Greetings,
Some of you may be familiar with my past posts, especially "Four Things Every Fantasy Writer Should Know." Here I address a topic best described as "story theory." It is the quasi-philosophical investigation of the art and form of creative writing. It is not the same as literature or semantics - it looks to unearth the depths of what makes a story a story. It is my favorite topic.
I have a professor here at Patrick Henry College named Dr. Mitchell. He's boss. Totally boss. And deadpan as a painting. I've never known a more refined, dignified, and eloquent gentleman. But the scruffy chap has a stiff and lanky way about him which, though endearing, leaves him dry and impeccably rational. Not a word passes his lips without first filtering through a mental maze of critical analysis, making every sentence feel processed smelling of chalk.
However, he wrote a review of
The Lord of the Rings which I highly recommend you to read. It's very short, and touches on my "story theory" idea. Once you've read it, respond to what you think makes a story a story, as based on his review.
http://www.frontporchrepublic.com/2011/ ... ens-quest/Deo Volente,
Pavalini
