Author Interview | Adam Vineyard Sci-fi Fantasy Writer

Tell us a little bit about yourself! How long have you been writing? What do you write?

Hi there! I’m honored to be interviewed. My name is Adam Vineyard, a young author with a lifelong love for all things COOL. I’ve been writing about sky islands, talking sheep and a kid named Jerry finding inner bravery for almost five years, though before that I’d always been making up stories with my twin brother, Jon.

I write sci-fi fantasy with a hefty dash of adventure, mainly. Though I have written a few mysteries and time travel books as well.

What is your current project about?

A question you can be sure I’m excited to answer! My current project is known as Explorers of Somnium, a book series set in a paradise dream world. Across the saga, Jerry Banks (a middle schooler with a red jacket) is trying to escape the breathtaking world of Caelum alongside his budding companion Travis the Sheep.  All the years I’ve worked on it has been a blast to write.

What inspired you to create the world of Caelum? 

Funnily enough, there’s always been some burst of inspiration inside me whenever I’ve thought about having adventures in sky islands and among the clouds (which, in hindsight, could have been God guiding me to where I am today!) and it was that vague passion that fueled me to develop the hazy shape of Caelum. There were a few outside sources, however: among them being the video game Sky: Children of Light. I played it a few months after it was released, and my young self was enchanted by the beautiful graphics and the adventuring atmosphere.

If you could live in one place in your world where would it be and why?

Man, this is gonna be hard to choose! There’s the futuristic city of Axus with all its turquoise pools and aqueducts, the farming hub of Fihose where there are magnificent windmills and fields, the great forests to the East with the houses up in the trees… but I think out of all of them, I’d pick Redleaf—the first village Jerry stumbles into—because of the marketplace, sword tournament, and zeppelin port. From there I could travel throughout the world of Caelum as much as I wanted!

How do you stay motivated to keep writing, and do you have any tips to fight writer's block?

Good question! It’s weird, but I actually almost never get writer’s block anymore, because the inspiration and motivation just seems to keep coming: I think the snowball I’ve rolled has gotten so big that I’m just able to be carried with it. However: there are instances where I get stuck in the mud. And you know what the number one solution I’ve found that gets me out every time?

Zoom out, refine, and develop the plot point you’re stuck on.

I know that planning isn’t for everyone, but for me, this strategy works 99% of the time. Because the reason I get stuck is because my story instinct is telling me that I’m going the wrong direction—I’ve taken a wrong turn on the map—but since I’m thick in the drafting process, I’m tunneling blind and am not really sure where I’m going. However, once I zoom out, study the map, and plot the best way forward, I jump back in and am able to charge ahead with all the inspiration and motivation in the world.

As for inspiration itself… find music. Find pictures that remind you of why you started writing the story in the first place. Try to expand your story in other ways besides writing. If one door is locked, find another door.

I have been a part of your email list from the beginning and WOW, your marketing skills are amazing. Tell me, how do you get people so interested, make them excited, and how do you make your emails/website so iconic and one of a kind?

Thank you for your kind words, and I’m so glad you’re enjoying the newsletters! The biggest tip I can give you here is:

SERVE YOUR READERS. Above everything. The core of my inspiration (sky islands, adventures, clouds, e.t.c.) fuels what I’m making, but I have to make sure readers will actually be interested in what I’m sharing. Basically, I’m constantly asking myself “What’s in it for them?” “What do they gain from what I share?”

Here’s one example: I want to share a character spotlight, but who do I choose? Well, I really want to share this one of Fred Mancan ‘cause he’s really cool… but on the other hand, I could also share a spotlight of the Young Lucid Dreamers, who are super relevant to the plot of the series and also contain a few secrets the readers will enjoy later.

Since I want to give my readers something valuable in everything I do, I’m going to pick the Young Lucid Dreamers, even if I might want to share Fred Mancan more.

Also: I put high-quality illustrations that capture the essence of my story everywhere. And I mean everywhere. I’ve made thousands of character artwork with Midjourney AI.

What is your favorite time of day, location and food to eat while writing? 

Hmm, well my favorite time of day to write varies, because sometimes my life is so busy I have to snap up any time I can. I like writing in the evenings the most, though, because the house is completely quiet, and I can concentrate fully. I actually don’t have a specific location, either—I write pretty much anywhere.

I don’t eat much when I’m writing, but I do have a drink of milk or ice cold water nearby sometimes.

In the coming year what are some of your goals related to writing and how can we support you?

Well, right now I’m really trying to get The Dreamer Part One out and published by June 2025, and I also really want to grow my email list, but it’s really hard to invest time in writing and marketing at the same time. So the biggest thing you can do is… well, be on the newsletter, I guess. I want to reach a LOT of people during the launch of The Dreamer Part One, and in order to do that I need a lot of people on the newsletter.

Spreading the word about the book so new people join would be amazing, too, which can earn you a spot in Jog’s Secret Archives. But I understand that people have busy lives, so there’s really no pressure.

Is there a location in the vast internet that we can find you and follow along with your journey?

Yeah, there is, actually! adamvineyard.com is my official website, and it has all the artwork, books, and world information you could ever need to jump into the Explorers of Somnium series.

I am so glad I got the chance to interview such an amazing person, thank you Adam!

Rock On,

K. Florence