writing

"My parents were always uncertain and it really doesn't matter. I celebrate January 2, 1920, so let it be."

Some of our favorite historical figures were born in the month of December. We couldn't possibly name them all, but here are just a handful whose lives we'll be celebrating.

These well known duos lived out their relationships on the page.

Henry David Thoreau changed writing forever, and not just by hanging out by Walden Pond.

Christopher Polk // Getty Images for VH1

An American hasn’t won the world’s most prestigious writing prize since 1993.

The research on how cursive handwriting benefits educational development is spotty.

T.S. Eliot is best known for writing "The Waste Land," but the Nobel Prize winner was also a prankster who coined a perennially popular curse word and created the characters brought to life in the Broadway musical "Cats."

As one of the founding fathers of science fiction, Herbert George Wells certainly had a lot to say about the human race.

The long list includes bacon, peach cobbler, and possum.

The retreat is located on Pelee Island in Lake Erie, where Atwood is a longtime seasonal resident.

“Beauty is only skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone.”

Happy birthday to poet Ogden Nash, known for his ability to turn a witty verse on everything from politics to celery.

Anita Thompson returned the trophy on his behalf.

On May 30, 1593, the writer arrived at a lodging house for drinks with friends and never emerged.

And what happens if we apply them sideways?

Bob Dylan—the legendary artist formerly known as Robert Zimmerman—has spent the past 50-plus years trying to keep a low profile.

In 1858, the poet published a 13-column guide to manly health under a pseudonym.

Save your notes on your tablet or phone without taking a million pictures of your notebook.

If you’re struggling to fine tune your writing or reduce that cover letter to a single page, there’s a web app that can help.

From carefully-counting beans to drinking gallons each day, these famous coffee drinkers are on a must-have basis with java.

It erases with heat, so you can reuse it as many times as you like.

Force yourself into a flow state to increase your productivity.

When Margaret Atwood got tired of long book tours, she developed a pen that would sign books for her long-distance.

The prolific mystery writer took an active part in her husband’s archaeology digs.

Today Would Be Isaac Asimov's 97th Birthday (ish)

10 Famous Birthdays to Celebrate in December

7 of History's Most Famous Pairs of Pen Pals

A Brief History of Pencil-Making

Bob Dylan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature

Learning to Write in Cursive Might Not Be as Important as Your Teachers Told You

12 Surprising Facts About T.S. Eliot

12 Thought-Provoking Quotes from H.G. Wells

The American Foods Mark Twain Craved While Traveling Abroad

Take a Writer's Retreat in Canada with Margaret Atwood

25 of Dorothy Parker's Best Quotes

16 Clever Quips from Ogden Nash

Hunter S. Thompson’s Widow Returned the Antlers He Stole From Hemingway

The Mysterious Death of Christopher Marlowe

Why Do We Put Stamps on the Upper-Right Corner?

25 Freewheelin' Facts About Bob Dylan

15 Tips From Walt Whitman for Living a Healthy Life

Moleskine’s Smart Pen Will Digitize Your Drawings in Real Time

This Web App Identifies Unnecessary Words In Your Writing

15 Famous Coffee Fiends

This Microwaveable Notebook Lets You Save Your Pages to the Cloud

This App Deletes Your Work If You Stop Writing

8 Things Invented by Famous Writers

How Archaeology Influenced Agatha Christie