Meet Scott Walker | Storyteller & World Builder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Scott Walker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Scott, what do you want your legacy to be?
My answer has changed countless times over the years, but it changes less frequently the older I get (maybe I’m getting closer to figuring it out?). Earlier in my life, it was probably something related to building a company or creating something worth telling others about or possibly becoming a creative of some note.

Today, my answer is simple: I want people to remember how I made them feel. If I interact with someone – family, friend, stranger – and make them feel seen, listened to, and appreciated, well, that’s an awesome day for me.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In August 1977, a brown-eyed, dark-haired ten-year-old boy went to a small movie theater in eastern Virginia.

The boy who entered the theater was just looking for a cool sci-fi flick with spaceships and laser guns. The boy who left the theater carried with him three new dreams: create fictional worlds, craft stories set in those worlds, and somehow obtain a stormtrooper costume.

(spoiler: it’s me, I’m the boy)

On one hand, my resume looks pretty traditional from a business standpoint: retail, tech consulting, IT management, serial entrepreneur. But what’s not on my resume are all the years of experimenting with different storytelling forms.

I’ve written over a dozen novels and published multiple anthologies. I’ve played and run D&D-type games for decades. I’ve designed and produced two live-action immersive experiences and helped design and produce a third. I’ve created two shared fiction worlds and participated in another. I taught storytelling at Art Center College of Design’s evening program. I’ve spoken at SXSW and FMX about collaborative creation.

My current project is a shared world of cozy fantasy fiction called Cozy Vales (https://cozyvales.com). In early 2023, I created a fantasy world with the intention of writing a new series in it. Then I decided to make it a shared world project, so I invited other authors to write stories set in the Cozy Vales world. I’ve met incredibly talented authors along the way, and we now have almost twenty authors actively writing original stories set in Cozy Vales. We’re having an absolute blast co-creating, collaborating, and supporting each other!

As of May 2025, we have three free anthologies readers can check out (the next one comes out in September), plus four novels written by two different authors (with more on the way). We’re also creating beyond the book experiences for readers. Earlier this year, we live-streamed a cozy table top role-playing adventure set in Cozy Vales (G. Clatworthy wrote the adventure and ran the live session), and we’ll launch a podcast later this summer.

I’m still experimenting with story, and I suspect I always will.

If I could hop in a time machine and meet that ten-year-old boy as he steps out of the movie theater, I’d assure him the worlds and stories he wants to create are already inside him, patiently waiting to be discovered. Then I’d tell him he’ll do far more than just write stories. Oh, and I’d promise him that one day his dream of owning a stormtrooper costume would come true (in fact, he’ll own two!).

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have failed horribly at exploring all Los Angeles has to offer, but I have three personal favorites I love to share with anyone new to Los Angeles:

First up: Cubano sandwiches. Porto’s arguably has a lock on this deceptively complex sandwich, but I’ve got two other amazing places in my regular rotation: Heirloom in South Pasadena, and Smokehouse Social Barbecue in Pasadena.

Second: The Museum of Jurassic Technology. I discovered this gem years ago, and I still have trouble describing it (though I gave it my best shot https://metascott.com/the-meta-museum-of-jurassic-technology/). Calling it a cabinet of curiosities isn’t technically wrong, but that does a massive disservice to the experience. For me, the line between fact and fiction constantly shifts but in a great way, and there’s a unique vibe to the museum unlike anything I’ve encountered before. When you’re looking for something off the beaten path, do yourself a favor and head over to TMOJT.

Last: Vroman’s bookstore in Pasadena. A landmark independent bookstore that’s served L.A. since 1894, it has a massive selection of books but still carries the air of a charming little shop.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When it comes to writing, the list of people who encouraged or mentored me could be a book in itself and would cover four decades of my life. But since this isn’t a book, I’ll reluctantly limit myself to two people.

Maureen F. McHugh is a Hugo award winning author and an amazing teacher. She was pushing me to take my writing seriously years before I hit publish, and her advice on writing and recommendations for books on the craft of writing were invaluable.

The second person who had a huge impact on my author journey is Craig Martelle. He invited me to his inaugural writer’s retreat a few years back, but that’s only part of his influence. Craig also serves as a proxy for hundreds of authors who quickly went from strangers to supportive colleagues to friends. Craig launched and ran the 20 Books™ Vegas non-profit author conferences for years, and while the conference has been put on hold, I continue to reap the benefits of that community thanks to his dedication for helping other authors.

Website: https://scottiswriting.com

Other: https://cozyvales.com

Image Credits
All photos owned by Scott Walker. Cover designer for “A Hearth Fit For a Witch” and all Cozy Vales anthologies: Get Covers. Cover designer for all other books: Miblart.