Category Archives: Creative Writing

Sharp Novel Minds and Pithy First Lines, with Jane Austen, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dorothy Sayers, Geo. MacDonald, G.K. Chesterton, Ray Bradbury, N.K. Jemisin, Nalo Hopkinson, Margaret Atwood and more!

Posted on October 18, 2023 by Brenton Dickieson

Sacrificial Fire for Fickle Gods (2023) by Brenton Dickieson O! to speak life-words of fire In a fashion sweet and plain: For pith-like wit, ink-painted flight, A Titan’s theft of flame. Lo! in conjuring these trickster lords, Who rule not … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Writing, Memorable Quotes, Reflections | Tagged Albert Camus, books, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, Dorothy L. Sayers, George MacDonald, Harry Potter, Herman Melville, Invisible Man, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jane Austen, L'Étranger, literature, Lord of the Rings, Margaret Atwood, Moby Dick, N.K. Jemisin, Nalo Hopkinson, Narnia, Pride and Prejudice, Ralph Ellison, That Hideous Strength, The Hobbit, The Voyage of The Dawn Treader, writing | 32 Comments

The Ant and the Grasshopper: A Revolting Rhyme

Posted on November 16, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

This semester, I have been teaching “Folkloric Transformations” at Signum University. In the first half of the class, we talked about vampires and I offered my “open class” on the anatomy of the vampire myth. In the second half of … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Writing | Tagged Folkloric Transformations, Revolting Rhymes, Roald Dahl | 5 Comments

“Street Haunting: A London Adventure” by Virginia Woolf

Posted on June 11, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

I just love this 1927 essay by Virginia Woolf, “Street Haunting: A London Adventure.” I am a fan in general of Woolf’s writing, though I don’t love it equally. I could study To the Lighthouse or Orlando for years and A Room … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Writing | Tagged A Room of One's Own, essay writing, essays, Jacob's Room, Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando, Street Haunting, To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf | 3 Comments

O Foolish Writer: The Living Reality of an Author’s Work, with C.S. Lewis, Stephen King, and Ursula K. Le Guin (Throwback Thursday)

Posted on July 18, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

Throwback Thursdays are where I find a blog post from the past–raiding either my own blog-hoard or someone else’s–and throw it back out into the digital world. This might be an idea or book that is now relevant again, or … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Writing, Fictional Worlds, Memorable Quotes, Throwback Thursdays | Tagged brewing, C.S. Lewis, Carrie, Chloe Moretz, Earthsea, Eugene Peterson, fantasy, fictional worlds, Frederick Buechner, Julianne Moore, Of Other Worlds, On Writing, Science Fiction, speculative fiction, Stephen King, Ursula K. Le Guin, writing | 18 Comments

“Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What’s to be Said” by C.S. Lewis (Throwback Thursday)

Posted on May 30, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

Last year I introduced an occasional feature I call “Throwback Thursday.” This is where I find a blog post from the past–raiding either my own blog-hoard or someone else’s–and throw it back out into the digital world. This might be … Continue reading →