Interview with Joseph Brink

Hey Joseph! Tell us a little about yourself!

I write scary stories to help kids overcome the scary things in their own lives. I’m a Christian and live in Canada, right near Niagara Falls.

Tell us about your writing journey and your current projects!

I’ve been writing for all my life. I finished my first novel when I was fifteen and since then have written first drafts for ten different novels. The first five were YA fantasy or sci-fi, but then I shifted to Middle-Grade (specifically Middle-Grade with a darker edge), which I’ve been writing ever since. I love stories that explore the balance between darkness and light.

Currently I’m working on editing a novel about a 13-year-old skeptic, who must investigate local cryptid sightings allegedly connected to her father’s death to save her family’s small-town radio station.

I’m also working on a three point of view story set in Niagara Falls that explores the question “What would life be like after returning from a Narnia-like-world?”

Who inspired you most to become an author?

I grew up reading constantly and naturally found myself wanting to write books like those that I was reading. The books that have had the biggest impact on me as a writer (and person) would have to be Narnia, Coraline, and A Series of Unfortunate Events. I want to write books that will open kids eyes to the strangeness and beauty of the world and introduce them to thought-provoking questions and themes as those books did. 

Tell us a bit about your blog and your published works!

I published a short story, What Lives Beneath the Skin, in the Voices of the Future: Stories of Adventure & Imagination anthology. When twelve-year-old Timmy is left in charge of his little sister Milo for an evening, he’s forced to contend with a threat lurking under the wallpaper of their creepy fixer-upper house.

You can learn more or sign up for my email list at my blog, josephbrink.com. 

What are some fun/unique experiences you’ve had after being published as a young person?

I hosted two different launch parties, one in Nashville, TN with some friends, and one in my hometown in Canada. There was great turnout for both, and it was incredible getting to celebrate alongside so many others.

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

To (mis)quote Dory, “Just keep writing.” Even when it gets hard. The best way to get over writer’s block is to sit down at your document and force yourself to write at least a couple of lines.

What are some resources you recommend to young writers?

I’d highly recommend checking out K.M. Weiland’s articles and books on three-act structure and creating character arcs!

Where can we find out more about you?

My website! josephbrink.com

Please sign up to my email list (the sign-up form’s on my website) if you’d like to learn more about why I write scary stories.