Magic in the Ordinary

Revisiting Narnia - Reading The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe as an Adult

Welcome, friends! Sit down with a cup of tea and let's chat about one of our favorite books from childhood - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis! 
In this episode I speak with Sarah, and we talk about the themes we have found in this book as older readers. 
**Warning! Spoilers!**
We discuss themes of courage, spring, beauty in the mundane, and transformation. Have you read this book recently? What new things stuck out to you? What themes were hit you different as an adult? 
We'd love to hear your thoughts! 
 
Follow Sarah's journey as a martial artist on her instagram. I have found her journey so incredibly inspring! 
@sarahswiattack_03
Come join the discussion about magic in the ordinary:
@JacquelineRoseGold 
 
Interested in literature classes for students between 4th-12th grade? Feel free to check out my courses on Adventures in Excellence: www.adventuresinexcellence.com

How to Deal With Rejection

It’s not easy! Rejection is a big part of being a writer but also a part of everyone’s life. Here’s something things I found that really can help:
1. Let yourself feels the feels. Don’t bury them so they explode later. Stay rooted in the reality of how you feel about the rejection and be honest with yourself so you can process those feelings.
2. Remember this is only one step of your journey. You are working towards something, and this was just part of the process.
3. Move on. After you’ve felt the feels and processed things (and that can take time!) it’s time to turn away from the situation and start the next step of the journey.
4. Get back in the game. It’s time to write a new query letter, write a new article, or go out on a date with someone new:)
5. Celebrate EFFORT along the way. Rejection can be like strange little trophies - they can be proof that you reached out and tried. Celebrate the effort that you are putting into your dream and keep trying:)
Any other tips? Feel free to comment below or send me a DM on insta: @JacquelineRoseGold
An additional resource: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/feeling-our-emotions/

How to Create Authentic Characters

How can we create authentic characters? What is the magic behind exploring their lives and weaving them into our stories? 
Talking with Tasha is an absolute blast! Tasha is a fantasy writer who has been pubished in multiple anthologies and has a novel coming soon! She has beautiful insights on creating characters.
Here are some of things we discuss: 
1. Some character seem to be real people with minds of their own. How do we get to know characters like this? We talk about the magic of documenting the story you see in your head instead of forcing it. 
2. How do we deal with side characters? What do we do when they are too quiet or too loud? Sometimes characters get really annoying or surprise us. We talk about our frusterations and joys with these characters who get less screen time but are no less important. 
3. Where do we get inspiration for stories from? We talk about the beauty of fairy tale retellings and tropes. Playing with the magic of these stories elements is so important. 
4. How can stories work as therapy? We discuss a branch of narrative therapy. Writing the narratives of our lives can actually help us heal and see things more clearly. Writing can help us uncover truth, not just in the lives of our character but in ours as well. 
5. We wrap up talking about writer life - newsletters, getting published, building community, all that great stuff! 
 
Join our community on insta: 
@tnkazangjian.writer
@thecatholicimagination
@jacquelinerosegold
 
Check out Tasha's beautiful official writer website and sign up for her newsletter: 
https://tnkazanjianwriter.com
 
And finally, I wanted to leave you with one quote we discussed when, unfortunately, we weren't recording:
"Hope demands truth." 
As faith-based authors we believe in a truth worth persuable and worth persuing and with that comes hope. Happy Writing, Friends! 

Hamlet: Revenge, Insanity, and Father Figures

Today we are chatting with Mary Agnes and Catherine about revenge, sanity, father figures, and love in Hamlet. 
First, we give a synopsis of Hamlet to help everyone brush up on the play. Basically, it's Lion King. But the characters are human. 
Then we tackle some questions and share our hot takes: 
Did Hamlet actually go mad or was he just faking it? What do you think? 
Did he actually love Ophelia to the end or not? 
Are there any good father figures in this play?? 
And our final question: who would we cast if we could make a move of Hamlet with any actors of our choice?
What are you thoughts? Share them in the comments or slide into our DM's; we'd love to hear from you!
@melody.golightly
@m.a.ratellewrites
@jacquelinerosegold
Which play should we tackle next? 
 

How to find community and re-enchant your life:)

Today we are joined by Dominic de Souza, founder of Legend Fiction and world builder! We cover all kind of fascinating topics so here's a preview: 
1. We talk about Legend Fiction, an online writing community for faith-based writers. What is the origin story behind this platform and why do people love it? 
2. It is possible to have real community online? Dominic and I both think YES! We discuss why and how this is possible. 
3. People want a re-enchanted reality! How does that look like? Dominic shared some insights about angels and quantum mechanics that I had never heard before! He explores philosophies that explore the intersection of the spiritual and material and the work of influential Inkling member Owen Barfield. 
4. Why does fiction matter? Dominic explores deeper layers of why your fiction could play a role in your spiritual journey, the spiritual realm, and the development of human consciousness. 
5. Finally we take a moment to encourage writers and creatives of all types. Some of my favorite quotes include: "Honor your process," "Keep dreaming," "Go down rabbit holes." 
 
Additional Resources: 
Check out Dominic's online community: https://legendfiction.com
Here is a link to Owen Barfield's book: https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Appearances-Idolatry-Owen-Barfield/dp/081956205X
The book on cultural mystics: https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Look-Becoming-Cultural-Theology/dp/1532635710
The study on addition: https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/what-does-rat-park-teach-us-about-addiction
 
And finally, hang out with us on insta:
@LegendFiction (they have some great writing prompts on their insta too!) 
@JacquelineRoseGold 
 
And finally, feel free to leave comments; we would love to hear your thoughts on all these topics! Happy Writing! 
 
 

You: A Work Of Art

We all have the responsibility to make of our life, a work of art 💖
I am currently reading God Is Beauty and this really struck me, and I wanted to chat about it:) What do you think of this idea? How can we better make something beautiful out of our lives?
Please leave your thoughts below in the comments or shoot me a dm on insta @JacquelineRoseGold
And feel free to check out the book:
https://www.godisbeautybook.com/?r_done=1

Who will remember you? With Erin Lewis

Today's conversation is with Erin Lewis, the lovely author behind the incredible book Firetender. 
Who will remember you? What inspired Firetender? What books do we like? Why do classics matter? We chatted about all this and more. I hope you enjoy our conversation; we had an absolute blast sharing this. I love Erin's insights and her stories, both published and yet to be published. 
 
Check out her website (and definitely pick up the book): 
https://authorerinlewis.weebly.com
And we would love to be insta-friends with you!
@authorerinlewis + @jacquelinerosegold
 
And finally, I'll leave you with this quote: "What is this moment in light of eternity?" Feel free to drop your favorite quotes in the comments or send us DM's! 
 

Hero or Villain?

Ok, check out the following quote: 
"Someone said the difference between a hero and a villain is a hero will give up love to save the world and villain will give up the world to save love and I have been unable to sleep since." 
 
Caitlyn, Tati, and I all sit down to chat about our thoughts on this. What makes a hero a hero? What makes a villain a villain? How do we know which one we are?
 
A huge thanks to Tati and Caitlyn for coming on the show today! Let's become insta-friends: @citlalinossio @ chmpszonka @jacquelinerosegold
 
Also, a huge thanks to you listeners! I always love hearing your thoughts. Feel free to continue the conversation through DM's, comments, or any other form of communication. What do you think makes a hero vs a villain? 

Quantum Physics is cool!

I don't know much about this field of study, but it sounds like real-life magic to me and I'm fascinated by it! I read the book My First Book of Quantum Physics by Shedded Said-Slah Ferron and Eduard Altarriba and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone who has never read anything else about Quantum Physics. 
Today I just wanted to sit down with you and chat about 3 things that blew my mind when reading this book: 
1. Quantum entanglement
2. Quarks and the space within us
3. The wave/particle duality of light 
Science is cool! It really is magical! Do you like quantum physics? Drop a comment or send me a DM (@jacquelinerosegold). 

What does it mean to paint the truth? With Mary Woods

What does it mean to paint the truth?  Today, we are joined by Mary Jessica Woods who has published her incredible debut novel - Markmaker! In this book an alien tattoo artist, Mariikel, wrestles with the question: what does it mean to paint the truth? In this episode we discuss the book (no major spoilers but a few minor ones) and talk about how this applies our own lives.  Check out Mary's website: https://maryjessicawoods.com And become Insta-friends with us:  @MaryJessicaWoods @JacquelineRoseGold