How to Spark Imagination and Faith Through Storytelling | Writing, Creativity, and Christian Fantasy w/ Bryan Davis

Welcome to the Collide Kids Podcast! This week, host Christen Clark chats with Bryan Davis,  Christian fantasy author famed for the "Dragons in Our Midst" series.

In this episode, Bryan tells the incredible story of transitioning from a computer geek to a best-selling author. What started as a creative idea to inspire his homeschooled kids transformed into a prolific writing career, boasting over 50 books published! (That's a lot of books!) Bryan shares how he collaborates with his family to brainstorm fantastical stories and his process of integrating themes of mercy and forgiveness into his fantasy stories.

Listeners will also hear Bryan recount an absolutely incredible experience of God’s provision he had early in his journey, reinforcing his understanding of faith, sufficiency, and contentment. This episode offers a magical blend of storytelling, faith, and creative wisdom.

Check out daviscrossing.com to learn more about Bryan Davis and his books!

Special thanks to our editor, Jay Lee from provisionpods.com.

Clip Finder:

"Twisting Tales with Dragons": "But we brainstormed that story. How could a boy breathe fire? And he said, his parents are dragons. I said, well, how about if we say his parents used to be dragons and they got transformed into humans? And he said, how about if we say they got transformed in the time of King Arthur?"
— Bryan Davis [00:06:14 → 00:06:32]

"Embracing the Unknown in Writing": "Well, I am what a lot of people call a seat of the pants writer, or pantser for short. Discovery Writer is a nicer term. I sit down with just a character and a problem and I just go. I start teaching myself about the character, what he or she would do in their ordinary worlds. And then I present the problem. Some people call it a crisis point. Then I destroy that ordinary world so that they can't exist in it anymore and they have to go on their journey. So I go on the journey with them, not knowing what's going to happen."
— Bryan Davis [00:11:45 → 00:12:18]

"The Last-Minute Sale That Made All the Difference": "Finally he said, this would be good for my men's ministry. I'll buy it. So he gave me the money, and I looked at the money and I said, this is the last money I'm going to get."
— Bryan Davis [00:18:41 → 00:18:50]

Unexpected Encounters with Readers: "And as the man was walking away, he stopped, looked at the fathering book as if for the first time, and he said, Bryan Davis wrote this book? I said, yes. And he turned around, turned around, and he saw the sign on the wall. Bryan Davis, author. He said, are you Bryan Davis? I said, yes. Then he started shaking and his face turned red and he said, you're gonna think this is really weird."
— Bryan Davis [00:19:00 → 00:19:29]

The Power of Storytelling: "I think because stories are memorable. You know, you could teach an academic lesson and give like a pastor, he gives three points and tells you about the Greek. But if he's smart, he'll tell a story that illustrates the lesson."
— Bryan Davis [00:22:2

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