Preface to this series: Back in 2019, towards the beginning of this blogging venture, I wrote a series called “Christians and the Creative Writing Process.” Now, seven years later, I wanted to revisit the topics to expand them and add new insights. The original version of this post can be read at this link. ~ …
Category: The Writing Life
Rewrite: World-Building and the Creator of the Universe
Preface to this series: Back in 2019, towards the beginning of this blogging venture, I wrote a series called “Christians and the Creative Writing Process.” Now, seven years later, I wanted to revisit the topics to expand them and add new insights. The original version of this post can be read at this link. ~ …
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Rewrite: Themes and the Parables of Jesus
Preface to this series: Back in 2019, towards the beginning of this blogging venture, I wrote a series called “Christians and the Creative Writing Process.” Now, seven years later, I wanted to revisit the topics to expand them and add new insights. The original version of this post can be read at this link. ~ …
A Sugar Rush of Nostalgia
[Slight spoilers for Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender] On the day it (officially) released, I FaceTimed by brother and sister-in-law and “together” we watched the new Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender movie. The three of us drank in the rush of nostalgia and beautiful animation, a retread of familiar paths from our childhood. And it …
Writing Update July 2026
It only took 7 months, but at last: I’ve got a readable draft of the first Myth-Keepers book. Huzzah! As mentioned in my writing update from the beginning of the year, I revised The Myth-Keepers in an unusual way: I started at the end. I rewrote the third act of the novel, which amounted to …
Novel-Writing Lessons From Video Games: Themes
For the last entry in this series, I must address briefly what is at the heart of every story: themes. Depending on whether you’re a gamer or not, you may be wondering: do video games even have themes or a “moral to the story”? And yes, there are, as there are themes to every story. …
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Novel-Writing Lessons From Video Games: World-Building
I’m typically a fairly self-controlled person when it comes to video games. I’m decent at managing my time and turning the game off after an hour or two. But I’ll admit: I’ve had a few 2am gaming sessions, and it’s always because of one thing: getting lost in the world of the game. Exploring Hyrule …
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Novel-Writing Lessons From Video Games: Plot
It’s time for the next level in this series on Novel-Writing Lessons from Video Games: plots. Many of my favorite games tell compelling and engaging stories: Xenoblade Chronicles, The Legend of Zelda, Kingdom Hearts, etc. Even games that don’t have a storyline, like Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros., have a sense of progression to …
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Novel-Writing Lessons From Video Games: Characters
Video games have some of the most iconic characters in all of storytelling: Mario and Luigi, Link, Zelda, Pikachu, Master Chief, Lara Croft, GLaDOS—and I could keep going. Many games have you make your own character, projecting a digital avatar of your choice (whether true to yourself or a projection of a role you’d like …
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Novel-Writing Lessons From Video Games: Introduction
The notion that video game storytelling can teach novel writers something is not a new concept to this blog. In the past, I’ve given mini-summaries of different tips I’ve picked up from playing some of my favorite Nintendo games, and I’ve discussed at length about the impact of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 on my own writing, …
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