The Writer's Lens

It's another Narrative Wars! And this time we're talking about one of the oldest institutions of human experience: marriage.  There are a lot of narratives out there about marriage. There's the fairy tale, there's the broken-but-being-repaired, there's the "it's going to be another 1-in-2 divorce for these two" - the list goes on. So with this episode, I'll be zeroing in on which particular narrat...

Question: can a story about a fawn teach us lessons about what it means to be a man? Well, I happen to think so. In this episode of The Writer's Lens, we're taking another deep dive into an oldie but a goodie. It's the story of a baby deer and his coming-of-age journey into...um, staghood. And as we work our way through this story, how can we humans - specifically those of the male gender - learn...

Did we evolve from some breed of advanced hominid? Or were we plucked from the dirt by a divine being and made into the people we are today?  The origin of mankind is one of the most hotly debated issues of our time (or any, for that matter). So in this episode I attempt to solve all of those quandaries in a mere 30 minutes or less. Kidding, of course. Or am I.... Some chief questions to consider...

For the sake of keeping algorithms in my favor, here's a brief update on what's going on with The Writer's Lens. I promised it would be brief and it most certainly is.  Catch all of you sooner than later! 

It's one of the most iconic; most recognizable; most pilfered-for-all-its-worth franchises of all time. If you were born on or after 1977, then you have probably heard of the film, "Star Wars". And for this episode, we're talking about the OG Star Wars. That's right, Episode IV - the one that started it all - A New Hope.  But this discussion isn't going to be about wookies, lightsabers, or warp tr...

Rudolph is as synonymous with Christmas as the jolly elf himself, Santa. But is this timeless tale of overcoming the odds really just a pale cover for a story that encourages bullying and non-inclusiveness?  Well, I have a few things to say about that. Stick with me as I do a rather thorough analysis on one of my favorites from my childhood - and now my adulthood. Just in time for the holidays, no...

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...

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....

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, 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 Eri...

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 Stephe...

My latest interview was with Sam Eldredge, co-author of the bestselling book, "Killing Lions" ; a book that was co-written with Sam's father, founder of Ransomed Heart and bestselling author himself, John Eldredge. Taken literally, "Killing Lions" might appear to be a tactical guide on how to hunt the king of the jungle, but the meat and bones of "Killing Lions" deals with a very different issue:...

One of my favorite films of all time. Arguably one of Disney's greatest works of 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, wh...

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...

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. 

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...

In my last episode, I talked about exploring ideas in story. In this one, we'll talk about how stories can bring to light something that might be wrong. Whether it be from a personal, subjective experience, or from a seemingly large scale issue.  And I also give some insight into what I used to binge on when I was a poor college student. 

What is a life worth? More importantly, what is a human life worth?  This episode 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. 

Ah, Stranger Things. The biggest franchise on Netflix and one of the most highly anticipated binge-worthy shows of 2019. So how does Stranger Things do in its third go-round? Is it the best ever? Or is it the worst of the bunch?  This episode is all about the good, the bad, and the ugly of season three. Full disclosure: SPOILERS are ahead. You have been warned. 

A writer may have a new idea and think it the best thing he's ever conceived. Yet if he is unable to make it believable, he's sunk. His audience will leave him before he even gets going.  In the first of a three-parter, I talk about some of the ingredients for exploring new territory. For example, the importance of developing tension between good and evil and why we must acknowledge that humans ar...

We get bombarded with commercials and ads daily. Buy this thing. Check that item out. If the tactics were that simple, no company would go to the effort of creating mascots or telling unique stories to gain the attention of their potential customer base.  But we know that's part of what gains customer loyalty - a good story; a testimonial; some good word-of-mouth from recent buyers. Companies have...

People curse and swear. It's a vice that's been popularized and acceptable when trying to make a point. Or when emotions are running high. Our favorite stories - and by default, our favorite characters - might exhibit profane language.   The use of vulgar language has been present in all forms of media for decades. And regardless of how you feel about cursing, we have to acknowledge that language...

Ever since I was a kid, I've been told I could "change the world". And like most writers-in-training, this concept spoke to me deeply. If my words were delivered well, then perhaps I could make that dream a reality. I could "change" the world for the better. I could be of influence. I could be of some impact in this place while I'm here.  But who says the world is bad to begin with? Is there truly...

You may or may not know the story of the Hitchens brothers - Christopher, the elder, and Peter, the younger. Christopher was a prominent figure in the anti-religion, pro-atheistic worldview camp while Peter is a well-known voice for the pro-faith, Christian community. Their philosophies would have them at odds, but both men share the same mother and father. Their bloodline could not be tighter. An...

I'm proud to consider myself a writer. I throw ideas into the abyss and see what others think. It's fun, if not terrifying, at times. If you have something you enjoy, then you're likely to have a sense of pride about it too.  Which is why we don't think of Pride as being a negative; it's almost always associated with something positive. Our mainstream attitudes view Pride as something which gives...

Recently, I've been talking about my first two books - The Epiphanies, Theories, and Downright Good Thoughts... series and I realized that I need to address a couple of things. Namely, 1) why I stopped writing them and 2) why I am not ashamed of them either. Like any other writer / artist, we all have growing pains, but sometimes the growing is something a little more drastic than changing a coupl...