Sam McNicol was raised near Sydney. Upon completing high school, he chose to study visual arts before switching to music and dedicating his twenties to it.
His thirties were centred around travelling and cultural growth. This led to a decade spent living abroad, primarily in Spain, Portugal and Ireland.
Sam has worked on concerts, theatre productions, festivals and televison shows, as well as in classrooms, kitchens, hostels, building sites and retail stores. He currently lives in Melbourne, where he channels all of these creative experiences into his storytelling.
PanToad’s Castle is set to be released in 2027.
What inspired you to be a writer?
I’m reminded of a Toni Morrison quote I heard recently: 'If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.' It couldn’t be more true in my case!
What prompted you to write 'PanToad's Castle'?
PanToad’s Castle grew from a quick sketch on my notepad. My wife had suggested a simple activity she often used with her young students, which was to draw a hybrid of two separate animals; in this case, a panda and a toad.
One thing led to another and before I knew it, I had a cast of characters and an idea for a story. I set out to to create a world where my hybrid animals could interact - not only with each other, but with any amount of fantastic creatures those students might imagine and draw for themselves.
Do you have any more books in the pipeline?
I have an outline for a follow-up to PanToad’s Castle, as well as a few other ideas I’d like to explore after that.
What is your professional background?
I’ve worked mostly around music - performing, writing, recording as well as working in the instrument retail industry. I’ve also worked as an English language teacher for many years, in addition to being employed at a bunch of other randomly assorted workplaces.
Any advice you’d like to give to aspiring writers?
One piece of advice that worked for me while writing was something I heard as a musician: ‘Play the song, not the instrument.’
In other words, your task is not to show off and prove that you’re a good musician or writer; the task is to present something compelling. I felt this attitude helped me to get out of my own way during the writing process, and allowed me to focus on the making the outcome as good as possible without worrying about how it might reflect on me.
Who/what inspires you?
In a storytelling context, I’m particularly drawn to colourful and imaginative folks like Hayao Miyazaki, Shaun Tan or Jim Henson; all masters of their chosen art forms. Beyond the presentation and the medium, I love creative works that can offer an idea to be debated rather than a rule to be followed.
What are your hobbies, interests and favourite books?
I took up skateboarding a while ago, and I’ve played bass guitar since I was a teenager. I often spend quality time outdoors or in the kitchen, and I try to go on a road trip every so often with my wife.
My favourite book has always been Dune, ever since I pinched it from my uncle’s bookshelf at the age of fifteen (I still have that copy). I’m a big fan of comics and animation, especially if there are animals, robots or monsters involved. In more recent times I’ve been diving into the Discworld as well as re-reading some early Ursula K. Le Guinn.
How can readers contact you?
Facebook: Sambo Mc
Instagram: @mrsamuelmcnicol
