I noticed you said (in a comment on J's blog) that you're having a conflict of interest with Dr. W because he's interested in "reality" while your heart lies in "escaping reality." I feel the need to address this, as I have been there and am now there (since I'm in his class again).
Tolkien helped me immensely with this (as well as Dr. W). In his essay titled "Faerie," Tolkien stressed that the point of fantasy (and I would say fiction in general) is not to "escape" reality, but to "see" reality clearer than we originally saw it. We go into wonderlands to see things as they really are and not as they are given us.
That is why the medium of story is powerful for Christians. We are in constant awareness of and contact with how things "really are," and it is our job to testify of those things to the world. Any story (whether it is realistic or fantastic) can accomplish this.
Dr. W may stress realism (which can be necessary to help ground us when we need to be grounded), but he stresses even more the value of a good story. "Don't let anything get in the way of a good story," he has said before, and that will always be his final teaching.
In addition, he would also say (and has said) that we each have not only our own voice but also our own story to tell, and it will be different from others: some will be realistic, some fantastic, others in between. The point is that you learn how to tell your story, and tell it well.
Your tale is not frivolous or trivial. God gave it to you, and it is yours to tell. If anything, that is what you should learn (and what Dr. W would want you to learn) from the creative writing class.
Tolkien helped me immensely with this (as well as Dr. W). In his essay titled "Faerie," Tolkien stressed that the point of fantasy (and I would say fiction in general) is not to "escape" reality, but to "see" reality clearer than we originally saw it. We go into wonderlands to see things as they really are and not as they are given us.
That is why the medium of story is powerful for Christians. We are in constant awareness of and contact with how things "really are," and it is our job to testify of those things to the world. Any story (whether it is realistic or fantastic) can accomplish this.
Dr. W may stress realism (which can be necessary to help ground us when we need to be grounded), but he stresses even more the value of a good story. "Don't let anything get in the way of a good story," he has said before, and that will always be his final teaching.
In addition, he would also say (and has said) that we each have not only our own voice but also our own story to tell, and it will be different from others: some will be realistic, some fantastic, others in between. The point is that you learn how to tell your story, and tell it well.
Your tale is not frivolous or trivial. God gave it to you, and it is yours to tell. If anything, that is what you should learn (and what Dr. W would want you to learn) from the creative writing class.
2 comments:
HonestMy dear Lord Jon,
You have no idea how appreciative I am to you for explaining this. You were able to take two ideas and explain to me how they don't have to be foreign, but can be connected. Thank you so much for taking the time to do that; it really made a difference. Honestly, I was pretty upset last night when I came home from class over the comments that Mr./Dr. Walker had made on my couples scene. I respect him a lot, so his comments really cut me deep. However, using your explanation, I can see his point a little better now. It really helped.
Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow! Go Tigers!
I am, forever,
Lady K
Please ignore the typo. Butterfingers.
-Me
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