Interview With Samuel James

Today we’re going to talk to my new friend and blogger, Sam, about his blog and writing!

Hey there Sam, thanks for doing this!

Of course! You’re very welcome Lori, it’s my pleasure.

Tell us a little about yourself!

Well, first and foremost, I’m a teenager who’s been saved by the King. It’s my hope to use the gifts the Lord has given me to make a difference in others’ lives. Beyond writing, I enjoy making and editing funny videos, reading, watching sports, and spending time with friends and family.

Tell us about your writing journey and your current projects!

My writing journey was all over the place at the beginning. I’d start a story one day, lose inspiration, and work on a new one. I hopped around from action/adventure stories, to fantasy tales, and even to Choose Your Own Adventures for a while.

Then I joined a writing program run by Sigmund Brouwer (an amazing Canadian author), which really helped ground me in my journey. That was when I started my first “serious” project. It’s an action/adventure/comedy about three teenagers who have to save their world from the villain’s robot army. It’s been a long time in the making, and I’m currently going through edits on it once again.

After Sigmund’s course, I joined our beloved Young Writer’s Workshop, where I worked on honing my writing. Last year the program inspired me to launch an email list for my friends and family. What I’d do is send out a weekly email on a faith related topic that I thought would be beneficial to my readers. People seemed to enjoy these emails even more than the fiction I was working on. That led to the creation of my blog, which has been my main focus these last couple of months.

Who inspired you most to become an author?

Yikes, there are so many people. Sigmund was definitely one of them, as well as Brett Harris and Josiah DeGraff, the directors of the Young Writers Workshop. Though really, there have been countless authors who have made an impact. People like J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, Suzanne Collins, Rick Riordan, Brandon Mull, and more have definitely played a role in inspiring what I’ve written. But the biggest inspiration would have to be my Lord, Jesus, who first put the spark in me to be a writer.

Tell us a bit about your blog and its mission!

The purpose of my blog is to inspire writers and Christians alike in their life’s journey. In my once-a-week posts, I talk about faith and writing, while mixing in references to popular books and movies of today. It’s my deepest desire that what God directs me to write can make a difference in others’ lives.

Do you have any advice for other young writers? Mistakes that you’ve made that they can avoid?

Most of what I have to say is stuff I’ve learned from Young Writers. Start young, and stick with it. If God has called you to be a writer, keep going no matter what. You can do it; you can make a difference. The biggest mistake I’ve made is doubting that truth. As a writer, Satan doesn’t want you doing anything that will bring glory to Jesus’ name. This causes him to work with all his might to try and stop you. You’ll want to quit, but you need to keep at it. Only then will you succeed.

What are some resources you recommend to young writers?

The Young Writers Workshop and its Content Library are definitely two great ones. I’ve also really enjoyed the Novel Marketing Podcast, by Thomas Umstattd Jr. If you’re looking for an amazing book, Dale Carnegie’s How To Win Friends And Influence People is one of the best there is. Those would be three great places to start.

Where can we find out more about you?

If you’d like to reach out to me or take a look at some of my posts, you can always visit my blog, Writing, Life, Faith. And if you have any further thoughts, feel free to use the contact form on the site一I would love to connect with you!

Thank you so much Lori for doing this interview, it’s been an honour!

Thank you Sam!!

Be sure to check out Sam’s blog, and if you enjoyed this post, please like and share!!

Until next time,

-Lori