The Writer's Lens

The Writer's Lens - E26: Have We Romanticized "Darkness" In Our Stories?

Darkness - the absence of light. Or - as some writers will tell you - a clever way to make something sound interesting.

The word dark is often used to describe something mysterious. What lies in the dark is unknown. It can strike fear in the hearts of those who venture in. It can also be the catalyst for an exciting adventure. And, most recently, a way to invite avid readers into a surreal world. 

In this episode, I take a deeper look at why "darkness" has become more and more popular among storytellers. How describing something as dark doesn't always mean the same thing. And how I've found ways to use dark in my own work, specifically in my book, The Road To Mars. 

Enjoy! 

The Writer's Lens - Interview 06: Immanuel Mullen, The Story Is

For my first interview of 2018, I had the privilege of speaking with fellow creative, writer, and "Dune" enthusiast, Immanuel Mullen.

Immanuel is co-founder of The Story Is, a Cleveland-based video and production company which specializes in telling the unique stories of their clients. Immanuel and his wife, Stephanie, started this passion pursuit in 2013 and as they enter their sixth year of operation, Immanuel and Stephanie have entered into even more big things: balancing work, marriage, and two little ones under the age of three.

For this interview, I chat with Immanuel about his passion for video and film, his path to business generation, and his personal quest to find value and meaning in his work. We also chat about the concept of "creative bias" and what it takes to put yourself out there to make things happen in your life.

You can find out more about this talented pair and their work at www.thestoryis.com

The Writer's Lens - E25: Are Artists Important for Society?

What we make, we believe has meaning (at least to the one who makes it). But, how does this translate to the masses? Are artists - writers, scribes, painters, sculptors - ultimately integral and important to the societies they inhabit? 

My first answer would be: yes. And of course, I'd make a claim that they are. Artists dabble in chaos more than order. And artists try to make sense of that chaos so that others can understand it better. What are the truths underlying everything we do? What are our goals? How do we interpret our world? These are some really big questions I've wrestled with as a writer and creative person. Am I doing things that are meaningful and will what I do have meaning to others? In some sense, most creatives hope their work does more than provide personal therapy. There is a hope that their work can impact others. 

Now, whether that's for the noble and just cause is another story. And something I've decided to delve a bit deeper into with this episode. Hope you enjoy. 

The Writer's Lens - E24: Science Fiction Writers - Innovators of Imagination? Or Dark Prophets?

I think sci-fi writers tend to get a bad rap. When it comes to the genre, science fiction can often be touted as "visionaries with a cracked lens." Think Orwell's 1984; Collins' The Hunger Games; Philip K. Dick's Minority Report. It seems that when we are introduced to new technology or a different historical narrative, humanity pays the price. Things don't look better, they look worse. 

As a sci-fi writer by trade, I decided to look into this further. Granted, science fiction does have the capacity to immerse us in dystopian futures and post-apocalyptic dangers, but sci-fi can also inspire us to think outside the box. What are we capable of? What have we yet to imagine that is possibly real? This is a bit of a challenging question. One that I didn't expect to talk about worldviews with, but I did within the context of this episode. 

And as a final note, I wanted to make mention of the passing of sci-fi legend, Ursula K le Guin. Aside from her great contributions to science fiction writing, Ms. le Guin wrote a particularly intriguing foreword in one of her books, The Left Hand of Darkness, that really inspired this episode. So I'll be discussing that too. 

The Writer's Lens - E23: We All Wish We Could Be The Hero

Heroes. We all would like to think ourselves a hero in some regard. Or at the very least, try to recognize the heroes when we see them.

Stories and ancient myths do a good job of portraying what we might see as admirable and what we might deem as attractive when it comes to being labeled the "hero." As a storyteller, it's imperative that we get this right. There are principles by which all heroes aspire to. And there are behaviors they exhibit as well. But, does it translate well to our waking lives? 

In this episode, I talk about the monomyth or Hero's Journey, as coined by Joseph Campbell, and why it's so interesting (to me) and how we

a) love stories about heroes

b) look to our heroes for inspiration and

c) neglect to realize how few heroes there really are; and how much we may think we will rise to the occasion like our favorite heroes always do, but don't always do so

And if you happened to miss my last episode on Good versus Evil in story, you can check it out here. 

The Writer's Lens - E22: Good And Evil In Story

Good and Evil. It's an ageless struggle. One that finds its way into just about every major film and story that we watch, read, and listen to. And depending on what you deem as good and what you deem as evil, your worldview can influence how you interpret said stories (see my last episode for more on that). 

In this episode, I take a look at how various protagonists (aka the hero / heroine) is portrayed in story. And how their antagonists (aka the villains) are presented too. Some tend to be obvious. Others toe the line between what is admirable and what is not. While others are given to us with the inference that they are evil - just so we can root for our "good guys." 

The Writer's Lens - E21: Worldviews, Ideas, And The Psychology Of Creating Stories...Now, Did You Get All That?

Happy New Year! And welcome to more Writer's Lens in 2018! 

To kick off the new year, I'm going in deep. Deep into our worldviews; deep into psychology; deep into the very nature of what makes us create what we create. So all that being said, there's plenty of meat and potatoes in this episode. Plenty of which I can unpack in future installments. But, for now, please enjoy this second half of what makes writing a spiritual experience and how a writer's worldview can change attitudes of readers over time.

The Writer's Lens - E20: "Be Unique"; "Be Yourself"...Wait, What Does That Even Mean?

Last episode of 2017! And I decided to end the year talking about...well, myself. 

Okay, not really. But at least, not entirely.   

In this episode, I talk about the creative notion of "being yourself" and "being unique". As a storyteller, I've often heard people tell me to be either of these things if I'm going to "make it" as a writer. However, as experience has taught me, I've arrived at some insights I thought were worth mentioning. Specifically, what's really being told to us when we hear these phrases and how you can figure out the best way to make the most of them. 

Hope you enjoy. And before I go, a big thank you to everyone who listened, subscribed, and showed support as this podcast got off the ground. Looking forward to more great things in 2018! 

- J.C.L. 

The Writer's Lens - E19: I Want What You Have; I Want To Do It Better; and I Want You To Fail

Don't let the title fool you - this is exactly what I'll be talking about.

You may have a new idea or a new book you want to get out there. But, you feel hindered because everyone else is doing the right things: buying bookmarks, showing up at events, launching book ideas that just so happen to be like yours. It's a daunting position to be in. We all want our ideas to soar. Yet what do we do when we get cornered in our thinking? Sometimes we can compromise ourselves and our circumstances.

In this episode, I'll be talking about this very (perhaps dark) thing that can occur along our creative journey and how we can combat it. 

Oh, and a nice little plug for the Ten Commandments in here too. 

The Writer's Lens - E18: Do You Have Deadlines? Or Creative 'Checkpoints'?

I have a love and hate relationship with deadlines. I love it when I make my own. I hate it when they are handed down to me (with completely unrealistic expectations for completion, that is). But, on the other hand, I love getting deadlines from other people. It makes me want to prove myself. I have a goal and an objective that forces me to make things happen. Because if I'm honest with myself, I know how making my own deadlines can go: I get lax. I put things off. I don't have anyone holding me accountable but me.

In this episode, I discuss what it's been like balancing deadlines with regards to writing books. And how I've learned that making checkpoints rather than hard stops has yielded better habits and more gusto to keep a-movin'. 

Hope you enjoy.