Forms of Conflict, Part 4: Man vs. Nature

We have discussed the definition of conflict and how to build it as well as three of the four forms of conflict: Man vs. Society, Man vs. Self, and Man vs. Man. There was an intermission to discuss some details pertinent to the first two conflict types. These pieces were inspired by a conversation I…

A Hobbit in Scotland

Well, not quite a Hobbit, but the thought still counts. Click the link to learn more, readers! 90-Year-Old Creative Woodcutter Built His Own Hobbit House and Has Been Living in It Off-Grid BY SWNS JANUARY 24, 2023 A woodcutter who built his own hobbit house has revealed he’s never watched Lord of the Rings but nevertheless lives in…

Forms of Conflict, Part 2: Man vs. Self

Last week, we discussed the type of conflict known as Man vs. Society. This time we are talking about the kind of plot known as Man vs. Self. That is, Man versus his own inner weaknesses, flaws, and sins. Foxfier and I discussed this conflict in Crossover Queen’s post here. In the process, Foxfier made…

Redemption for a Knight of the Round Table

Follow the link to learn more, readers! Redeeming Gawain through a Faërian Drama? Tolkien scholar Janet Brennan Croft stated: In his essay On Fairy Stories, Tolkien introduces the concept of Faërian Drama: plays which the elves present to men, with a ‘realism and immediacy beyond the compass of any human mechanism,‛ where the viewer feels he is…

A Reflection on Recovery

Take a look at this fascinating piece on Tolkien and Tennyson, readers! Tolkien’s Recovery and Tennyson’s King Arthur In his lecture and essay “On Fairy-stories” Tolkien defines the fundamental function of Fairy-stories he names Recovery: “Recovery (which includes return and renewal of health) is a re-gaining – regaining of a clear view. I do not say…

Reposted: On Christian Magic

A word from master writer John C. Wright, readers: On Christian Magic A reader posed an earnest question to me, and one of great interest to a man of my profession of faith in my profession as a fantasy author. The question is one wiser heads than mine have pondered, so my answer was to…

Smoking in Tolkien

Well worth the read. Check it out! J.R.R. Tolkien: Builder of Pipe-Centric Worlds August 27, 2021 by Chuck Stanion in Pipe Line The influence of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien on modern literature, culture, and even pipe smoking, is immeasurable. He supercharged the fantasy genre and made it more accessible to millions. Enormously popular games like…

Nice Girls – Are They More or Less Difficult to Write than Bad Girls?

“Playing good girls in the ‘30s was difficult, when the fad was to play bad girls. Actually I think playing bad girls is a bore; I have always had more luck with good girl roles because they require more from an actress.” Olivia De Havilland via BrainyQuote.com Olivia De Haviland as Melanie Hamilton in Gone…

Music in the Void

Enjoy this excellent piece by the late Stratford Caldecott, readers: Ainulindale: Music of Creation in Tolkien By Stratford Caldecott July 17th, 2013 “There’s a divinity that shapes our ends, Rough-hew them how we will.” (Hamlet V.II.) Both C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien saw the creation of the world as taking place in some way through music. Readers…

Writerly Sound Bites, Number 11: Write What You Know, or Who You Know?

Mr. Haldeman’s statement appears rather condemning at first blush. “Write what you know” – what do you know? In the speculative genres, none of us know what space travel or Faerie is like. We can study the biographies of astronauts, but that does not mean we know, firsthand, what it is like to visit space.…