fiction writer

Where the children’s story is simply the right form for what the author has to say, then of course readers who want to hear that, will read the story or re-read it, at any age... I am almost inclined to set it up as a canon that a children’s story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children’s story. The good ones last. A waltz which you can... See more

Illustrate your ideas , even if you’re not a talented artist. Dahl always imagined Charlie illustrated, even if he wasn’t necessarily the man for the job. He didn’t let his lack of skill stop him. As Dahl plans out the characters in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory , he draws little stick figures to stand in for Quentin Blake’s remarkable... See more

B. The Fulfillment of Your Desire

The fact that you are feeling a pull toward this work, even while questioning its "importance" compared to your previous work, suggests this might be where your gifts and God's call intersect right now. God uses all gifts—even the ones that seem "light" or "whimsical"—to bring Him glory and bless His children.

child psychologists have looked at storytelling as an important tool children use to work through their anxieties about the adult world. Fairy-tale fantasies are now regarded as almost literal depictions of childhood fears about abandonment, powerlessness, and death.

Landscape matters: Britain’s antique countryside, strewn with moldering castles and cozy farms, lends itself to fairy-tale invention. As Tatar puts it, the British are tuned in to the charm of their pastoral fields: “Think about Beatrix Potter talking to bunnies in the hedgerows, or A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh wandering the Hundred Acre Wood.” Not... See more

In the gospel, as in the very best fairy stories, we find what we long for: a magical world, life eternal, love unbounded, the defeat of evil, and a happy ending. And all good stories point us to Jesus, even if they do so indirectly. We are drawn to some stories over others because we intuit that they reflect reality, that they are somehow... See more

The books that shape the moral and imaginative landscape of a culture are rarely Sunday school curriculum. They are the stories woven into the cultural fabric—like The Wind in the Willows , Peter Pan , or The Secret Garden .