Whether you're fictionalizing or analyzing an historical event, do your ideas justice with great editing. The phrase 'watershed moment' can appear across fiction and non-fiction writing. There will be positive and negative effects of everything.įiction is a powerful way to show these themes and connect readers with history. Often, it’s impossible to predict whether the ultimate effect of an important event will be good or bad. You need a bird’s-eye-view to be able to track the major turning points of history, just like you don’t know if you’re at a river bend when you’re standing inside the river itself. It’s often hard to know which events will be a watershed moment until many years after the event is over. Winters: about what would have happened if Abraham Lincoln’s assassination had taken place before the Civil War Dick: about what the world would look like if the Axis had won WWII, instead of the Allies The Man in the High Castle by Philip K.11/22/63 by Stephen King: about what would have happened if JFK’s assassination had never happened.Here are some examples of alternative history novels that re-envision watershed moments: abolished slavery and changed the culture of the SouthĪlternate history is a genre of fiction that imagines what history would be like if a watershed moment had gone a different way. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: about the watershed moment when the U.S.Pachinko by Min Jin Lee: about the watershed moment when Japan occupied Korea and changed Korean culture.Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell: about the watershed moment when Shakespeare’s work changed English literature forever.Here are some examples of historical fiction novels that follow watershed moments: Writing about these moments can give your story a lot of cultural resonance, because watershed moments are so well-remembered. Historical fiction often focuses on following specific characters throughout watershed moments to see how their lives transformed. It’s fun to imagine what would happen if these events had happened differently. These are events that change everything, including the shape of history. They can spark story ideas and resonate with readers. Watershed moments are fascinating because they hold more cultural significance than other events do. If you’re a fiction writer, you might want to consider paying attention to watershed events as a source of inspiration. How Do Watershed Moments Impact Literature? The figurative meaning of the word “watershed” originated in the mid-1800s, and the phrase “watershed moment” became popular around 1900. The term gained its figurative meaning as a historical turning point because it changes the shape of history in the same way. Think of it as a literal dividing point: the water is going one way at first, until the watershed moment, when it gets rerouted toward a different trajectory. The word “watershed” is a geographical term that refers to an area of land that divides the flow of separate rivers. Where Does the Term Watershed Moment Come From? The term “watershed moment” can also be used on a more intimate level to refer to major turning points within a single person’s life.įor example, your personal watershed moment might be when you move to a new country or when you decide to change careers. They were important events that made a strong impact on the trajectory of history.

Gutenberg’s invention and Archduke Ferdinand’s assassination are both considered watershed moments around the world. This event caused Austria-Hungary to declare war on Serbia, which obliged their other allies in Europe to mobilize, and ultimately led to WWI. This discovery led literacy to rise throughout first Europe, then the world, and gave us the literature we have today.Īnother example is the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914.

In 1435, Johannes Gutenberg made it possible to print books in a much cheaper and more efficient way. One famous example of a watershed moment is the invention of the printing press. Some of these events are important to a single country or population, while others affect the entire world. There are many famous watershed moments throughout history. The term “watershed moment” is an idiom that refers to an important event that changes the direction of history. What Are Some Examples of the Phrase Watershed Moment in Writing?ĭefinition: What Does Watershed Moment Mean?.How Do Watershed Moments Impact Literature?.Where Does the Term Watershed Moment Come From?.Definition: What Does Watershed Moment Mean?.

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