartic reading seem more profound.

Following is a compilation of reasons why the fiction and memoirs you—yes: YOU—are crafting right now are so incredibly valuable for the population you’re reaching out to.

Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com