S.D. Smith's Blog, page 2

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.

The post Final Hour | LAST CHANCE to be Part of Something Historic appeared first on S. D. Smith.

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

The post Doomed to Fail…? | Behind the Scenes appeared first on S. D. Smith.

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.

The post We’re in the Top 1% appeared first on S. D. Smith.

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

The post Kickstarter 100% FUNDED! appeared first on 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

The post Live Event with S. D. Smith appeared first on S. D. Smith.

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.

The post We Don’t Do Video Games But… appeared first on S. D. Smith.

(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.

The post Why Would You Make a Video Game? I Thought You Championed Books & Reading! appeared first on S. D. Smith.

I’ve been keeping a secret from you. I’ve been working on something behind the scenes, and today I finally get to share it with you: a brand-new Green Ember adventure is coming — and it’s a Helmer origin story!

I am THRILLED to share that the new Green Ember book is a full-size Helmer book (our first BIG book since Ember’s End), and an awesome gateway into the Green Ember world. And this time we’re launching on Kickstarter because…

It’s also a game.

New Game

Say wut, Sam?

Yep, it’s a game. It IS a book, and it’s also a game. We made a family-friendly, kid-hospitable, no-weird-modern-predatory-stuff video game! It’s a video-gamization of the book, and both were written by me with love and a heart to serve your kids.

And both are super fun.
 
They go together. This is the first project taking Green Ember off the page and if it goes well, then we will move on to other types of media. But this is a crucial step.

We Need Your Help

We’re launching the book & game on Kickstarter! Both have been carefully crafted. The game offers an adventure with a beginning, middle, and end—not an endless addiction loop. There are no ads, no chat, no pay-to-upgrade & win.

We’ve been told that type of model won’t succeed in the current video game market (which is dominated by ads and addictive algorithms), but I have to believe there are families who want a radically hospitable game that treats children as human beings and is laser aimed to bless and delight them!

It’s easy to complain about the state of media in the culture. But we’re doing something about it.
We are fighting for your kids, and all the families out there eager for soul-shaping adventures.

Will you support this exciting, audacious endeavor?

Back the Kickstarter

We are all in on this. The book and game together make an incredible gift and we are so eager to share it with you. But we need your help!

We can’t do this without you. Please back the Kickstarter today!

I’m on your side,
 
Sam

Back the Kickstarter

The post New Green Ember Book AND Game appeared first on S. D. Smith.

There is an author I love named Tolkien who cared about telling great stories, was a devout Christian, and included in his masterpiece some fun harmonies with the Christian calendar.
 
For instance, in The Lord of the Rings, the fellowship sets out from Rivendell on December 25th (aka Christmas). The ring is (spoiler alert) destroyed on March 25th, the date many believed Christ was both conceived and died on the cross, (spoiler alert) securing salvation and atoning for sin.
 
Tolkien loved Christ, lived the Christian calendar, and was one of the greatest storytellers of all time. He disliked allegory, and yet produced the most spiritually affecting novel series I have ever read.
 
Maybe there is a reason why so many of our favorite authors (Austen, Lewis, O’Connor, Chesterton, etc.) grew up and lived in the rhythms of the Christian year. It’s a little bit hard to find noteworthy exceptions.
 
It might have a little to do with mystery, faith, and the mystery of faith.

I love this time of year. The Lord taught his disciples how to fast and the earliest disciples of the disciples taught us to fast before Easter. Christians have been doing that ever since. They made a big deal out of time and how it is to be kept. They believed that Christ was Lord of all and the great subject of our affections and attentions and…calendar. I know lots of Christians have different practices, but I tend to believe those early Christians have some good gifts to give us and that we would be wise to humbly consider receiving them. Both Tolkien, a Roman Catholic, and his friend C. S. Lewis, a Protestant, believed that.

This week you might be coming to the end of a fast and are excited to feast in celebration of the Risen Lord! I don’t know what you have planned. (Actually, I do know what a lot of you have planned, because you told me.) Whatever it is, I’m happy for you. I’m happy for me. I’m happy for the whole world.

Happy? In this economy? Amid these fears? Amid this challenge in my family? Amid sickness and sorrow and death?
 
Well, yeah. About that death…
Every Sunday for a long time I have been prompted by a man who is (literally) celebrating to proclaim “the mystery of faith.”

That gives me great joy. Even this heavy, holy week. Especially this heavy, holy week.
 
The Resurrection Celebration is happening on Sunday, but the Resurrection already happened. So did the death. So, the coming again is happening.
 
Christians call this holiday Easter—not because of some pagan goddess’s similar name, but—because Christ is believed to be coming again, rising (like the sun) in the east. So we look for the rising, the coming, the glorious new advent promised us by the work of Easter.

So, even amid the troubles of life, we have a happy hope. We have this happy/blessed hope.

A prayer we say in my church near dismissal includes, “and now, Father, send us out to do the work you have given us to do.” This is a validation of vocation and a dedication of ourselves to the Lord’s service in whatever we faithfully do.

I write kids books. I serve the Lord by serving kids made in his image, many of whom are going through dark days. I am inspired by the true tale of Easter to love them the best I can, and to help them, in the darkness, look and long for the sunrise. Sunrise is an artistic wonder, a most photographed phenomenon, and the muse of every kind of artist. It is in the east, and it gives light and life to the world.

My stories aren’t “direct sunlight,” but they are, I pray, aglow with the light of that sunrise for which we all long. Easter light.

The Green Ember books are all really Easter books. Not because of rabbits, but because of when they were written (often during Lent and Eastertide) and that they are soaked in the sunshine of Resurrection.

If you are not a Christian, I love you. I want to invite you to the big celebration and into the big story. The door is red because of the blood—but don’t worry, it’s not yours. And anyway you get into the water right off. The feast awaits you. Come on home to God.

My brothers and sisters, I love you. Isn’t this awesome? It is, because…

Christ has died. 
Christ is risen.
Christ will come again.

The post The Mystery That Moves Me This Week appeared first on S. D. Smith.

It’s time to announce the winners for this quarter’s Green Ember Kid Art contest!

Best Green Ember Kid Art

The FIRST prize goes to the Best #GreenEmberKidArt, judged according to the artist’s age. The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate at the S. D. Smith Store (along with Unimaginable Glory & Prodigious Esteem). 

And the winner is… 

Mary, Age 14!

“This is my daughter’s art. She was inspired after reading the Green Ember series, which she really loved. :)”Randomly Selected Kid Artist

For our next prize: Wild Glee, Contagious Joy, and $20 Gift Certificate at the S. D. Smith Store, everyone who submits art is entered.

And the winner is…

Pearce, Age 12!

“Joe is my favourite character!”

Congratulations to these winners!

We had so many wonderful submissions that it made choosing a winner so difficult. Here are some of them: Check out this video for more!

The contest for the next quarter starts now. Here are the official rules:

To enter, submit your art here.

If you have social media, please share your child’s Green Ember art (publicly) on social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube). Use the hashtag #GreenEmberKidArt (along with #RabbitsWithSwords and #TheGreenEmber if you would) and tag S. D. Smith on either Facebook or Instagram. YouTube submissions may be featured in our playlist here.

Art can include but is not limited to pictures of Green Ember drawings, paintings, songs, poems, animation, sculptures, woodwork, crochet art, and MORE! We love seeing your creativity.

Please submit 1 original piece per quarter. If you have more than one, hold onto it until our next quarterly contest opens up (every 3 months). The next contest ends in March and winners will be announced in April.

2024Q1 WinnersQ2 WinnersQ3 WinnersQ4 Winners2023Q1 WinnersQ2 WinnersQ3 WinnersQ4 Winners2022Q2 WinnersQ3 WinnersQ4 Winners

We look forward to seeing your submissions!

“Picket in the fowlers course.” Noah, age 14

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