Realizing a dream: College student publishes book

KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
 
An avid writer from a young age, Cole Slaamot had always dreamed of publishing a book. A 2019 high school graduate who is now a freshman at Frontier School of the Bible in LaGrange, Wyoming, Slaamot finally realized his dream and published his book, “Dividing Blades,” in August of 2020. 
The medieval adventure novel was one he had worked on for close to two years, he said. As a home-schooled student, he had the opportunity to earn an English credit his senior year by planning out and writing a novel. As someone who always enjoyed writing, he said, he was excited for that opportunity to improve his writing skills.
Slaamot chose to self-publish his book through Amazon, and although somewhat unconventional, he said, he took advantage of the opportunity because he wanted to have a copy of the book he had poured so much work into for over a year. 
“It’s been really exciting,” Slaamot said. “It’s been a childhood dream to publish a book.”
Twelve-year-old Isaiah Anderson, who’s known Slaamot for some time, said that he greatly enjoyed reading the book. Anderson, who likes adventure books, said Slaamot’s book intrigued him.
“I really liked it because it actually interested me, and I wanted to read more,” Anderson said. He also started writing a book of his own about a year ago. He said that all the books he’s read, including “Dividing Blades,” have ignited his interest in writing. 
“I started writing when I was 8. My first several stories and books were really awful, but they helped me grow,” Slaamot said. 
His parents, Jeremy and Heidi, said that they remember Slaamot spending a lot of time writing and thinking of new book ideas. 
“I would know when he was trying to write a story,” Jeremy said, noting that Slaamot would seem to be somewhere else, and he knew he was thinking about a book he was writing. 
“He definitely had an imagination,” Heidi said. 
But sticking with a project was definitely Slaamot’s biggest struggle, he said, because he’d always get distracted by different book ideas. The senior-year curriculum helped him stick with and finish a book, he said. He also learned how to develop characters and improved his ability to story-tell. In addition to simply writing the story, Slaamot also spent a lot of time rereading and editing his project. 
The process of writing this book has come with some mixed feelings, Slaamot said. Writers are always critical of their own work, he said. He would have days he was proud of his story and days he hated it. But in the end, he’s always just had a passion for writing.
“I’ve always had creative tendencies,” Slaamot said. That was a motivating factor in his writing, he said, and it has been a way to express himself.
“Your imagination is your limit. It’s always fun to just go on adventures and explore different things,” Slaamot said. 
However, another big reason for writing is to share his faith, he said. Beyond just medieval adventure, Slaamot’s book also puts forth a message of the Gospel of Christ. 
“The most important thing for me in writing is to be able to share a connection with the readers,” Slaamot said. “I hope that it will tug on some people’s hearts.” Slaamot added that he wants to give readers something they can apply to their lives and biblical truths they can learn from. 
“I’m proud that he was able to share his faith in the book,” Heidi said. 
Slaamot is studying to be a pastor, and he said that he feels like writing is a way that God can use him in that career path. 
“I feel like that’s something God can still use,” he said. 
Jeremy and Heidi also expressed hope that Slaamot would enjoy the path he chooses to go down and keep seeing God. 
“I hope he continues to grow in the Lord,” Heidi said.