S.D. Smith's Blog, page 2

Big Dates, Dads, and the Future of Humans on Earth

If you know me very well at all, you know I love and admire my father, Don Smith. You also know how much I love West Virginia. You also likely know that I care deeply about racial reconciliation and love the hopeful Christian vision that multitudes “from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages” will gather in white robes to worship the Lamb who is worthy. That’s our future, and every time we line up our lives with that blessed hope and Kingdom culture, we do well.

I wrote about those three things (Father’s Day, Juneteenth, and WV Day), centering on my experience with my dad, in this short essay. Feel free to give it a read. It informs the heart behind three of my books especially, The Found Boys, and the two (so far) Jack Zulu books I wrote with my son.

Celebrating 25 Years

On top of those other important dates, this one is very special. My wife Gina and I were married on June 17, 2000. Today marks our twenty-fifth anniversary! We celebrated earlier in the year with a trip to Northern Ireland (picture above).

A few days ago we witnessed our niece getting married and it was a sweet reminder of our vows and the profound blessings of matrimony. I am so grateful for Gina Smith, this woman who took my heart and my name and gave me children and a lifelong loyal love. She is more beautiful than ever and I thank God for her!

Speaking Update

This weekend I’ll be speaking in my beautiful home state at the Re-enchanting the World Conference in Logan.

Add West Virginia to Your Summer Reading List

In honor of West Virginia Day (June 20), we’ve got a deal on these books set in West Virginia: Jack Zulu series and The Found Boys.

Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key: This fantastical journey launches in rural West Virginia in the eighties, with a half-Appalachian, half-African kid trying to escape the town he sees defining his small, sad life. Jack discovers a gate hiding a city between twelve realms, and finds out where he truly belongs in a surprising, satisfying adventure.

The Found Boys: The mission was supposed to be fun—even funny—but things got serious quick. What follows is a daring journey with narrow escapes, attack dogs, deadly fires, and a friendship forged in shared peril.

Add Jack Zulu and The Found Boys to your cart at the Story Warren Store (includes audiobooks & JZ t-shirt) and get 15% off using code READWV. Ends Saturday, June 21.

I hope you are, with your treasure in heaven, putting down roots somewhere, or growing in the ones you’ve got. I hope you are loving your neighbor. I hope you are either grateful for your father, and/or are leaning into the love and welcome you have as a child of God.

I’m on your side,

Sam

Shop Story Warren Store

I love this prayer, from the Book of Common Prayer (2019):

O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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The Power (and Danger) of Stories

Stories are Potent

This is one of my all-time go-to quotations.

“For me, reason is the natural organ of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.”

C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Stories are meaning-making machines. We can’t really understand bare truth without stories—without our imaginations engaged.

Does that mean every kind of story is good, or that every exercise of the imagination is positive? No.

Stories are not neutral.

What we consume, especially repeatedly over time, has a powerful impact on us. If we’re feasting on a steady diet of horror, sacrilege, and unbelief, that will certainly go deep—into our souls.

Stories are potent.

That doesn’t mean we need to reduce our storytelling to mere utilitarian (useful) vehicles to share truth.

Just because the information in a propagandistic/moralistic story is correct doesn’t mean it’s a good story. You wrote, “Jesus died on the cross and rose again” on the cake, but the cake tasted like cement. True statement, but a bad meal.

Let’s stop tolerating crummy meals in our kids’ soul food: stories.

While we’re at that, we absolutely do need to feed our kids imagination with what is true, noble, and good.

If you are looking for resources to help on your journey, here are some recommendations:

Wolfbane BooksRead-Aloud RevivalRedeemed ReaderJordan Raynor’s picture booksNarnia Books100 Cupboards SeriesFarmer Giles of Ham & Smith of Wootten MajorTumbleweed Thompson BooksWingfeather Saga BooksBandersnatch BooksCatechesis BooksPlumfield MomsStory Warren

In a recent interview with Jordan Raynor (Mere Christians), I talked about how we can see our ordinary vocations, like storytelling, as participating in the ultimate Mended Wood. Give it a listen. I think it will encourage you!

Wherever you are, be there. Whatever you do (for God’s glory and the good of your neighbor), do it!

I’m convinced we need your gifts. God give you joy!

Sam

Shop Story Warren Store

P.S. Starting tomorrow, June 11, Team Burger Shed eBook is only 99 cents on Kindle! This hilarious story makes a great gift for Dad, especially with Father’s Day just around the corner. Ends June 15.

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Thank You | Now What?

We did it. You did it.

Literally, at the last second, some kind backers pushed us right over the $250k mark! Green Ember: Helmer in the Dragon Tomb book + game is 125% funded and is in the Top 5 All-Time Children’s Publishing.

What a fun ending.

Thank you to everyone who backed and shared our Kickstarter. What a great start to this new adventure story and its two ways to enter into the IMMERSIVE and EXPANSIVE Green Ember experience.

We’re happy. We’re grateful.

FAQ: I missed the Kickstarter! When will the book and game be available for purchase?

A: In the fall. The book will be available at the Story Warren Store and the game will be available on Steam. (Please take a moment to wishlist it on Steam.)

What Now?

Well first, I’m going to take a nap. 100 hours or so should do it. Then I’ll take some vitamins, drink a gallon of water, eat fistfuls of peanut butter m&ms (#selfcare), and get right back at it.

We like to have fun here but I’m serious about this calling to share New Stories with an Old Soul with children and families all over.

“My Place BESIDE You…”

That’s the start of the sacred oath the characters recite in The Green Ember that resonated deeply with me when it first flowed from my fingers into the tale and has since moved so many readers.

I don’t view my work as a platform to achieve “elite artist status” but as a magical-ordinary vocation where God has called me to be an ally in imagination to families who are desperate for daring adventures that are dangerous to the darkness. Tales that help make us all dangerous to the darkness.

So it’s not just in the stories. It’s in the calling of creating and sharing them too.

My place BESIDE you. Always.

Sam

Art by Elsa, age 12. Submit Green Ember Kid Art here.Shop Story warren Store

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Final Hour | LAST CHANCE to be Part of Something Historic

The Final Countdown

This is it. We’re in the final hour. After weeks & months of excitement and overwhelming support, the Green Ember: Helmer in the Dragon Tomb is coming to a close. The Kickstarter ends today—Thursday, 5/29 at 4 PM ET.

And what a ride it’s been.

Among the live projects in Children’s Publishing, this book + game combo has become:

116% Funded#1 Most Popular#1 Most Funded#1 Most BackedNamed a Kickstarter “Project We Love”

And…

#6 All-Time Most Funded in Children’s Publishing—can we make it in the top 5 in this final hour? Be Part of Something Historic

I would like to invite you—one last time—to be part of this historic endeavor. By supporting this Kickstarter you’re showing the media industry that you care what your kids consume… and you don’t want it to consume them.

We think the Best Value Backer is a great tier for families to enter into this new adventure in multiple ways. Don’t do video games? You can gift the game while enjoying the SIGNED Helmer book, audiobook, Time Steward Adventure Journal, and the eBook. Support at any level helps expand the reach.

Together we’re proving that families want something different. And this is how it starts.

support the project

To see the actual game being played watch this live replay. Gameplay here. We answered questions about the game, story, and controllers. If the technical side seems daunting, don’t worry, we’ll be here when the game rolls out to help you each step of the way.

This Wasn’t Supposed to Work

When we started out on this endeavor, we were told it wasn’t going to work. Video games, especially those geared towards kids, “need” to include ads, micro-transactions, and in-game purchases—or so we were told.

But we stayed laser focused on creating a story in a creative way that honors kids.

This book + game dives into Helmer’s origin story:

Young Helmer’s homestead is in peril—he is poised to lose his family and farm. The prince and heir has vanished, and the kingdom is teetering on the edge of a long fall into darkness. Evil allies arise, threatening all that is noble and hopeful in Natalia.

Dark times. Deadly foes. A dragon tomb. And a legend is born.

All the character building themes you love in Green Ember such as bravery, courage, and sacrifice, are here. This story champions virtues we want to see grow in girls and boys.

Boys, in particular, are in trouble and are sadly overlooked in modern storytelling. I believe creating and supporting stories that reflect what is true and honorable is a major way to help. Boys need noble quests. Boys need stories. And I want to be a helper on that front.

Serve the Kids & Save the World

So many stories and games feature “saving the world,” but we believe this double project is such a singular gift to kids that it will genuinely serve them in a world-changing way.

We have seen a phenomenal impact for ten years with the Green Ember books, and with your help the video game will extend that generous legacy to more and more kids.

Serving the kids is saving the world. You’re doing it.

We’re your allies.

We’re on your side,

Sam

support the project

P.S. Also ending today: Young Writer’s Workshop Enrollment. I wholeheartedly recommend this program for any young writers out there.

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Doomed to Fail…? | Behind the Scenes

We Started a Podcast | It’s a Behind the Scenes Story

Zach had the idea. You know him as the fantastic artist behind the Green Ember. Well, he recorded a bunch of our conversations as we prepped to share our new project and turned it into a podcast story series. It’s fun! If you wonder what it’s like to do try something audacious that might not work, then listen in!

Let’s hear from Zach:

Do you know what goes into making a game? (Would you mind telling us?) Ha! Joking!

In all seriousness, our Helmer book/video game project is enormous and taxing our team to its limits. If you’re interested in a behind the scenes glimpse at our roll-out, maybe you’d like to listen to this short podcast series. It’s a good way to bide the time (and better than biting your nails) while we await the final results of our Kickstarter. 

If you haven’t yet, support our Kickstarter to see how the Green Ember is going forth. If you have supported it, thank you. And feel free to check back every 37 seconds, like we do, to track the progress of our Bunny-Brawler Dungeon Crawler.

For the Mended Wood,

Zach Franzen, creator of Green Ember Goes Forth

The first episode, An Audacious Adventure…Doomed to Fail? gives you a peek behind the scenes on what it takes to grow Green Ember off the page.

Listen on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or iHeart Radio.

Form Follows Function

Our own Kelly Keller, managing editor at Story Warren, offers a powerful reflection on how form, purpose, and storytelling intersect in the world of gaming—and why it matters so much for families.

It’s a beautiful read, and a strong case for why projects like this need to exist.

How does this idea of “form follows function” intersect with what Story Warren is up to these days? We think it’s simple. If a game designer believes that a game is for having fun and enchanting the player with a good story, he will design a game that’s mostly about the fun and the story. It is the player who takes precedence.

If a game designer wants to make money, he will design a game that refuses to be left alone—one that asks for money to level up, one that calls the player back with increasing notifications, and one that pushes ad content to the forefront. It is the profit that takes precedence.

Continue reading Form Follows Function: Why We’re Making a Different Kind of Game.

More Interviews

I really hope you’ll listen to our new podcast, but it’s also been a real honor to be a guest on lots of others this month. Here are some you may want to check out!

This Devoted Life | Stories That Shape Our Children/Advocate vs AccuserMere Christians with Jordan RaynorThe Good Clean Nerdcast with Love Thy NerdWarrior Poet Society with John LovellRead Clean YA with CJ Milacci& more.

Thank you to everyone who is supporting us in this endeavor. If you’ve backed, grab your goodies here.

I’m on your side,

Sam

Back the Kickstarter

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We’re in the Top 1%

Game-Changing Sensation for an Anxious Generation

We’ve heard countless stories from parents saying, “I wish this existed when I was a kid.” Or, “This is exactly the kind of game I want my kids to play.” You’re not just wishing, you’re making it happen.

Kickstarter has just named us a “Project We Love”. They’re taking notice.

Of the 13,000+ children’s publishing projects on Kickstarter, Green Ember: Helmer in the Dragon Tomb is currently sitting at #6 all time.

Not only that, of the live projects in children’s publishing it’s also the:

#1 Most funded#1 Most backed#1 Most popularOutperforming 99.9% of projects

You did that. Families are happily supporting this cause, not million-dollar studios or corporate backers.

“My kids pooled their money and wanted to back the Helmer book and video game with their own savings. We told them we’d match what they put in. These books have created avid readers of all 3 of my older kids (Ages 7, 8, and 10) and has moved my husband and I through the stories as well.”

Allison

We want better media for our kids. And we’re putting our money where our heart is.

This is a joyful moment—but also a vulnerable one.

We’re choosing a harder path.

Most games today are built like slot machines—designed to seem cheap up front, then pull players in with addictive loops and endless in-game purchases. We’ve chosen a different path, one that doesn’t exploit kids or families. But that choice makes our journey more difficult.

We’re happy. We’re grateful. But we’re not done.

I’m truly thankful for the amazing support we’ve already seen. It means the world to me. I want to see this beautiful, rare adventure reach even more kids. I believe it can—but we need your help to get there.

If you haven’t backed yet, would you consider doing it today? And if the game’s not right for your home, gift it to a family who would use it?

Support Now

The Best Value Backer is a great option for families who aren’t into video games. It has some great resources for book lovers. You’ll receive:

Signed – Paperback Book – Green Ember: Helmer in the Dragon TombGreen Ember: Helmer in the Dragon Tomb Game Key for PC / Mac (can be gifted!)Audiobook – Green Ember: Helmer in the Dragon TombDownloadable Resource – Time Steward Adventure JournaleBook – Green Ember: Helmer in the Dragon Tomb

Your support makes this possible. Let’s keep going. Let’s show the world that families still care about hopeful, hospitable storytelling without hidden/toxic agendas.

Our kids deserve better media.

Let’s give it to them.

I’m on your side,

Sam

P.S. Once you’ve backed the Kickstarter, we have some downloadable goodies for you! Grab them here.

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Kickstarter 100% FUNDED!

Initial Goal Reached!

It’s a good day, friends. Thanks to nearly two thousand of you, we have reached our initial goal of $200,000! That is happy. I am glad. And I feel super grateful that so many of you have joined our ambitious, audacious adventure. Thank you to everyone who has backed.

There are still many folks I love who haven’t yet joined the party, and I want to extend a warm invitation to you to join in on the fun!

Every dollar beyond our initial goal helps us improve the game, expand its reach, and share it with more families.

That means every backer still matters. A lot.

I’m so grateful for you. You’re making this special offering that will bless so many kids possible. It’s special to me to be in cahoots with you!

Blessings to you,
Sam

Back the Kickstarter

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Live Event with S. D. Smith

Join the Live

We’ve hit our initial goal and we’re celebrating with a party! Join the live in one hour (Tuesday, May 27th at 7pm ET) on YouTube.

We’ll answer any remaining questions you have about the Green Ember: Helmer in the Dragon Tomb Kickstarter and I will be playing the new game. There will be lots of giveaways! You don’t want to miss it.

That’s all for now.
I’m on your side,

Sam

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We Don’t Do Video Games But…

Here’s Why We’re Supporting This Game

We’ve heard from a few families, “We don’t do video games.”

I get it. It is so wise to be careful with the media we consume. And I trust your judgment for your fam.

We champion books. Reading aloud. Capes made from sheets and swords made from cardboard. Endless hours spent outside. Making. Believing. Make-believing.

This game doesn’t diminish any of those, but rather enhances them. What if a game could actually support your goals as a parent—rather than undermine them?

“I have spent almost 2 decades working scrupulously hard to strictly limit my kids’ screen time. For all of the good reasons. But, opportunities like this are a game changer.”

Plumfield Moms

We want to teach kids how to be good stewards of their time and give them the tools to enact proper boundaries around media. Is there a better time or place to train them than right now, in your home, with tools you trust?

Time Steward Adventure Journal

We’ve created a resource to help you as you’re training your kids called the Time Steward Adventure Journal. It includes habit trackers, graphs, places for booklists, and more!

This downloadable journal is available in many of the Kickstarter tiers.

Support the Kickstarter

I’ve seen several say how they are making an informed exception here based on history and trust and that is awesome.

“We have been a mostly screen-free family, however as our boys get older, we have had to begin navigating how to teach them balance with media. Video games have posed a particular challenge because so many of their friends play and because are designed to be irresistible and addictive (particularly to the brains of boys). We are constantly assessing how to interact with games fits in a way that fits within our family values.

I have to admit..when I first saw you were releasing a video game I was a little annoyed. I guess I’m old fashioned; I am tired of being constantly surrounded by video games and swimming against the cultural current.

However, as I read more and understood the heart behind this game, I was filled with hope and gratitude. Thank you for offering a good and alternative option! This is SO needed, and I hope that it inspires other creative people to do the same.”

-E

The Heart Behind the Game

This game isn’t an escape from the real world—it’s a story-based adventure that reflects the same courage, loyalty, and bravery you’ve loved in The Green Ember books.

We’ve created a game you can say “yes” to and feel good about.

We’ve carefully designed a game with no:
ads
in-game purchases
chat

This game has a:
beginning
middle
end

We’ve been told that this type of model won’t work but I know there are families out there who want a radically hospitable game that treats kids as human beings.

We’re taking the harder route because it’s the better route.

There are just two more days to jump on board.

I’m on your side,

Sam

Support the Kickstarter

P.S. Happening tonight at 7pm ET on YouTube: a live celebration party! I’ll be giving away some awesome stuff, playing the game, and answering any questions you have.

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Why Would You Make a Video Game? I Thought You Championed Books & Reading!

(Stay tuned for the giveaway.)

I’m a book guy. Books are a technology I deeply love. Good job, Gutenberg. Kudos. Some may think that books have always been around, or even that novels have been universally praised as a welcome technological invention. Who would dare doubt the formative power of Pride and Prejudice, Treasure Island, or A Tale of Two Cities?

Widely regarded as profoundly valuable now, novels were early on met with great suspicion, similarly to how many reluctant/discerning/worried parents approach video games today.

For most of us, it’s not about rejecting video games outright just because they are a fairly recent tech invention. Many of us are cautious about them because we doubt their capacity to be formative in a wholesome way for our families.

If video games aren’t a fit for your family, I respect that. I’m not a big video game person, myself. That is, I don’t play much. Our kids play some, but not too much. It’s not central to our life. But I believe a few things that make me keen to operate in that sphere for the good of my own kids and the kids of the world.

I think…

Video games exist.
Most kids play them a lot. 
There aren’t enough games built with love & care for kids. 
Our game is made with profound love & care for kids. 
Our game is made with their hearts, souls, and delight in mind. 
We are not preying on them, but praying for them. 
We are not trying to extract maximum dollars from them (or you).
We aren’t making a game in opposition to reading. 
We are (audacity alert!) making an integrated game and novel.
We think this will lead to MORE reading. 
We believe more reading of good books is good. 
We know lots of boys don’t read. 
Publishers aren’t offering much for boys. 
The boys would rather play video games. 
We made a very boy-friendly game and book. 
We believe this means more boys will read as a result. 
I wrote a book that is deeply and morally formative for boys. 
Girls will also dig it. 
Girls read much more widely than boys. 
Lots of girls play video games too. (More and more every year.)
Girls of the future (and present) need boys to be shaped by moral stories. 
Civilization needs noble boys. 
The boy your daughter may someday marry or the neighbor boy is probably playing video games a lot. 
What if we reached him through our game and that led him on a journey? 
What if he played the Green Ember game, then read the books, then read better and better ones? 
What if this game changed his life and your daughter’s life and had a compounding cultural impact for generations? 
I don’t think kids should spend too much time playing video games. 
We designed our game to have natural limits. 
Kids should play outside. 
Kids should read. 
Kids should pray and have a devotional life. 
We are your biggest allies in this stuff. 
We are not against you. 
I understand the clarity and safety of hard boundaries. 
I appreciate it when you understand my heart in this. 
I love you. 
I’m such a devoted ally to you and your family. 
I care deeply and work extremely hard to serve you and your kids. 
I’m on your side.

Those are some things I believe and assert and affirm. They give you some insight into why I have worked so hard to help create a game that is so radically hospitable and loving to kids. This might help you understand why we are, at the moment, tying the game and book together and asking for folks to back us in this audacious endeavor. 

Back The Kickstarter

We’ve heard from so many of you that you are grateful we are choosing to show up in this space and love these kids enough to fight for good media.

I am soooooooo grateful to everyone who is encouraging us and enthusiastically backing and sharing the project. It means the absolute world to me.
 
We have BIG goals. We want to start making a ruckus in this video game space. We want better media for our boys and for our girls.
 
And this is how it starts.

I’m on your side,
 
Sam

Back The KickstarterGiveaway!

We’re giving away an exclusive Green Ember Collector’s Box!

One lucky winner will receive:
Collectible NES-style game cartridge
Handmade Helmer crochet rabbit
Limited edition lenticular card
Sword bookmark
Stickers

To Enter:
1⃣ Follow @sdsmithereens and @story_warren on Instagram & Facebook if you are on those platforms.
2⃣ Visit the Kickstarter page and read through it.
3⃣ Let us know in the comments: What’s the most compelling reason to back this project that you spotted?

Bonus: send this to a friend for extra entries! (Let us know you did so in the comments.)

Double bonus: if you have social media, enter on Facebook & Instagram.

Giveaway ends May 12th at 5pm ET. Winner will be notified May 13th. Must be 18 or older. US address only. Void where prohibited.

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