Hello, my fair readers! Welcome to today’s reflection on storytelling as a writer and audience member. I am going to try to stick to the usual educational tone of these posts. Honestly, though? This is a subject that’s been increasingly angering me recently. Fair warning that we may devolve into rant mode at some points. …
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 …
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 …
Yikes! It’s already Tuesday. Somehow, I lost track of the Mondays, but I owe you all a featured book for September. I’m not gonna lie: With school back in full swing, free time is in short supply, so I’ll skip right to the chase: Claire M. Banschbach is an author I’ve been wanting to read …
I’ve been puzzling over what to do with this blog since I finished sharing the early draft of Child of the Kaites with you. I finally have decided. At least for now, my goal is to bring you one of my original writings (short story or poem) per month and also share with you about one …
The first thing I did this morning was go to the gym. That’s a lie. The rest of the world thinks I was at the gym. The first thing I really did this morning was assume a false identity and jump on a train out of Pleasanton. The truth is, no one knows where I …
Here’s a little sketch from an idea I had in my Foundation of Christian Thought class. We’re talking about different worldviews, so I thought I’d try a little allegorical scene with some of the different ones. Those included here are Christian Theism, Pantheism, Agnosticism, Secular Humanism, and Atheistic Existentialism. _____________________ “Your usefulness is up. Doug, …
As long as I can remember, it has been one of my biggest dreams to become a published author, to write my stories and have people read them and love them. It may be surprising, then, that one teensy little aspect of being a published author escaped my awareness until recently: Real people will read …