Latest News & Blogs
Sacred Imagination: George Macdonald, Pagan Roots, & Holiness with Shari Suter
Shari Suter, an Orthodox homesteader since 1997, joins Dominic, LegendFiction founder, to discuss the concept of imagination as described by George MacDonald. Shari is wonderful for plumbing deep into topics, and we circle the roots of paganism as a way to understand the holy imagination.
💡 George MacDonald emphasizes the importance of nurturing and cultivating the imagination.
💡 Imagination is a powerful tool for understanding the world and oneself.
💡 Paganism, in its core, involves seeing the sacredness and holiness in all things.
💡 George MacDonald emphasizes the importance of imagination in discovering the works of God and finding meaning in creation.
💡 Writers should use their imagination to clothe deep ideas with the forms and beauty of creation, recognizing that creation itself is a story waiting to be understood.
💡 Imagination should be approached with reverence and respect.
💡 Following the boundaries and limitations of subject matter allows for the discovery of transformation and truth.
💡 Imagination serves as a bridge between the individual and the unity of creation.
We explore the distinction between imagination vs fancy. MacDonald emphasizes the importance of nurturing and cultivating the imagination. We also chat about the role of imagination in perceiving the meaning and vitality in the world, as well as its connection to the sacred and the divine. Imagination should be approach with a sense of reverence and respect, allowing it to reveal both the world and oneself in a profound way.
Explore with us the relationship between imagination and storytelling, allowing the boundaries and limits of of things to discover transformation and truth. Ultimately, imagination serves as a bridge between the individual and the unity of creation, allowing for a deeper understanding of the world and oneself.
LINKS:
Undine: https://www.amazon.com/Undine-Introductory-Essays-MacDonald-Lafcadio/dp/1528717775
Fantastic Imagination: http://www.george-macdonald.com/etexts/fantastic_imagination.html
Lilith: https://www.amazon.com/Lilith-George-MacDonald/dp/0802860613
Owen Barfield: https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Appearances-Idolatry-Owen-Barfield/dp/081956205X
ABOUT THIS SHOW: The LegendFiction Show
Interviews with authors, brought to you by LegendFiction, the creative community for Catholic & Orthodox fiction writers! Hosted by Dominic, the founder, we talk creed, craft, and co-creation, rooted in grit, grace, gods, and dragons. Let’s inspire your faith and your fiction.
ABOUT LEGENDFICTION
The creative community for modern Catholic & Orthodox authors. Share your works in progress, give and get feedback, and double your writing output! Join our private community: https://legendfiction.com
About: https://legendfiction.com/about/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legendfictions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendfiction/
FREE COURSE: How to be a Faith-Inspired Fiction Author
Helping authors write exciting novels, connect faith with fiction, and be a better Catholic! https://legendfiction.com/free-course
Fun-Tastic Adventures with Writing! A Workshop with Amelia Leedom
By the end of the class, you’ll have 4 unique stories to share with your friends and family.
Doxacon X: The 2023 Faith and Fandom (In-Person) Con on Nov 3-4
Only a few weeks after the LegendHaven 2023 online convention, Doxaconn X kicks off in-person at Marymount University!
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THE most exciting idea for new authors – coauthoring! Tom from Multivalent Press on Publishing
– Tom Epperson is a writer and founder of the Indie publishing house Multivalent Press.
– Multivalent Press was created to overcome the barriers to traditional publishing.
– The press is a family business, with Tom and his two sons all working on novels.
– The Other Side of Dead is a trilogy published by Multivalent Press, with the first book titled Once to Die.
– Once to Die is about a young man who has spent his life homeless and caring for his alcoholic father, and who ends up running from organized crime and gangs.
– The book includes supernatural and paranormal elements in the second half.
– Once to Die has received awards and positive reception.
– Tom Epperson discusses his unique publishing process on the Legend Fiction Show.
ABOUT TOM EPPERSON
Tom Epperson, founder of Multivalent Press, a creative publishing house, joined the Legend Fiction Show to discuss his unique process and his books. Epperson, who has been writing for decades, struggled to get his stories in front of readers. He eventually published a trilogy called ‘The Other Side of Dead’ through his own indie publishing route. Epperson and his two sons, who also write, decided to create Multivalent Press to publish different genres of books. Epperson’s novel, ‘Once to Die,’ is the first book in the trilogy. It follows the story of a young man who has spent his life homeless and caring for his father with alcoholism. The protagonist runs afoul of both organized crime and local gangs and spends most of the book on the run. ‘Once to Die’ has received several awards and accolades.
ABOUT MULTIVALENT PRESS
Multivalent Press is a family business where all three members contribute to writing novels. Epperson and his sons came up with the idea for the press, which is named after the concept of multivalence, where there are many different factions to a story.
Website: https://multivalentpress.com
ABOUT THIS SHOW: Legendmakers
Interviews with authors, brought to you by LegendFiction, the creative community for Catholic & Orthodox fiction writers! Hosted by Dominic, the founder, we talk creed, craft, and co-creation, rooted in grit, grace, gods, and dragons. Let’s inspire your faith and your fiction.
ABOUT LEGENDFICTION
The creative community for modern Catholic & Orthodox authors. Share your works in progress, give and get feedback, and double your writing output! Join our private community: https://legendfiction.com
About: https://legendfiction.com/about/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legendfictions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendfiction/
FREE COURSE: How to be a Faith-Inspired Fiction Author
Helping authors write exciting novels, connect faith with fiction, and be a better Catholic! https://legendfiction.com/free-course
#fiction #catholicfiction #publishing #selfpublishing #coauthor #legendfiction
Allegories in Fiction: why it’s not perfect, why that’s ok, and how to keep writing
Allegories can be tough. Not even Narnia is a one-to-one allegory, even though it’s stacked with allegorical ideas.
A return to enchantment! ‘Magic in the Ordinary’ Podcast with Jacqueline Lucca | LegendFiction
Jacqueline Lucca talks about her podcast, “Magic in the Ordinary,” which explores the wonder and beauty of the world around us. She invites writers and artists to discuss their work and the themes within it, providing a space for her listeners to learn, laugh, and take a moment of rest.
🎙️ “Magic in the Ordinary” is a podcast that explores the wonder and beauty of the world we live in, providing a space for people to take a moment of rest and appreciate the simple things in life.
📚 Jacqueline invites writers and artists to discuss their work and the themes within it, encouraging listeners to explore and appreciate the deeper side of life.
🎨 Although the podcast is currently focused on creativity and books, Jacqueline hopes to expand its reach and provide inspiration and a moment of wonder for all who listen.
Plus special news! ‘Magic in the Ordinary’ is joining the LegendFiction blog, so you’ll get additional content to listen to each month! We’re proud to sponsor this wonderful project.
Watch her previous podcast with us: https://youtu.be/SVvRMTXJc34
ABOUT THIS SHOW: Legendmakers
Interviews with authors, brought to you by LegendFiction, the creative community for Catholic & Orthodox fiction writers! Hosted by Dominic, the founder, we talk creed, craft, and co-creation, rooted in grit, grace, gods, and dragons. Let’s inspire your faith and your fiction.
ABOUT LEGENDFICTION
The creative community for modern Catholic & Orthodox authors. Share your works in progress, give and get feedback, and double your writing output! Join our private community: https://legendfiction.com
About: https://legendfiction.com/about/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legendfictions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendfiction/
FREE COURSE: How to be a Faith-Inspired Fiction Author
Helping authors write exciting novels, connect faith with fiction, and be a better Catholic! https://legendfiction.com/free-course
May the 4th be with you! Happy Star Wars Day!
Enjoy this short video of free wallpapers made for the LegendFiction community. Images are created from Midjourney. #maythe4thbewithyou
Get these wallpapers: https://legendfiction.com/epic-science-fiction-heroes-vehicles-landscapes-free-wallpapers-for-your-screens-stories-inspiration/
Brace yourself for an epic adventure, my friend! LegendFiction is obsessed with scifi heroes, especially starships, and we’ve got something special in store for you. Feast your eyes on our stunning collection of free art that’ll blow your mind and elevate your devices to new heights. Save your faves or download them all – no strings attached. It’s our gift to you!
Wizarding Desks & Books – Free wallpapers for your screens, stories, & inspiration!
Are you ready to take your devices on a journey to a magical realm filled with wizards and enchanted books?
The Good Death of Kate Montclair with Daniel McInerny | LegendFiction
Daniel McInerney is an author of fiction for adults and children, an associate professor of philosophy at Christendom College, and the author of ‘The Good Death of Kate Montclair.’ His fantasy series for children is called the ‘Kingdom of Patria,’ and it follows the story of refugees from the Trojan War who land in the new world 3000 years ago and are kept a secret by the US government.
Our conversation starts with Patria, a hidden kingdom in Northern Indiana that was discovered by Thomas Jefferson, and a series that follows an 11 year old boy named Oliver Stu as he discovers the kingdom and the hijinks that ensue. We chat about Daniel’s latest novel, ‘The Good Death of Kate Montclair.’ The book is about a woman, Kate, in late middle age who is diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and sees the next 14 months of suffering as an intolerable prospect. The book is inspired by ‘Brideshead Revisited,’ and about a group of people dealing with death and the question of belief. It also delves into the personal and moral struggle around euthanasia.
Daniel believes faith-inspired fiction is the master category of storytelling and how he is proud to be one of the authors at Chrism Press, a publisher dedicated to better Christian fiction.
ABOUT DANIEL MCINERNY
Daniel McInerny is a native of South Bend, Indiana; a graduate of the University of Notre Dame (BA English) and The Catholic University of America (MA and PhD Philosophy); and an associate professor of philosophy at Christendom College, where he teaches courses on the Philosophy of Art and Beauty and Ethics and Imagination, among other topics. Daniel is a fiction author, dramatist, and screenwriter. His humorous Kingdom of Patria series for middle grade readers can be found on Amazon. Daniel and his wife Amy have three adult children and one preternaturally adorable grandchild, and they live in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. He imagines a renaissance in popular entertainment fueled by wonder, philosophy, and the quest for the good life at his Substack, The Comic Muse.
Substack: https://danielmcinerny.substack.com/
Website: https://danielmcinerny.studio/
Book: https://chrismpress.com/authors/daniel-mcinerny/
Patria Series: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001JS87CK/allbooks
ABOUT THIS SHOW: Legendmakers
Interviews with authors, brought to you by LegendFiction, the creative community for Catholic & Orthodox fiction writers! Hosted by Dominic, the founder, we talk creed, craft, and co-creation, rooted in grit, grace, gods, and dragons. Let’s inspire your faith and your fiction.
ABOUT LEGENDFICTION
The creative community for modern Catholic & Orthodox authors. Share your works in progress, give and get feedback, and double your writing output! Join our private community: https://legendfiction.com
About: https://legendfiction.com/about/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legendfictions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendfiction/
FREE COURSE: How to be a Faith-Inspired Fiction Author
Helping authors write exciting novels, connect faith with fiction, and be a better Catholic! https://legendfiction.com/free-course
Wine & Writing! November Hourly Writing Nights: A Fun Workshop Series with Amelia Leedom
Every week throughout November, I will be hosting an Hour Writing Night.
Magic in the Ordinary: A Podcast for Those Who Want to Re-enchant Their Life
Welcome to Magic in the Ordinary, a podcast that re-enchants life for those who seek wonder and magic in everyday experiences. Join host Jacqueline as she explores the extraordinary in the ordinary, from wild adventures in books to the mysteries of quantum physics.
The Legendbourne: Discover your inner writing legend with LegendFiction’s community and resources
In a world where writing can be a solitary and isolating experience, a group of writers known as the Legendbourne are ready to break free and unleash their creativity.
Ascending Legends: How fiction authors get motivated to write with support & accountability in LegendFiction
Embark on weekly quests of self-improvement, tackling your writing goals with determination, and accountability.
Forge of Legends: How fiction authors break through writer’s block and craft daily writing routines with LegendFiction
Daily writing sessions and a supportive community of writers will help you develop discipline and consistency to make writing a habit.
Level up your writing with the LegendFiction Merch Collection
Check out our LegendFiction Collection merch line! We’ve put together a selection of exciting, unique products designed to inspire and remind you to create.
Fantasy Homes & Hobbit Libraries- Free wallpapers for your screens, stories, & inspiration!
If you’re anything like us at LegendFiction, you can’t get enough of hobbits and stunning homes for inspiration.
Defending Fantasy, Geekery, Lord of the Rings, & Harry Potter | Dominic de Souza & Stephanie Petters, Wood & Word
Stephanie Petters from Wood and Word joins by Dominic de Souza, to chat about Matt Fradd’s recent article In Defense of Fantasy.
Imagination & Reality: The Wardrobe we use to see and understand creation | Part 1/3
Nate Hile and Shari Suter from Grail Country join Dominic to chat about imagination as a ‘truth-bearing faculty.’ Not the fanciful kind of daydreaming, but deep imagination, imagination that reveals truth about reality to us. We touch on George MacDonald who speaks of imagination as divine, a power of synthesis and revealing. Coleridge distinguishes between primary and secondary imagination. We discuss how dogmatism represses the imagination. It is vital to encourage imagination, but to also “teach children to dream nobler dreams.”
Imagination is more than mental muddling. It is the way that we see and understand the world. Imagination is made up of stories or ‘wardrobes’ that we use to make sense of reality. These wardrobes come in many forms, including literature, film, or even music. These wardrobes can be used to uncover new ways of perceiving and interpreting the world. We touch on several examples like C.S. Lewis’ ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe,’ and J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings.’
This conversation is part of a mini-series. Our next two conversations plan to discuss these questions:
Shari: George Macdonald & the Inklings – allegory vs true fairy tales
Nate: The Imaginal/Perilous Realm – Grail questing, and why the British poets contributed most toward the imagination, Owen Barfield and participation
ABOUT SHARI, NATE, & @grailcountry
Shari and Nate are two YouTube creators who met through a Discord server and now produce content together on Grail Country. They discuss imagination as a truth-bearing faculty. Shari is from the Central Interior of British Columbia, while Nate is from Washington State. Nate’s educational background is in journalism, but he worked in the culinary field for a long time before transitioning into state government. Shari and Nate explain how their project, Grail Country, is inspired by Parsifal and the idea of a Grail Quest, which is about uncovering one’s true self.
ABOUT THIS SHOW: The LegendFiction Show
The LegendFiction show is for faith-inspired fiction writers to delve deeper, write wilder, and have fun with storytelling. Join Dominic, a delightful, deliberate dork, coming to you from the LegendFiction community. Join us as we share what we think about faith, fun, and fiction in our world today. Together, we nerd out on the numinous, grapple with the grimdark, and spellbind with stories.
ABOUT LEGENDFICTION
The creative community for modern Catholic & Orthodox authors. Share your works in progress, give and get feedback, and double your writing output! Join our private community: https://legendfiction.com
About: https://legendfiction.com/about/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legendfictions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendfiction/
FREE COURSE: How to be a Faith-Inspired Fiction Author
Helping authors write exciting novels, connect faith with fiction, and be a better Catholic! https://legendfiction.com/free-course
Plan Your Novel: Design the Plot, An Online Workshop with Katelin Cummins
In this ninety-minute workshop, you will create a summary of your story, then build it out into the beginnings of a full outline using the “Inside Outline” tool.
Handling teen rebellion in stories (and real life?)
Katy, Joe, and Dominic tackle the popular trope of ‘The Teen is Always Right’ in fiction, real life, specifically the “junior knows best” trope where a teenager disobeys their parents because they feel held back.
Handling teen rebellion in stories (and real life?) | The LegendFiction Show
Katy, Joe, and Dominic tackle the popular trope of ‘The Teen is Always Right’ in fiction, real life, specifically the “junior knows best” trope where a teenager disobeys their parents because they feel held back. They analyze how this trope is portrayed in media and how it can be done well or poorly. We bring up movies like Guillermo del Toro’s version of Pinocchio, ‘How to Train Your Own Dragon,’ ‘Totoro,’ ‘The Nutcracker and the 4 Realms,’ and ‘Tangled’ to explore these ideas of teen rebellion vs dark authority.
– 📚 We discuss the “junior knows best” trope where a teenager rebels against their parent’s authority, which is a common theme in many stories.
– 🎥 They analyze how this trope is portrayed in different movies, including the recent Pinocchio movie, and how it can be done well or poorly.
– 👪 They also discuss their own experiences as parents dealing with teenage rebellion and appropriate ways to respond.
The way we see it, there’s a legitimate space where rebellion and disobedience has meaning in our stories, because it shows up where our character is immature, or where the system is too autocratic. Or both. We use stories, and our daily lives with our loved ones, as opportunities to self-reflect and grow in wisdom.
ABOUT DOMINIC
A young, Catholic dad and novelist passionate about worldbuilding and Catholicism. Dominic is graduated from the Writer’s Institute for Children’s Literature, self-published a children’s novel, and works full time as a marketer and graphic designer. He is married, with a small girl and a smaller corgi. When not reading or watching shows in his downtime, he’s recording podcasts and procrastinating about writing stories. He is the founder of LegendFiction.
WEBSITE: https://dominicdesouza.com
ABOUT KATY
Katy a humor writer and lover of fairy tales. As a homeschool graduate from New Jersey, she published her first children’s novel, Martha and Chip, at the age of nineteen. She went on to study entertainment media at John Paul the Great University in San Diego. It was there she met her husband, a man who only dressed in flannel and had a cup of Starbucks coffee permanently affixed to his hand. She returned with him to his home state of Washington where she too, developed a taste for Starbucks (though not for flannel).
WEBSITE: https://katysfables.com
ABOUT JOE
A graduate from JPCatholic University, with a family background in editorials, Joe Campbell loves movies and creative mayhem and Christic imagination. He spends time writing stories and engaging with the LegendFiction community, providing feedback and inspiration to authors.
Read Joe’s fiction: https://worlds.legendfiction.com/post/joe-campbell/
YouTube: @Filmilliterates
ABOUT THIS SHOW: The LegendFiction Show
The LegendFiction show is for faith-inspired fiction writers to delve deeper, write wilder, and have fun with storytelling. Join Katy, Joe, and Dominic, three delightful, deliberate dorks, coming to you from the LegendFiction community. Join us as we share what we think about faith, fun, and fiction in our world today. Together, we nerd out on the numinous, grapple with the grimdark, and spellbind with stories.
ABOUT LEGENDFICTION
Join our amazing community at legendfiction.com, where authors make new friends, share their works in progress and triple their output. Most importantly, we all support and grow together as faith-inspired fiction authors.
Join our private community: https://legendfiction.com
About: https://legendfiction.com/about/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/legendfictions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legendfiction/
FREE COURSE: How to be a Faith-Inspired Fiction Author
Helping authors write exciting novels, connect faith with fiction, and be a better Catholic! https://legendfiction.com/free-course
Take the Dragon Prep Quiz: would you survive?
Welcome to the Dragon Attack Preparedness Quiz. You have exactly four minutes to answer as many questions as possible, so make sure to stay focused and think fast. Imagine for a moment that a mighty dragon is threatening your village. How prepared are you to face this...
Learner to Legend: Level up your story with our Short Story Checklist
Learn how to write a great short story that captivates readers by following these nine tips, including keeping the plot clear, focusing on a compelling character, and using sensory details to bring your story to life. Also, get proofreading tips and advice on how to get feedback from beta readers.
Epic Science Fiction Heroes, Vehicles, & Landscapes- Free wallpapers for your screens, stories, & inspiration!
Brace yourself for an epic adventure, my friend! LegendFiction is obsessed with scifi heroes, especially starships, and we’ve got something special!