Lessons Learned from Tolkien: The Value of Inefficiency
Tolkien’s inefficient writing style was radically countercultural in a that built his themes of hope and the value of life.
Lessons Learned
Lessons Learned from Anne of Green Gables: Characters with Trauma Backgrounds
I fell in love with Anne of Green Gables, by L. M. Montgomery, as a girl. There are many stories I loved when I was young that have lost some of their charm in adulthood, but this series is not one of them. The older I get, the more I appreciate Anne Shirley and the …
Lessons Learned from Dune, 2: Keeping Readers Reading
I didn’t finish reading “Dune.” Here’s why and what I learned about writing.
Lessons Learned from The Iron Ring: Chiasm
There are certain patterns of plots that Western readers are familiar with. These are rhythms of thought that help us know what to expect and help us discover the meaning inside a story. I recently read (and loved) Lloyd Alexander’s The Iron Ring, a fantasy novel about a young king who embarks on a mysterious …
Lessons Learned from Dune: Worldbuilding
The first Doctor Who post was popular, so here we are for another Lessons Learned post! There’s been a lot of buzz about Dune, by Frank Herbert, recently. With the announcement of a new film adaptation of it this year, book and sci-fi circles are filled with people singing the novel’s praises and shouting its …
Lessons Learned from Doctor Who: Themes v Messages
I’ve been thinking a lot about several stories recently. Some stories I’ve encountered in the past month have deeply disappointed me. Others have delighted me. I wanted to reflect more on what authors can learn from both the good and the bad. My goal is not to bash any stories, nor is it to blindly …