Learn to Build Worlds Like C.S. Lewis
“Now the story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us the same way as the others, but with this tremendous difference that it really happened: and one must be content to accept it in the same way, remembering that it is God’s myth where the others are men’s myths: i.e., the Pagan stories are God expressing Himself through the minds of poets, using such images as He found there, while Christianity is God expressing Himself through what we call 'real things'.”
C.S. Lewis, Letter to Arthur Greeves
Every story takes place somewhere, and it is the world itself that often first draws in a reader. Worlds are rich webs of interconnected dynamics that feel organically connected and seem to breathe with a life of their own. Attention to the history, society, people, and creatures of a place can make the difference between a setting and a world.
This seminar works with young writers and aspiring writers to teach the principals that can transform a setting into a world. We will do this in conversation with C.S. Lewis' Narnia: one of the most beloved fictional worlds ever written. In addition to discussion of the various aspects of the Narnian setting, students will develop aspects of their own world and have an opportunity to share these with the class and receive feedback to help develop them further.
Week 1 Through the Wardrobe: Introduction to the aspects of setting
Week 2 It’s a Magic Wardrobe: The Rules of Your World
Week 3 Fauns and Witches: The Denizens of Your World
Week 4 Always Winter: Your World’s History
Week 5 From Lantern Waste to Cair Paravel: Your World’s Geography
Week 6 Adam’s Flesh and Adam’s Bone: Social Structure in Your World
Week 7 Practicum: Discussing student work
Week 8 Practicum: Discussing student work
June 5 - July 24, 2025
Thursdays 1:30 - 3:00 pm
This class is for grades 5-8
$300 / student
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Junius Johnson's "Here Be Dragons" course is a wealth of beauty, wonder, and wisdom. It's not so much the wealth of a dragon's hoard, which (as we learned) is embedded with deadly greed and selfishness, but the wealth of the feast of Aslan's table or Galadriel's gift of seed and soil, a fruitful and life-giving abundance. Our discussions involved reflections on the meaning of "twilight" or forgotten spaces; the mystery of communion; the spiritual aspects of smell; the relationship between common sense and courage; the truths embedded in ancient songs; and other fascinating topics. This summer's study deepened my joy and curiosity as a reader and believer.
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In working with and thinking about words as a full-time vocation, I found myself slightly stuck in a here and nowness that lacked imagination. Like the blind man that Jesus touched, who then saw “men as trees” — I was groping for clarity. Dr. Johnson’s course was the condition upon which I received a second touch from Christ that gave me fuller sight.
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Participating in a course led by Dr. Junius Johnson is a wonderful journey of exploration, seeking hidden gems in unexpected places. It is an opportunity to learn to look deeper than the surface, both in reading and in the mundane of life. A delightful feast for the mind that lasts far beyond the actual banquet.
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Dr. Johnson’s knowledge of theology, philosophy, and literature, combined with his engaging style of communication, make him an excellent intellectual guide. If you see fantasy as somewhat pointless or as something reserved for children, Dr. Johnson will correct your thinking. His class on dragons [...] deepened my appreciation for fantasy as a vehicle of truth and better equipped me with the perspective and hope that enable a person to face and bear hardship well.