Writing #5: Get Help

We are in the process of transferring podcast platform, and if you haven’t had a chance to watch to this episode, here’s another chance, sent from the aether.Thanks!The Sayers Guild This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sayersguild.substack.com

We are in the process of transferring podcast platform, and if you haven’t had a chance to watch to this episode, here’s another chance, sent from the aether.Thanks!The Sayers Guild This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sayersguild.substack.com

In this letter, we discuss a curious letter exchange between Dorothy L. Sayers and C.S. Lewis, in which her personal demon write to the Infernal Regions to complain about his patience. Listen to excerpts from this highly entertaining correspondence. And then learn more about how Sayers wrote demons, especially in her Faust adaptation and, of course, Dante's Hell.Links from the show: Dorothy and Jack by Gina DalfonzoLetters of Dorothy L. Sayers, 1937 - 1943, vol. 2 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sayersguild.substack.com

Learn how Sayers's fiery exchange with an educated atheist may have provoked C.S. Lewis's classic book, Miracles. Referenced materials:Episode #36 of The C.S. Lewis Podcast (n.b. the video mistakenly says Episode #37)The Letters of Dorothy L. Sayers, 1937-1943: From Novelist to Playwright. Volume 2. Miracles by C.S. LewisThe Mind of the Maker“The Unofficial Inkling: Dorothy L. Sayers’s Influence on C.S. Lewis’s Imaginative Apologetics.” by A. GloverRelate DLS Episodes:A Few Ways to Think About the Trinity This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sayersguild.substack.com

You can't always go it alone. Even scholars - especially scholars? - need help. Learn how Sayers both received and rejected help on her writing. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sayersguild.substack.com

Simple mistakes are one thing. Not doing your research is another. Judging others wrongly when you haven't done your research is monstrous. In this episode, Sayers introduces us to Monster Error. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sayersguild.substack.com

Most people enjoy reading dialogue, but this episode tells us some surprising ways to use dialogue in your own writing. Listen and learn about how Sayers used dialogue as description and also in non-fiction. Also, we'll enjoy a bit of dialect and finish up the episode with some Diet Coke. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sayersguild.substack.com

Do your wordsalways have to be clear? Sayers tells us when to clarify what we say and when to let it be obscure. We will look at her essay, "Poetry, Language, and Ambiguity," as well as from her letters and novels to see how word choice can elevate even if it doesn't enlighten. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sayersguild.substack.com

Season 4 is about writing. As one of the most accomplished authors of the early 20th century, Sayers is a good person to teach us how to write. In this episode, we learn the value of concrete - how something solid and tangible can wake us up. On the other hand, abstract words and cliches lull us to sleep. Join us as we learn Sayer's opinion from two articles: "Ink of Poppies" and "Words I am Weary of." This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sayersguild.substack.com

In this short episode, we learn about Lord Peter's pedigree and also hear the voice of his friends through a discussion of two books: The Wimsey Family and The Wimsey Papers. If you're just getting to know Lord Peter, this is a good place to learn just how real he is, fictionally speaking. It's also a good place to learn about some creative publishing during World War II. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sayersguild.substack.com