Conversations with Liam Ulland-Joy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Liam Ulland-Joy. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have always enjoyed telling stories, and learning to write was a natural extension of that hobby. In elementary school, I would regale my parents and friends of the family with stories I made up on the spot. But I also made card games, drawings, and comics to fill my free time. In 5th grade, I completed my first novel, Wraith Wars: a Tolkien-inspired fantasy story. This got me hooked on creative writing and pushed me to try new methods of storytelling once I entered middle school. 

In 8th grade, my English teacher told me about a competition called the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. I decided to enter the competition in the Novel Writing category, writing a story called Iron Spires. This piece earned a gold regional medal and a silver national medal. Winning these awards was hugely exciting for me: I traveled to Iowa City to attend the awards ceremony in person and was chosen to read an excerpt of my novel! I left the ceremony awestruck. The whole experience encouraged me to focus more on creative writing. I began to seriously consider following that path as a career option. 

After talking about publishing a book for months, my mom reached out to a Minnesota-based publishing company called Fox Pointe Publishing. To my amazement, they gave me the opportunity to write for them. I began working on the first installment in the Iron Spires trilogy, “Forsaken City.” Though the Covid-19 pandemic delayed the process, I was ultimately able to conclude my work on the manuscript in 2021. As we approach the official publication date, I am now working on the second book in the trilogy. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The writing process for my novel was an entirely new experience for me. While I had plenty of experience creating stories, working with an editor and publisher was something I had never done before. Learning to work with someone to bring my work up to its highest level of quality was a process that took some time. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a writer who specializes in novels and novellas. My first book, Forsaken City, will be officially released on July 20th through Fox Pointe Publishing. It is the first installment in a science fiction trilogy called Iron Spires. While this is my first book to be published, I have been an avid reader all my life and have written stories since I was in 5th grade. 

I am only in 11th grade, but I’m excited to be working on creative projects like Forsaken City at such a young age. My goal is to build a strong career for myself through my writing. To this end I have a number of ideas written down that could be developed into novels in the future. I’m only just getting started and I can’t wait to see what the future holds! 

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I learned the importance of perseverance during the Covid-19 pandemic. Having to contend with changes to my school system (switching back and forth between online and in-person learning) and creating my first novel while in 10th grade was a difficult experience. The writing process took much longer than I had originally planned since I also had to focus on educational and health matters, but in the end, I was able to put together a finished product that I am proud of. I also learned how to prioritize and delegate time between multiple projects at once, a skill which I think will be valuable going forward. 

Pricing:

• Forsaken City (The Iron Spires Trilogy Book 1) softcover – $11.95
• Forsaken City (The Iron Spires Trilogy Book 1) hardcover – $18.95

Contact Info:

• Website: https://author-liam-ulland-joy.square.site/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorliam.ullandjoy.3/

Image Credits
Ashley Mattson
Rebecca J. Ulland