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I’ve attended several virtual writers conferences this year, and at one of them, I got to hear from author Tim Shoemaker. Among his vast speaking and writing experience, he writes contemporary adventure and suspense for tweens and young adults. And just from the examples he used during his writing workshops, I could feel the action in his storytelling.

Just read these blurbs for Tim’s newest books, Easy Target (released March 2021) and Escape from the Everglades (released July 2021).

Easy Target (Amazon Affiliate Link):

Thrust into public school his eighth grade year, ex-homeschooler Hudson Sutton is an outsider—and an easy target. When he sticks up for “Pancake” he makes two allies and plenty of enemies. Hudson wants to protect his new friends, and puts a bold plan into action. When things get out of hand, he learns too late who the real easy target is. Taking on bullies comes with hidden danger . . .becoming one yourself.

Escape From the Everglades (Amazon Affiliate Link): 

After Parker Buckman is mauled and nearly killed by an alligator, he sees his new town as a place of death. He thinks he’ll just die if his park ranger dad doesn’t get a transfer out of the area soon. And he’s right. When a friend goes missing in the Everglades—Parker can’t leave until he finds her—or evidence that she’s truly dead. But that means facing gators . . . again.

Pretty exciting, right?

In the interview below, Tim talks about how he discovered his love of writing, the power of stories, and how God has carried him through even the most overwhelming situations.

Read on to learn more about Tim and his writing!

What inspired you to begin your writing journey?

Tim: “Strangely enough, it was my kids. I had no desire to write. None. But I did like telling my kids stories . . . just things I’d make up on the fly. ‘Daddy, you should write these down.’ I can’t tell you how many times I heard that. And finally I tried—and discovered I loved it. In time I was writing more and more, going to writing conferences, and dreaming about a day I might dare to go part time at work so that I’d have more time to write. Who knew, right? Well, actually, God knew . . . and I’m so grateful for the path he put me on.”

What inspired your most recent story?

Tim: “Ahhh, you’re referring to Escape From the Everglades. I love writing mystery, adventure, suspense. Some would call them thrillers. When I was thinking about a new series about a park ranger’s son who gets in way over his head—I needed to come up with a setting. The scariest National Park I can imagine is the Florida Everglades. Alligators. Venomous snakes. Pythons. When I went down to do research, I learned a whole lot more about the area. There was definitely some scary stuff down there—and a downright evil history.  But wow . . . the setting worked pretty fantastic for a story—and it inspired much of the story at the same time!”

Why do stories matter?

Tim: “Stories are an incredibly powerful way to convey truth and impact readers. Think about it.  When we read non-fiction . . . we tend to process that information in our head. The author sincerely hopes some of it resonates with the reader enough to travel to his heart and become part of him. Fiction is different. We process fiction in our hearts. If readers love the story—and the characters—we don’t have to worry about the truth of that story going to the reader’s heart. It’s already there.

Some people see stories as ‘kid stuff.’ They discount the importance of stories. But God knows the power of a story—just read the Old Testament, right? And think about Jesus . . . nobody used stories more frequently or better than he did to convey truth. Stories are powerful. They motivate us to action. Convict us of sin. Make us brave. Give us direction. Teach us wisdom. Stories cause us to think and change in ways we wouldn’t have if the same truth were conveyed in a textbook. So if you really want a powerful way to inspire people . . . stories matter.” 

What is a message you’re particularly passionate about sharing with your readers?

Tim: “I write some fiction for 8-12-year-olds, and some for YA. I want to help them navigate these tough years. Help them avoid traps that can hurt or cripple them. I want to give them friends like they never had—and teach them to be a good friend in the process. I don’t write down to them—because they’re smart. Which is why I write full novels for them . . . roughly 100,000 words. I want to help them grow into men and women of integrity and character . . . to learn to trust God and his Word. To put His Word into practice. Now, it’s not like I’m sharing this message with the readers. More like this is a motivating factor to write to them. I picture my readers as I write. Especially readers in the age-range I’m writing for. This helps me write with love . . . and I want that to come through in my stories.”

What have you learned about God, our Creator, through your personal creative process?

Tim: “He is faithful . . . and he is incredibly creative. Let’s say I need to write a short story for a magazine—and I have no idea what to write. I take a two-mile walk . . . and I talk to the Creative One. God has never failed to give me an idea before the two miles are up. And when writing in general . . . countless times I get stuck. Maybe I’m looking for a way to end a chapter, or to start a scene, or for a way to make a line better. I get on my face and pray . . . and He delivers!”

When it comes to your writing, have you ever followed God into something that made you feel scared or uncomfortable? What was the outcome?

Tim: “Oh, yeah. Sometimes a writing project feels too big for me. Like I’m over my head. Or I’m trying to rework the first draft of a novel and I’m feeling overwhelmed. Or I’ve put out a proposal that deep down scares me to death. I’m grateful to say that God has always delivered and carried me through. It’s like Psalm 63:8: ‘My soul clings to you.Your right hand upholds me.’

When doing research for Escape From the Everglades, I definitely got in over my head. I went into the wilds—alone—just to experience some of the fear so my writing would be more real. Believe me, I got more than I bargained for. Twice I was in a situation that could have ended in total disaster. The outcome? Terrific. I got back alive so I could write the story. The trip that nearly got me killed ended up totally bringing the story to life!”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tim Shoemaker is the author of sixteen traditionally published books and two self-published books. He is a popular speaker at conferences around the country. Happily married for forty years, Tim has three grown sons and daughter-in-laws, and still loves doing volunteer youth work.

Connect with Tim at www.timshoemakersmashedtomatoes.com.

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