Megan Almon, while discussing the topic of beauty with Wade Mobley, said "The idea is that when we cultivate beauty in the world around us, it's really an act of defiance against all that is dark and broken and wrong with the world." A while back, I talked about the subject of joy. Not extensively,... Continue Reading →
I watched this video during a worldview class and it completely rocked my view of Mormons. Yes, it's a long one, but it's entirely worth it. This is stuff no other worldview curriculum has taught me before. Don't ignore the Mormons at your door. You have the best news in the entire world, and they're... Continue Reading →
I know not all of my readers are from the USA, but if you are, I wish you a great 4th of July and encourage you to remember what this day is really about. Not fireworks, not barbeques -- freedom. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. Freedom to assemble. To my writers, we must consider... Continue Reading →
I've heard folks dis the LotR films a fair deal. Now, is the book pretty much always better than the movie? Yes. But I must say, that out of all the books-turned-into-movies I've seen, Jackson's trilogy was the best. Why? Not only did he stick closer to the storyline than any book-remake film, but he... Continue Reading →
I remember when I was young, feeling like I was a failure because a witnessing conversation with an unbelieving friend had not gone how I'd expected it to at all. It was tense and awkward and I blundered horribly through it. I recall going to my mom all stressed and worried that I was broken,... Continue Reading →
In a moment of irony, this article landed in my inbox today, right after I'd listened to someone talking about how they felt The Chosen to be breaking the second commandment. I'd give it a read -- this is something to keep in mind as we think about how we as artists portray Jesus, be... Continue Reading →
I know a lot of my more recent topics have been... not exactly sunshine and rainbows. But I feel like these are important things to discuss, and I write about these things as they hit me. Among Christian writers, there is some disagreement on the use of crude language or expletives in narrative. Some are... Continue Reading →
If you're familiar with the hero's journey story structure, you're well aware of what lies at the bottom of it -- a nasty, unhappy miasma of gloom, misery, and yes, despair. The Save the Cat method has the similar 'all is lost moment.' No matter what it's called, it's that place the hero goes when... Continue Reading →
Alright, folks, I have a very special book for you today: Dawn of Wonder by Jonathan Renshaw. This book was long, but very good, and plenty detailed. I have the feeling that the rest of the upcoming stories will make this into a truly powerful series, as Dawn of Wonder lays the groundwork for a... Continue Reading →
Hey there, just popping in because this was so well-done I needed to share about it. The Gospel Coalition published this fantastic article by Brett McCracken today. I highly recommend reading through it -- it mentions some of the issues I've been discussing recently and really explains the decay of storytelling in our culture well.... Continue Reading →
