New Podcast Up: There And Back Again Once More

In the first podcast of 2015, we discuss a little bit of literary failure before launching into why we continue writing even in the face of adversity. What keeps you going? We also discuss the final Hobbit film and how it holds up to the text of Tolkien’s work. Finally, we answer some listener mail

New Podcast Up: Beginning Lines and Ending Hobbits

In this end of year podcast we discuss the most important beginning of any novel: the first line. The first line is something that writers like Stephen King spend a month preparing. It is the line that hooks the reader, that sets the tone for the novel, and is a sort of “thesis statement” for

New Podcast Up: Plagiarism Stinks!

On this episode we discuss the very real problem of plagiarism and how it can be annoying…especially if you are the one being plagiarized. I talk at length about my recent run-in with EssayMama and how they ripped off my viral blog post “Tolkien’s 10 Tips for Writers”. Shoot, even Suzanne Collins plagiarizes. Have you

Notes from Middle Earth: Every Novel Needs A Detailed Back Story

Backstories are extremely important in creating a setting. We must write a history, an ecology, a governmental system and many other things to make a believable setting.

“Tolkien’s 10 Tips for Writers” Plagiarized by EssayMomma

Last year I wrote a very popular blog post titled “Tolkien’s 10 Tips for Writers”.  It was the product of several months of pouring through Tolkien’s letters found in “The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien” by Humphrey Carpenter.  I performed all of the research into the letters myself, designed all of the tips tailored as I felt Tolkien would

A Question About Samwise Gamgee…and Tolkien’s Answer

Over at Noel Campbell’s blog, he has posited an interesting question about Samwise Gamgee from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.  The question was quite good, and caused me to peruse Tolkien’s letters for the answer. The question is this: Who would history say destroyed the ring if Samwise had told the story?  To quote Mr. Campbell:

Tolkien on Allegory

For years we have heard the story that J.R.R. Tolkien, creator of Middle Earth, never intended for any of his books to be allegory at all even though the Christian community rallies around him as a writer of Christian fiction.  It is true that we can see many images of Christ in the characters of

New Podcast Up: Villains and Characterization

In this week’s podcast Ryan McKinley and I discuss our favorite villains in fiction and in pop culture and also what makes a great villain.  What must a writer do to create interesting, powerful villains?  Find out in this episode!

Tolkien on Tolkien: Frodo’s Other Option

For those of us who have read The Lord of the Rings, we all thrill when Frodo finally throws the One Ring into the crack of Mount Doom, but according to Tolkien’s own letters Frodo had one other option once he possessed the Dark One’s Ring. In a letter to a fan, one Eileen Elgar, who

Tolkien on Tolkien: Why Must The One Ring Be Destroyed?

I absolutely love J.R.R. Tolkien.  He is, in my opinion, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century and certainly is (for fantasy writers at least) the great grandfather of modern fantasy novels. I often discuss Tolkien’s works with others, and one question that always comes up is “why did they have to destroy