Tag Archives: On Writing

The First Cut is the Deepest: Thoughts about Editing, the Morning After #writingwednesdays

Posted on April 10, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

I have just come out of a marathon editing session. I am a fairly prolific writer. This is my 890th post on A Pilgrim in Narnia, which is conservatively around 500,000 words, perhaps as much as 750,000. When I am … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged Atlas Shrugged, autoethnography, Ayn Rand, David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest, J.R.R. Tolkien, On Writing, Stephen King, The Lord of the Rings, The Stand, writing | 27 Comments

Writing Tips by Stephen King

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

I’ve blogged from time to time about the importance of Stephen King‘s On Writing. It is a funny, moving, flawed, and priceless resource for those who dream of having their journal sketches become hardcover books. On Writing is one of the books … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes, On Writing | Tagged Danse Macabre, L.M. Montgomery, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Octavia Butler, On Writing, Robert Heinlein, Stephen King, writing | 21 Comments

Stephen King, Dawn of the Dead, and the Culture of 9/11

Posted on September 11, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

I have talked before how I found Stephen King‘s On Writing in a bargain bin in the street, and how that discovery catapulted me toward a dozen years of constant writing since. The novel I sat down to write after reading … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged 9/11, Dawn of the Dead, George Romero, H.P. Lovecraft, Horror, Johnny Cash, Mel Gibson, mythology, On Writing, Sarah Polley, Stephen King, Supernatural Horror in Literature, The Blair Witch Project, The Passion of the Christ, Zack Snyder, zombies | 11 Comments

C.S. Lewis’ Pretty Awful and Peculiarly Interesting Letter on Writing

Posted on May 1, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

How many times have you heard of the struggling writer providentially bumping into an established author or writing a letter? And then that writer on the edge of hopelessness becomes the recipient of a little piece of advice or encouragement … Continue reading →

Posted in Lewis Biography, Memorable Quotes, On Writing | Tagged Arthur C. Clarke, books, C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Joy Davidman, letters, Letters to an America Lady, Letters to Children, On Writing, Perelandra, Roger Lancelyn Green, Surprised by Joy, writing | 10 Comments

Octavia Butler’s and Robert Heinlein’s Rules of Writing

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

My most significant alien encounter this year has been in the science fiction of Octavia E. Butler. I have only dipped into her work, enjoying her Xenogenesis Trilogy (1987-89) and a collection of short pieces, Bloodchild and Other Stories (2nd ed., … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes, On Writing | Tagged Afrofuturism, Black Panther, Octavia Butler, On Writing, Robert Heinlein, Science Fiction, SF, speculative fiction, Stephen King, Stranger in a Strange Land, writing, Xenogenesis Trilogy | 12 Comments

A Lament for the Loss of Young Teachers (A Feature Friday Post from the Vault)

Posted on September 8, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

I am doing work in the statistical analysis division of our labour market research unit in government. Of course, I am. After all, I’m doing a PhD in fantasy literature. I wrote this piece a couple of years ago, where … Continue reading →

Posted in Feature Friday, On Writing, Original Research, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged academic, art, Education, higher education, Mr. Holland's Opus, On Writing, Richard Dreyfuss, Ronald Reagan, Teaching, theology, Theology of Culture, University | 8 Comments

Infodump and Identification: Thinking about Fantastic First Pages with Anne McCaffrey

Posted on August 15, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

I’m having trouble getting into the (sort of) second Dragonriders of Pern book, Dragonquest. I loved Anne McCaffrey’s Dragonsong, caught up by the protagonist’s heartsore struggle to express her creativity in a world of martial law. In dire threat of the biological terror of … Continue reading →