The Writer’s Lens – Ep67: “The Great Divorce” and Why We Don’t Take Hell So Seriously

C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite authors of all time. His literary works are popular outside of even the Christian community, for which he is most known. But one such title that is often overlooked is a short story called, The Great Divorce. It’s about about a man riding a bus to somewhere. And that somewhere just so happens to be heaven. For those who get off, it’s a path to hell. But there are more than a few ways to get off the bus and head to the underworld. 

This analysis I attempt is a true deep dive. So it’s lengthy, but like any of Lewis’ works, it’s chock full of meat to chew on. In particular, the topic of heaven and hell and why we might forget about one while in pursuit of the other. 

The Writer’s Lens – Narrative Wars 10: “Should We ‘Bend the Knee’ to Our Critics?”

The Narrative Wars returneth….

You may have never heard of Amelie Wen Zhao (or maybe you have?) but just in case you did or didn’t, this episode was catalyzed by a recent ordeal involving the up-and-coming YA fiction writer. Ms. Zhao was the subject of some harsh criticism for her new book, Blood Heir, which hadn’t even hit the shelves yet. Her book, as described by her earliest of critics, was said to be “racially insensitive” and was encouraged to the point of not releasing her book. Here’s the catch though: many of her detractors had not even read the book. Apparently hearsay and a few buzzwords had caused many to take to the social media to block the Blood Heir release. Much talk and discussion over Zhao’s ordeal followed.

Yet after the social media mob settled, she decided to move forward with her book anyway and not give in to earlier pressures to not publish it. Her book was published mid-November 2019.

This episode is an attempt to talk through artistic expression and how creatives can face a lot of external pressure – even before their idea is off the ground.

Hope you enjoy.

For more on this situation, you can check other sources such as this one here.

The Writer’s Lens – E63: “The Fellowship of the Ring” and Finding Your Place in a Group

The Writer’s Lens returns!

In my first episode in over a month, I take a look at one of my all-time favorites: Tolkien’s first of three stories in the Lord of the Rings trilogy: The Fellowship of the Ring.

Lovers of the fantasy epic recognize LOTR for its dramatic visuals, beautiful descriptions, and downright awesome story. For this episode, I take a deeper look at Tolkien’s theme of fellowship. As a man who lived through some of the most horrific wars in human history, Tolkien understood the need to band together for the sake of a larger cause. As such, his first entry into the series explores the dynamics of group membership and how it can unravel when leadership is lost or when selfish desires take hold. And even more so, how do we even get into the group in the first place?

These ideas and questions I attempt to tackle in about 30 minutes – which is a significantly less amount of time than the extended edition on DVD or Blu-Ray. Enjoy!

The Writer’s Lens – Interview 18: Despite Popular Belief, “Story and THE Story Are Connected”

My latest interview is with a couple of gents I got connected with recently. Erik Marti and Stephen Lauterbach are the voices of Despite Popular Belief, a podcast that tackles several interesting topics, like the Leviathan, the Salem Witch Trials, and predestination; doing so through a Biblical worldview.

I was on Despite Popular Belief talking about the power of storytelling. Now, I get to ask Erik and Stephen about their own stories. How they came together, how they developed the idea for Despite Popular Belief, and how they see the podcast in the future.

You can check them out on Spotify, Google Play, and iTunes. Or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @DespitePopularBelief.

The Writer’s Lens – E62: “It” and Fear Through the Lens of Children and Adults

I’m not a big fan of scary stories. They aren’t the type of story I indulge regularly.

However, that’s not to say that I’m antagonistic towards scary moments. If a story is good; if a story is intriguing; if it seems to be headed somewhere other than just another scare, then I’m better at accepting the scares when they come.

That being said, I wanted to comment on the recent reimagining of Stephen King’s “It”. Not the story necessarily, but whether or not the onset of terror is more intense when a) it’s a child or b) it’s an adult. The answer might be obvious, but what does this mean outside of fiction? What is the truth behind a child’s helplessness and the responsibilities we have as adults to watch out for them? This episode is an attempt to scratch the surface on perhaps several more conversations.

Check out my latest episode here.

The Writer’s Lens – E61: “The Lion King” and What Redemption Looks Like

One of my favorite films of all time. Arguably one of Disney’s greatest works from the past 30 years, The Lion King is the coming-of-age tale of Simba, a lion cub destined to be King of Pride Rock, who is framed for murdering his own father, Mufasa. Whose evil uncle, Scar, takes over in Simba’s absence, runs the Pride Lands into famine and death, but is confronted by an aged and courageous Simba, who has spent years running away from his problems.

It’s a great story, further accentuated by its iconic music and iconic voices (James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, and Nathan Lane, to name a few). And though its popularity is undeniable, does The Lion King truly offer up a redemptive narrative? Simba regains what was rightfully his – the throne of Pride Rock – but is that all there is to a good redemption story? This is my analysis episode for Disney’s The Lion King.

The animated one. Not the live-action-which-wasn’t-live-action version of 2019. Enjoy.

The Writer’s Lens – E60: “Dark” and What If Time Travel Was Possible?

In the first episode of a new series, I take a look at themes supporting popular books, shows and films.

First up is the Netflix original, “Dark”; a show that puts a twist on time travel. Or rather, puts its audiences minds in a twist with its complex characters and increasingly complex plot developments. Great writing aside, it made me wonder something – which became the catalyst for this episode – What would we do if time travel was possible?

The Writer’s Lens E59: The Exalting and Glorifying of Ideas

After a couple weeks’ break, we’re back to finish this small series on Exploring, Exposing, and now, Exalting Ideas. What does it look like when an idea is glorified? And how might we be more cognizant of the ideas we are ingesting?

This one got a little ranty, but that comes with the territory.

Narrative Wars: 09: “Why Is It So Hard To Change People’s Minds?”

Ever have a conversation where you couldn’t convince the other party of something? You have all the facts. You have all the information. But for whatever the reason, the other person just won’t see things from your perspective.

Never? Yeah, me neither (insert sarcasm).

Changing someone’s mind is hard. We aren’t really as open as we’d like to think (cruel irony there, is it not?). New ideas can rock our worldview. And it can make for some rather uncomfortable situations if we’re discussing them openly with another who thinks differently than us.

From a writer’s perspective, storytelling – effective storytelling – is a powerful means by which to change the course of someone’s mindset. A great story can make someone aware of something he never knew or even cause him to consider making a 180 on his own thinking.

This episode of the #NarrativeWars is a deep dive so be sure to stick with me till the end.

Narrative Wars 08: What Is A Human Life Worth?

What is a life worth? More importantly, what is a human life worth?

This episode of The Writer’s Lens attempts to explore the many narratives which surround this very energized topic. A bit on the ranty side, I’ll admit, but my hope is that you will hang with me throughout. Especially if you’re someone who enjoys a good rant. If not, just do your best. That’s all anyone can ever ask.

What Does It Look Like To ‘Value One’s Self’? – LIVE EPISODE

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-39tkm-104da83 Just as the title implies, but done in the context of a live recording.