About Writing the Wrong Way with Jonathan Ball, PhD
Writing the Wrong Way is the perfect podcast for serious writers who want to stand out in a crowded industry by becoming more productive while taking more artistic risks. Jonathan Ball is an award-winning author of dark, experimental artworks. He holds a PhD in creative writing and uses an analytical approach to show serious writers new ways to write, edit, and work so they can create innovative art that stands taller than the crowd. https://www.strangerfication.ca/
Poet and pediatric anesthesiologist Conor McDonnell joins the podcast to talk about how he lets his readers do the work when it comes to his poetry. Jonathan asks Conor about how he balances writing with a demanding medical career, why his long poem What We Know So Far grew out of news headlines and medical language, and how wordplay, notebooks, and “accretive” composition shape his projects.
Along the way they get into language as a virus (via Burroughs), the influence of David Lynch and M. John Harrison on narrative structure, the musicality of poetry (Joy Division, New Order, Smashing Pumpkins), and why writers should be willing to train and even lose some readers in order to reach the right ones.
Find all of Conor's work at https://www.conorgmcdonnell.com/ (https://www.conorgmcdonnell.com/)
Pick up Jonathan's latest work, The Eye Collector from Image Comics (https://imagecomics.com/press-releases/upcoming-cosmic-horror-series-the-eye-collector-a-kaleidoscopic-lovecraftian-thrill-ride-launching-this-june) at your local comic shop, or online (https://www.amazon.ca/Eye-Collector-1-Jonathan-Ball-ebook/dp/B0GX2Q92ZF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OBXZZ051FSEZ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.aRBoZYf54FqyH6ES0JhRc4kp3KpxY8uMA4X1OznzWB-jr5Q8tVgfzn2ZTtBQSmspdRCzrylnUfZewkJ-lDxL4s4FtZipnPJksL_SCWsI7qd1qYWXhbhOg8aIrlccMZGHFj8poHjG1xtEwBmhuF5SnXcaAC8okakdVr9jHQFNJQJ_VoP-2OZXaEuueKksqgJZFHP2JIxk7c6C3NnuphDMz1BRlvy0_uADyZ35MR2COiDJbU5Ggh2QSm3MwmKT1MGiMZ6u_sln1T9UVBYCK_RWe-7w_wH0bB6qMjK_Fp7Uhpk.T65J1T1QUTJe1JVLDwB3aivMcQKgys49Aae0hlwTW40&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+eye+collector&qid=1782829707&sprefix=the+eye+collector%2Caps%2C141&sr=8-1).
Join Jonathan's Patreon page for free at staystrange.ca (staystrange.ca).
Subscribe to the Stranger Fiction YouTube channel at strangertv.com (strangertv.com).
Purchase books & comics available from Stranger Fiction at strangerfiction.ca (strangerfiction.ca).
Watch The Princess and the Dragon on Apple TV (https://tv.apple.com/ca/movie/the-princess--the-dragon/umc.cmc.4lrusqfxnz9kzfoccelhxv2d5).
8 Sept 2026
Building Trust with the Reader in The Eye Collector
In this solo episode of Writing the Wrong Way, Dr. JonathanBall talks about his writing decisions behind Image Comics’ The Eye Collector, focusing on how to build—and earn—reader trust during a strange, complex story.
Using specific examples from the first three issues, Jonathan explores techniques like “selecting” the right readers, training them to handle ambiguity, layering subtext, and using questions, myths, and mirrored scenes to signal that the writer has a plan.
Along the way, he discusses the cosmic horror genre, postmodern storytelling, and the unique demands of serializedcomics, offering practical insights for writers who want to challenge their audience without losing them.
Pick up Jonathan's latest work, The Eye Collector from Image Comics (https://imagecomics.com/press-releases/upcoming-cosmic-horror-series-the-eye-collector-a-kaleidoscopic-lovecraftian-thrill-ride-launching-this-june) at your local comic shop, or online (https://www.amazon.ca/Eye-Collector-1-Jonathan-Ball-ebook/dp/B0GX2Q92ZF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OBXZZ051FSEZ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.aRBoZYf54FqyH6ES0JhRc4kp3KpxY8uMA4X1OznzWB-jr5Q8tVgfzn2ZTtBQSmspdRCzrylnUfZewkJ-lDxL4s4FtZipnPJksL_SCWsI7qd1qYWXhbhOg8aIrlccMZGHFj8poHjG1xtEwBmhuF5SnXcaAC8okakdVr9jHQFNJQJ_VoP-2OZXaEuueKksqgJZFHP2JIxk7c6C3NnuphDMz1BRlvy0_uADyZ35MR2COiDJbU5Ggh2QSm3MwmKT1MGiMZ6u_sln1T9UVBYCK_RWe-7w_wH0bB6qMjK_Fp7Uhpk.T65J1T1QUTJe1JVLDwB3aivMcQKgys49Aae0hlwTW40&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+eye+collector&qid=1782829707&sprefix=the+eye+collector%2Caps%2C141&sr=8-1).
Join Jonathan's Patreon page for free at staystrange.ca (staystrange.ca).
Subscribe to the Stranger Fiction YouTube channel at strangertv.com (strangertv.com).
Purchase books & comics available from Stranger Fiction at strangerfiction.ca (strangerfiction.ca).
Watch The Princess and the Dragon on Apple TV (https://tv.apple.com/ca/movie/the-princess--the-dragon/umc.cmc.4lrusqfxnz9kzfoccelhxv2d5).
21 Jul 2026
Quick Notes on The Eye Collector and All Else
Step into the strange orbit of The Eye Collector in this special off-the-cuff episode, recorded as Jonathan hurriedly packs for San Diego Comic-Con. He discusses how the new Image Comics series has been meticulously constructed to disorient you, invite your theories, and even risk pushing some readers away on purpose.
From cosmic horror in a perspective-free void to mythological subversion, “dividing the audience” by design, and the wild publishing journey from Heavy Metal to Image Comics, this episode is a recap of the last few months of Jonathan’s busy life as a professional writer/publisher, and a preview of what’s to come.
Pick up Jonathan's latest work, The Eye Collector from Image Comics (https://imagecomics.com/press-releases/upcoming-cosmic-horror-series-the-eye-collector-a-kaleidoscopic-lovecraftian-thrill-ride-launching-this-june) at your local comic shop, or online (https://www.amazon.ca/Eye-Collector-1-Jonathan-Ball-ebook/dp/B0GX2Q92ZF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1OBXZZ051FSEZ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.aRBoZYf54FqyH6ES0JhRc4kp3KpxY8uMA4X1OznzWB-jr5Q8tVgfzn2ZTtBQSmspdRCzrylnUfZewkJ-lDxL4s4FtZipnPJksL_SCWsI7qd1qYWXhbhOg8aIrlccMZGHFj8poHjG1xtEwBmhuF5SnXcaAC8okakdVr9jHQFNJQJ_VoP-2OZXaEuueKksqgJZFHP2JIxk7c6C3NnuphDMz1BRlvy0_uADyZ35MR2COiDJbU5Ggh2QSm3MwmKT1MGiMZ6u_sln1T9UVBYCK_RWe-7w_wH0bB6qMjK_Fp7Uhpk.T65J1T1QUTJe1JVLDwB3aivMcQKgys49Aae0hlwTW40&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+eye+collector&qid=1782829707&sprefix=the+eye+collector%2Caps%2C141&sr=8-1).
Join Jonathan's Patreon page for free at staystrange.ca (staystrange.ca).
Subscribe to the Stranger Fiction YouTube channel at strangertv.com (strangertv.com).
Purchase books & comics available from Stranger Fiction at strangerfiction.ca (strangerfiction.ca).
Watch The Princess and the Dragon on Apple TV (https://tv.apple.com/ca/movie/the-princess--the-dragon/umc.cmc.4lrusqfxnz9kzfoccelhxv2d5).
Check out Last Breeds, a graphic novel from Gungnir Books. (https://www.amazon.ca/Last-Breeds-Jonathan-Ball/dp/1962594041)
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Spotify
5.0 / 5
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