C. S. Lewis - His Practical Advice for Writers

[@VelocityWriting]

What is your favorite C.S. Lewis book? Why?

[@janellemckinley172]

A Grief Observed. It was a help and comfort after my daughter died. Reading good books is such good advice! My recommendation is Jane Austen--she trains the ear as well as the mind. As for vocabulary building, I've been on a Reginald Hill jag for a couple years now, some of his words I don't bother to look up because I will never encounter them again ever. If he were still "in the flesh' I would like to tell about him why I don't like some of his attitudes, poor England is even farther along in Frankfurt School brainwashing than the US, but his writing is just masterful.

[@stefc1289]

VelocityWriting Mere Christianity; Perelandra; and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe... I can't pick just one. :)

[@stefc1289]

VelocityWriting I forgot to list Why... These 3 illustrate and explain many important Biblical concepts: Mere Christianity breaks down some of the logical steps of the process of belief in Christ; Perelandra is a vivid description of his envisioning of the creation of the world, and the concepts at the core of the deception of Eve; and the Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe because of its allegory of the death and resurrection... it really brought home that even though the resurrection was the known end, the pain and suffering still had to be endured.

[@anonb4632]

VelocityWriting I like his Perelandra series. CS Lewis and Roald Dahl are unique for me in that I have enjoyed both their children's literature and their adult fiction equally and I still read both of them.

[@JROtoons]

The boy and his horse. This is the first Narnia book I ever read. It was also the first time my father gave me a random book as a gift. It was in spanish, I read it and thought, cool. Years later (around the time the Narnia movies were coming out) I read the first Narnia book and thought to myself, what an odd story. My take on the Narnia Story is that it's a glimpse into Lewis's imagination and the clash or conflict between his inner child and the harsh reality of the world/time he lived in. BTW, thanks for the video. I'm taking a crack at writing and am looking for lots of advice.

[@wtk6069]

C. S. Lewis is the greatest Christian apologist of all time for one reason: the clarity and strength of not just his writing but also his thinking.

[@paduaprs]

"Write with your ear..." is perfect for writers and poets. I think of the sound of words! The same way for them!

[@christopherbriscoe8665]

One of the greatest advice I ever heard on writing is - actually it was from pastor Charles Spurgeon - (I can't remember the exact quote but I will paraphrase) he said that, never choose words or a phrase which sounds educated but which simpler words will do - that the hearer will understand better. I think Clive Staples Lewis would have agreed.

[@kathleenprescott6227]

I love that Tolkien and Lewis we friends! I enjoyed the Screwtape Letters.

[@denvan3143]

Although my profession required writing I only turned to attempting fiction in the past half decade. I discovered a number of the excellent points made here. While writing, silence is not only golden it is essential. I loved reading good books, I treasure good writing and know that it has an influence on my writing. My sentences have to sound good; I listen to them with a text-to-speech utility. I found by experience my first draft of anything is awful and have schooled myself to rewriting, re-writing and rewriting. Due to circumstances I no longer use a keyboard; I do my writing on a portable device. This has just limitations, on the other hand I can write absolutely anywhere. And as my device has speech recognition I alternate between typing and dictation. I have advanced beyond being a novice but I still have the barrier of speed to becoming a master.

[@Tariphilip]

Please tell me about your portable device. I've been looking into something like this to increase my productivity. Thank you.

[@davidholmgren659]

I am finding now that I am reading my sentences, paragraphs and even chapters out loud. IT WORKS!

[@j.walker6845]

Great video. That first tip gets me, I always write at a cafe listening to music, but I want to practice writing at home in silence, I think this is how most great writers did it.

[@tekinfokraft]

Glad to see a mention of the Space Trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength)...it was one of my early influences in Science Fiction as well as spiritual overtones in the storytelling. CS. Lewis is indeed a master, but these works seem underappreciated.

[@Dk_Vuongg]

Thank you so much sir, they are really help me a lot though I'm not start writing yet, but to be a writer is my ambition. Have you very good health!

[@winstonmiller9649]

Hello I enjoyed your video on CD Lewis and tips for writing. You have a clear unambiguous tone, and you strive to be understood. I appreciate that. Your impression is that of someone who cares, and is passionate about spreading understanding about the art of writing. Thank you. God Bless. Win😊🤔☺

[@stenoch]

This was excellent. Been a Lewis fan since 1973, and your all-too-short tribute to this great man is spot on. Thanx!

[@michaelboushra275]

Write with your ear not your eyes..great tip.

[@GoatyProdigy]

Love this series

[@RyubearSaysGao]

I was mesmerized by Perelandra, been reading CS Lewis' books ever since my mom bought me the Narnia books as a kid. The man is a genius, if there's anyone to learn from as a writer, it would be him 😀

[@abesapien9930]

Not only did C. S. Lewis and JFK die on the same day, but also Aldous Huxley...

I prefer to use the pen and paper whilst writing. Is it incorrect to do this ?

[@VelocityWriting]

Incorrect? Not at all. Some people prefer to walk across town every time they want to speak to a friend rather than pick up a phone and call them. Some people adapt to more efficient ways of doing things, others don't. Personally, I have moved from pen and paper to typewriter, to keyboard and now almost exclusively to voice writing. It's easier to learn than typing and can write many thousands of high-quality words per day. Writing started with verbal storytelling, not pen and paper or mechanical electronic devices. Voice writing takes us back to our storytelling roots but with a technological boost. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqmnlalvgLpoo8k

[@19grand]

Great Irish writer.

[@vidyawitch]

Wow! Love this channel. Excellent content. Just listening about these writers itself is so soothing. And ur voice is like a teacher who adores their students. Thank u n good day.

[@gazicj]

just for that first nugget, cl and jfk, this is a thumbs up

[@mohamedherouini4651]

I did not understand what he means by '' write with your ear not with your eyes''. Could you explain. please?. Thank you so much

[@VelocityWriting]

Thanks for your question, Mohamed. Lewis was saying the best writing has a rhythm to it. When we read, that is what echoes silently in our brain. It is a good idea to read what you write aloud to make sure it has rhythmic flow. The science of writing is making sure sentences are grammatically correct. But non-academic writers emphasize the art of writing. Part of the art of good writing is a satisfying cadence which we "hear" in our minds, not just the words we see on a page.

[@mohamedherouini4651]

@@VelocityWriting Thank you for this clarification

[@DuaneHHLyon]

Thank you.......

[@zekethetank]

I gave a thumbs up on this video & would like to add 12 to 14 more.

[@antoniodossantos5960]

Very useful@

[@sandsmine]

read he failed at poetry which he had a passion for, so reluctantly packed up and moved on to Narnia.

[@VelocityWriting]

Failed at poetry? Not really. He wrote some notable verse. See: www.best-poems.net/c_s_lewis/index.html I'd say his academic writing (he taught at Oxford and later was Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge), and his inspirational books took precedence in his life. Poetry has been a thankless form of expression for almost all writers for many decades. See my discussion about this here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/haGcnHunnM2ooZY

[@shannonjones7987]

Great video!

[@bruceblosser2040]

Write what you know, and be passionate about what you write! So, for example, you want to write a historical novel about the Troubadour Poets, you better know everything you can know about this subject matter... from what C.S. Lewis said about them, to what they wrote, and how this idea changed society, from the 11th century, all the way to the present day!

[@teresahernandez1059]

Some people have better concentration when there is background noise, other than that great advice.

[@VelocityWriting]

People who think this also believe they can drink and drive. I'm doing a video on this topic which will appear soon, and the the brain science behind concentration is fascinating.

[@eshykhambra9610]

Inspiring

[@lisabutler60]

Thanx!

[@skiphoffenflaven8004]

Great!

[@davidantoine9134]

This was dope

[@abesapien9930]

I just can't imagine Lewis using the word "dope" to describe the Narnia wardrobe

[@shadowdawg04]

Let's not forget The Screwtape Letters...

[@The314moses]

My dear, my very dear Wormwood. My poppet, my pigsnie.

[@ElJorro]

C.S. Lewis Childish quote is also inspiring.

[@gk411]

Top man DL, thank you for the lovely vlogs.. ✌️ ☺ 📚 🇮🇪

[@sahilmujawar6193]

CAN YOU EXPLAIN ABOUT Albert Camu's writing style and suggestions to writers?

[@VelocityWriting]

This would make an interesting video. I will add it to my list. Thank you for your suggestion.

[@Engelhafen]

Wow you missed mentioning his spiritual books for which many know him.

[@VelocityWriting]

No, not true. I gave examples of all the different types of books he wrote, including his spiritual books @ 1:20. I mentioned his most popular faith-based books "Mere Christianity," "The Problem of Pain," and "Miracles" by name and displayed their covers. Also, note that I pinned a question, "What is your favorite C.S. Lewis book? Why?" Many people named his faith-based books there.

[@sirpavirtanen4725]

C. S. Lewis had cancer. How natural is that?

[@VelocityWriting]

CS Lewis did not die of cancer. He died of kidney failure. His wife, Joy Davidman, died of cancer. You seem to misunderstand the meaning of "natural causes." Natural causes refer to internal factors like a medical condition or a disease. This is opposed to external factors, like accident trauma or a gunshot wound. These external factors are not natural causes.