Recently I've been thinking about writing a novel. Not the novella kind, or a collection of my short stories, but a full-length book that introduces a basic plot and multiple viewpoints. Also recently, I found out about National Novel Writing Month. While you can discover more about the project on its website, I'll give a... Continue Reading →
Aragorn: A Study in Character
In my time as a general fan of fantasy literature, I have come to appreciate the character development and lessons of personal experience that can be portrayed within. When searching for examples of character work done well, especially in the foundational days of the genre, it is easy to point to The Lord of the... Continue Reading →
Allegory in Fantasy: A Discussion
Chances are, you are familiar with the idea of a parable: a simple tale used to demonstrate a spiritual or moral lesson not expressly mentioned in the story. This is prominent in religion, especially in Christianity and Islam. Allegory has a similar definition, but usually applies to the greater scope of poetry and fiction. In... Continue Reading →
A brief update and a new short story!
Greetings! This is going to be a slightly unusual update to the blog, as I have multiple shorter objects to address. Firstly and most important, I released the edited draft of my newest short story, Grey Lights, to the website yesterday. It follows a brief chapter in the life of two young men, one blind,... Continue Reading →
Unfinished Stories: Grey Lights
Introduction: This short story is presented as the third of my "unfinished stories," tales which connect subtly through background threads. While these connections have not yet been made apparent, future releases will elaborate on the building conflict that fuels the events within these shorts. Feedback is always welcome. Grey LightsCathon Ajabon-Czar, heir to the throne... Continue Reading →
Tolkien and the Escapism Debate
If you’re a reader of fantasy—or an avid reader of general fiction—you’re likely familiar with the idea of “escapism.” This word, turned about by authors, readers, and critics throughout the decades, is defined by google as “the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy.” I... Continue Reading →
Spren, Ravens, and Radios
Hello all! Today I'd like to talk to you about some books I've been enjoying recently. These will typically be from a handful of genres, with an effort to consistently include at least one fantasy element. While I likely won't do this every Thursday—I'm not an incredibly fast reader, and I have some other topics... Continue Reading →
Write down your ideas, no matter what
Hey all! This will be a shorter post than usual, and the start of a series roughly addressed to aspiring writers. I hope to do these kinds of things once a week on Mondays; if you have any suggestions for future posts, please feel free to leave a comment! Today’s topic concerns writing down your... Continue Reading →
Let’s Talk about Brandon Sanderson
(Note: There is now an updated version of this original post public on the site. You can view that version here.) As anyone who decides to follow this blog will come to learn, I am a fan of the modern fantasy author Brandon Sanderson. Today I’ll be breaking down exactly why I think his work... Continue Reading →
Introduction
Greetings! This is the (relatively informal) introduction to my "Goblin Opinions" blog and website as a whole. Hopefully, if you're here, you have some interest in something I've thus far written about. First, a bit about me---You might know me as J. Dan Goodberry, Miscellaneous Goblin, or a different name if you know me personally.... Continue Reading →
Goblin Opinions 