(Or, A Chance To Gush About Xenoblade Chronicles 3) Once upon a time, I used to be a “story purist.” In other words, I used to believe that books were the unquestioned superior form of storytelling, and dismissed movies, TV shows, and video games as inferior stories. I never thought those visual mediums could come …
Author: Madelynn Orion
Writing Update September 2024: Where I’ve Been
I didn’t intend to take a six month break from the blog, but here we are. In a nutshell, after writing my series “Confessions of a Christian Writer,” I felt led to take a hiatus from writing (including for the blog) for some time to pray and continue to reflect. I picked up novel-writing again …
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A Christian Writer’s Confession, Part 3: Worship and Delight
The final piece I need to confess regarding my writing: I have not worshiped the Lord through my writing in recent months, at least not often. This is the product of both pursuing the Kingdom of Self as well as idolizing publication as the end goal. I’m burning out on projects quickly. I’m only writing …
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A Christian Writer’s Confession, Part 2: Productivity or Stewarding Talents
I am a very self-driven, Type-A person. I do very little that isn’t practical. And right now, it’s choking my writing. Now, I believe Scripture is very clear that we are not to be lazy people and should work diligently, as unto the Lord, while also balancing that with our need for Sabbath rest. What …
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A Christian Writer’s Confession, Part 1: Kingdom of Self versus Kingdom of God
Confession is a lost rhythm of modern life. In modern American culture, we’re quick to ignore our own faults and shortcomings, justify vice or less-than-good behaviors, and not cast judgment on others’ mistakes—unless we disagree with something they stand for. I’m grateful to be a part of a church that regularly practices confession, and it …
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My Favorite Writers
To ring in the new year, I’d like to talk about my favorite authors, the writers who inspire me, who move me, and whose writing style I love. Every time I pick up a book of theirs, whether I’ve never read it before or I’ve read it dozens of times, these are the writers who …
Reading Recap 2023 – Part 3: Mysteries, Histories, and Adventures
Here’s to the last blog of the year! Not including school books, I read 50 books this year! That’s much more than I expected. Let’s dive into my reads from the last third of the year. The Penderwicks in Spring by Jeanne Birdsall (3/5 Stars): Unlike the earlier entries in the series (which I reviewed …
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Best Portrayals of Santa Claus
A page from J. R. R. Tolkien's Letters from Father Christmas Merry Christmas, my friends! Today’s holiday-themed topic is all about my favorite portrayals of Jolly Old Saint Nick. This legendary gift-giving extraordinaire has been interpreted in many creative ways over the years, with some versions extra memorable in my mind. Plus, this gives me …
A Decade of Myth-Keepers: My Oldest Story
"Mythics" was the original series name - I brainstormed different names for the series in my planner. It's on a November calendar page, but I didn't commit to writing and working on the series until December 2013. The Myth-Keepers, my longest actively worked on series, turns ten years old this month. It is very surreal …
December 2023 Writing Update: A Year of Little Progress
Hey there. It’s been a while. 2023 has been the sparsest year for writing updates (I at least get four, one per quarter, but this is only the third of the year) and one of the longest droughts since the last update (which was in May!). But I will admit up front: it seems odd …
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By Madelynn Orion 