Category Archives: On Writing

John Bunyan’s Apology for his Book with a Note from C.S. Lewis on Writing as Holistic Discovery–and How Narnia Achieved the Bigness You See

Posted on March 30, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

In my blog post last week, “Bunyan and Others and Me: Vicarious Bookshelf Friendship and a Jazz Hands Theory of Reading,” I offered two “Theories of Reading” from my experience of trying to find sympathy with John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes, On Writing, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Ursula K. Le Guin’s Manifesto Against Genre Snobbery

Posted on August 27, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

One of our greatest speculative fiction writers, Ursula K. Le Guin, has never been one to turn down a fight. A genius in two of my favourite genres, science fiction and fantasy–especially planetary SciFi and magic-world fantasy–Le Guin has also … Continue reading →

Posted in Feature Friday, Memorable Quotes, On Writing, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Writing Tips by Stephen King: Infographic and Video

Posted on August 2, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

I know that this post is less than a year old, but I still think the infographic is pretty cool. Plus, I found a funny short video from the Late Show with Stephen Colbert that is worth sharing. No matter … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes, On Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 17 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 →

Posted in Creative Writing, Fictional Worlds, Lewis Biography, Memorable Quotes, News & Links, On Writing, Throwback Thursdays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 60 Comments

What does Philip Pullman’s Daemon Voices have to say about the Inklings? Guest Post by Wesley Schantz

Posted on March 19, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

For a long time, Philip Pullman’s been my favorite living writer. And for practically as long as I’ve loved his stories, particularly The Golden Compass, I’ve been aware of his harsh criticisms of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. (That’s actually … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Guest Blogs, On Writing, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 32 Comments