How The Friendship of C.S Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien Influenced Their Writing
How to build a relationship - a friendship - with your people and share a common story.
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"Friendship ... is born at the moment when one man says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .”
That quote comes to us from the great writer C.S. Lewis.
We know Lewis for works like The Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters.
But here’s a fun fact you may not be aware of—Lewis was a good friend.
He understood that true friendship was rare—says Christian History Institute. And in Lewis’ words—“few value it because few experience it.”
So valued was his friendship with Lewis that fellow author buddy J.R.R. Tolkien said this about him and The Lord of the Rings:
“But for his interest and unceasing eagerness for more, I should never have brought The L. of the R. to a conclusion.”
They were part of The Inklings—a literary discussion group. Lewis was a big proponent of reading aloud—and members would offer criticism of each other’s works.
Lewis, Tolkien, and the other writers invited each other into their worlds.
They wanted to get better—and needed each other to make that happen.
That’s how you get better.
Invite People Into Your Story and Grow Together
For today, think about two things:
Who are you inviting into your story?
How will you cultivate friendships that help you and others grow?
In The Weight of Glory, Lewis writes that we live “in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship.”
The “always on” nature of modern life—writes Aubrynn Whitted for Christian History Institute—means we have even fewer chances to be still and quiet and not busy, which actually hinders our ability to cultivate deep friendships.
First, let us use social media as a tool for true connection.
✅ Start online to go offline.
✅ Have a phone call with a client or customer.
✅ Invite them into a real conversation with you—as a person and eventual problem solver.
Then, grow the relationship. Don’t just make it a one-off.
👉 Make a point to learn details about people—like their birthdays or kids’ names.
👉 Be willing to do what doesn’t scale to build a bond.
👉 Take time to understand their pain points and offer value without an expectation of anything in return.
If you do this, you’re being a friend.
As my grandmother used to remind us growing up, “If you want a friend, you have to be a friend.”
Take a leap of Faith in your storytelling journey.
Reach out to someone today.
God bless ☦️
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