An interview with Steven James

I met Steven James at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference last year. Yes, I braved COVID to meet him and other talented writers. He’s an amazing speaker and an even more amazing author. That’s why the Storyteller Squad selected his young adult Christian fantasy, Quest for Celestia, as our June online book club read. If you haven’t read it, download it ASAP and join the discussion in the Storyteller Squad Facebook group!

I asked Steven if he’d be willing to answer five questions for our readers, and he graciously agreed. Our interview is below:

What made you decide to write Quest for Celestia?
A publisher approached me with the idea of writing a book that was inspired by John Bunyan’s classic, A Pilgrim’s Progress. I told them that I wanted to write something fresh and original and as long as I could write something in that realm, I would be thrilled. As it turns out, that’s exactly what they were looking for, so I dove in.

Many writers pull from personal experience when they write. Are any of the scenes in Quest loosely based on events or settings from your life?
I have a friend who says that your characters in your books aren’t you, but they’re of you, so I think it’s hard for any author to write a story that isn’t deeply influenced by who they are, but I can’t think of any particular personal experiences that found their way into this book. The settings are unique to a fantasy land. It would be a fascinating place to visit, but a rather dangerous one in which to live!

What is your favorite scene from Quest and why?
I think my favorite scene is when our two heroes are fighting the dragon in his cave. I spent a lot of time on that scene and I felt like I had finally nailed it. Then I had a friend read it, and he said “I can’t picture any of this.” I was like, “It’s a dragon! It’s a cave! It’s a fight!” and he was like, “Yeah it’s in a cave! I can’t see anything.” “…oh, good point.” So I added light sources: lava, dragon flames, and a torch. Now at least other people can see what my brain cooked up. 

How has your faith impacted your writing?
I believe in the reality of good and evil, that our choices and our moments matter, that hope and redemption are available, and that in the end God’s love is great enough to conquer our pasts. So, while my novels are certainly not meant to teach a lesson or preach a sermon, I do try to teach through the actions of the characters. So, yes, some of the scenes are dark because we live in a fractured and imperfect world. But as I mentioned, hope is available and that’s the direction my stories point. 

What does a typical writing/editing day look like for you?
Ideally, I get up early and spend the morning reviewing what I did the previous few days to get my brain back in the story, then I’ll work on some new scenes. Afternoons, my brain is usually fried so I step away from my work and usually return in the evenings for crafting scenes that I’ll work on the next day. 

For more information about this fantasy, check out my Quest for Celestia blog. If you’ve read the book, what did you think about it?

To get a head start on our July Book Club selection, grab a copy of The Water Fight Professional by Angela Ruth Strong. It’s a hilarious clean middle grade story, AND it’s on sale right now for $3.99 on Amazon, down from $9.99.