1. Was reading about magical realms a part of your childhood?

Oh, most definitely. Some of my favorite books were the Dragonlance series, which is from Dungeons and Dragons. And Star Wars – which is like wizard fantasy in space – is one of my all time favorite things.

I’ve read most fantasy you could think of going clear back to Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Alice in Wonderland, and the Chronicles of Prydain, just to name a few.

2. Did you have any favourite authors then that have influenced your writing now?

When I first started writing, I would say Weiss and Hickman from Dragonlance. Maybe wanting to emulate Stephen King’s ability to really draw the reader in and immerse them in the world. Once I had been writing a bit, I realized the voice that was emerging was closer to Rick Riordan.

3. How has using a magical theme enabled you to inspire children to write?

I love how the Harry Potter books helped get so many interested in not only reading, but fantasy. More people are drawn to it now – like a spell. There is so much you can do with fantasy. I have a recipe of a treat mentioned in one of my stories, and offer that to people. I’m working on a card game and a video game. With each thing out there, it attracts different types of kids. Hopefully, some then get interested in reading the source material.

4. Where did the inspiration come from for your myriad of characters and settings?

I live near Kent State in Ohio. Each year, they do a Wizard fest in celebration of the Harry Potter universe. I wanted to setup there, but at the time didn’t have any books that fit. So I came up with a short story. Which then grew into a book. Which then grew into a series. I wasn’t trying to emulate Harry Potter, but have my own world with magicians. And I wanted the kids to relate to the struggling hero of the story, so the idea for a Town Magician emerged from that.

5. Were you always going to write a series or did it evolve?

Evolved. The main series is going to be 4 books. Funny thing, book 3 seems like the climax of a trilogy, but book 4 actually is going to be more important and big, at least for our Hero. I do have thoughts for some other off-shoot books, but we’ll see when we get there. I do have another book coming that was meant as a short story sequel to book 1, but has turned into a whole book on its own. That will be coming soon.

6. How does video game writing differ from book writing?

With books, the reader is passive and reads what the writer imagined and created. With video games, the player is the hero and creates their unique story. They decide what happens next. Like a digital Choose Your Own Adventure. But you still need to have many of the same elements in video game stories. The three act structure is so ingrained in us, that not having it feels like something is off, and it can tank a good story – whether a book or a video game.

And video game writing involves many aspects you don’t worry about in books. For example – every NPC has to have something to say, even if its not pertinent to the story. And they usually need several things to say. So you have to write all those lines for each NPC and make it fit in the world and make it sound unique for each character so players are immersed.

7. What do you consider is the benefit of creative writing for children?

It gets them to think. Reading engages their brain to imagine what they are reading, but it’s fed to them. Video games show them everything, but they have to make the choices.

Writing is Lego with words. You create the world and dictate what comes next. You can see it in the kids that get it – they light up when writing and they go down the rabbit hole with writing just the next idea. And once you understand writing a story within the story structure, it opens up so many avenues. Besides video games, there is obviously movies. But, even in the corporate world, there is a push to pass on factual information in a story format. Those that understand writing will be ahead of the game.

8. Can you tell us about your latest book?

The latest book is Transgression of Magic – book 2 of the Town Magician series. Spoiler alert – our hero, Samual, thinks things are good now that he’s found his magic. But, he still has the lingering problem of his father. And it’s worse than he imagines.

Now he must deal with finding out the truth about his father and how that affects him as Town Magician.

Here’s the book blurb:

Some transgressions refuse to stay buried…
Samual has finally stepped into his role as the Town Magician, using his magic to protect the village and dazzle the crowds with Advisor Rory by his side. Life is good—until a ruthless bounty hunter arrives, demanding the town hand over a fugitive. The fugitive? Samual’s father.

Joseph, once a respected Town Magician himself, has spent years on the run after allegedly harming a villager. Now, the past is catching up, and Samual is faced with an impossible truth: his father might be a criminal. Determined to uncover what really happened, Samual and Rory begin digging into the past—only to unearth more than they bargained for. Someone has been hiding the truth, and the real traitor may still be out there.

As time runs out and the bounty hunter closes in, Samual must decide where his loyalties lie and whether he can trust the magic in his veins. Because if he chooses wrong, he won’t just lose his father—he could lose everything.

9. What future writing plans do you have currently?

Tons.

Book 3 of Town Magician is getting started. I have a short story between book 1 and 2 that needs finished and will be out before book 3 for everyone waiting for the next book.

I have been teaching a video game class to kids and will have a book out soon to go with that class, but also that can be ordered and used separately.

And my newest series – The Oddish Questors – will be coming up. It’s a team of siblings that investigate things like Bigfoot. I’m very excited for this series. Book 1 is getting edited, and I have a kids picture book coming out also.

10. Where can readers, schools and teachers find you and your workshops?

I have everything at: sa-schneider.com. In the back of my books I include discussion questions, words to know, and writing prompts for teachers and parents to use, but I also post those on my website.

You can find links to my books and the short stories that go with each series. And you can sign up for my newsletter to know when the next story is out.

Bio:

S.A. Schneider has a wolf, so of course he writes middle grade fantasy, wouldn’t you? Since his Lego and action figure days, he’s crafted worlds and stories within those worlds. This pursuit continues to his books today. Now he shows kids, and their parents, the joy of writing as a lifelong pursuit and how to turn it into a career. Not just books, but video game stories! He wants others to join him in fantastical worlds and possibly even delve into creating their own. Enjoy the adventure!!