The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

Episode: 1KHO 643: A Connection to Something Timeless | S.D. Smith, Helmer and the Dragon Tomb
Host: Jenny Ertz
Guest: S.D. Smith (author of The Green Ember series)
Date: December 7, 2025

Overview

This episode explores the crucial value of childhood, the power of books and storytelling, and the need to intentionally connect to "timeless things" in an era marked by technological acceleration and cultural change. Host Jenny Ertz engages author S.D. Smith in rich conversation about family, creative process, and inspiring families (and kids) to read, write, and imagine. The episode dives into Smith's latest Green Ember novel, writing rhythms, resisting the digital onslaught, and the enduring rewards of books as gifts.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Finite Nature of Childhood & The 1000 Hours Outside Movement

Timestamp: 00:48 – 04:56

• Jenny reflects on how children have about "9.5 million minutes" in their childhoods and urges families to intentionally reclaim time from screens by prioritizing outside play, reading, and imaginative activities.
• The 1000 Hours Outside movement sets a goal: match outside time to the average yearly American kid’s screen time (1,200 hours), reminding families about the developmental importance of nature and play.

“Every year we aim to match nature time with the average amount of American kid screen time… Have a goal. Track your time outside. Take back childhood. Inspire others.” – (Jenny, 00:48)

2. Meaningful Hospitality, Friendship & Story

Timestamp: 00:43 – 03:33

• Jenny tells a heartwarming story of S.D. Smith and his family welcoming her family (eight people!) unexpectedly for dinner during a visit to West Virginia, followed by a group hike and singing “Country Roads.”
• The conversation celebrates genuine hospitality and the lasting memories forged through nature and togetherness.

“Those are the things that you just never forget... Who does that? Who’s like, hey, no problem, we can host eight people tomorrow?” – Jenny (01:59)

3. Navigating Culture’s Rising Pressures & Seeking the Timeless

Timestamp: 03:33 – 09:01

• Since launching 1000 Hours Outside and the Green Ember books in the early 2010s, both Jenny and Sam observe intensifying social pressures, especially regarding technology, structured activities, AI, and educational competition.
• Both families intentionally resist "digital maximalism" to focus on what seems timeless: connection, reading, board games, and unplugged time.
• Smith describes his work and life as seeking to be “radically countercultural”—rooted in serving families eager to connect with "something timeless."

“I want to create something...enduring. So that’s my heart when other things sort of fall apart around. Kids have so few things to cling on to... they’re a generation just being experimented on technologically so profoundly that I want to just give them a connection to something that's a little more timeless.” – S.D. Smith (08:15)

4. The Timeless Value of Storytelling and Reading

Timestamp: 09:01 – 12:13

• Jenny and Sam discuss the unchanging importance of reading, storytelling, and sharing books, especially given rising concerns about children lacking "mental imagery" and imaginative capacity because of overexposure to media.
• The act of hearing stories together is framed as a "timeless" thing to cling to.

“Hearing language and reading books together and sharing stories, those things build a person. There are kids... entering adulthood that do not have any mental imagery because they've never been required to use it.” – Jenny (09:38)

5. The Power and Evolution of the Green Ember Books

Timestamp: 12:13 – 15:02

• S.D. Smith describes the organic origins of the series: stories he told his own children, never imagining they’d grow into a beloved collection of 12 books (“new stories with an old soul”).
• Highlights the appeal: clean, virtuous adventure for families, likened to “Zootopia meets Lord of the Rings” (14:05).
• Discussion of latest release: Helmer and the Dragon Tomb—an origin story for a fan-favorite character, designed as a “side door” into the Green Ember world for new readers.

“If you love the Green Ember and you love that kind of, I don’t know, old style, kind of like Zootopia meets Lord of the Rings kind of adventure...” – S.D. Smith (13:59)

6. Writing Process, Rhythm, and Priorities

Timestamp: 14:56 – 20:26

• Sam shares his writing habits: clearing time in the morning for prayer, walking, and ideally writing 1,000–2,000 words before daily distractions.
• Notes, story beats, and minimal outlining guide his process; technology is embraced as a tool (as long as “it’s not using you as a tool”).
• The writing act is likened to gardening—never fully exhausted, always generating new ideas.

“I fight like a maniac to clear space...try to get there in the morning...not reading email...I want the storytelling process to be bathed in prayer.” – S.D. Smith (15:02)

7. The Joy, Surprise, and Unending Possibility of Writing and Story

Timestamp: 20:26 – 24:11

• Smith reflects on the endlessness of both nature and ideas—drawing a parallel between stories and the garden: “You’re never going to fully exhaust it.”
• The process is generative and unplannable; stories, like childhood, are finite only in the hours we devote, not in the ideas we might sow and reap.

8. Writing as a Form of Discovery, Healing, and Expression

Timestamp: 24:11 – 32:16

• Jenny recounts evidence of kids processing trauma and complex feelings through writing (as observed by a therapist), reinforcing the value of personal expression.
• The discovery aspect of writing is reaffirmed: “Writing often generates ideas authors didn't know they had” (28:15).

“Writing does feel like discovery... so much writing feels like a found object that you’re uncovering.” – S.D. Smith (28:26)

• Writing and creating are valued not just for end products but for what they make of the creator: character, clarity, resilience, service.
• AI can imitate, but cannot replicate the human growth earned from creative labor.

“It’s not just about what’s produced...It’s about what you become as a human being as you go through the trials... If we just push a button and replicate it...we are missing something.” – S.D. Smith (33:24)

9. The Irreplaceable Value of Human Creation vs. Technological Shortcuts

Timestamp: 33:24 – 39:50

• Deep dive into fears about AI, atrophy of skills, and the loss of imagination if children rely solely on external devices or algorithms.
• Practical advice: children who grow up steeped in story develop a unique, deeply human capacity—one the world will "desperately" need in the AI age.

“Do you want that part of your life... atrophied? Do you want to lose the capacity to read the map?” – S.D. Smith (37:43)

10. Advice and Encouragement for Aspiring Writers

Timestamp: 39:50 – 41:28

• Writing—real writing—happens in small, daily increments: a thousand words here, a page there.
• Both Jenny (nonfiction) and Sam (fiction) agree: consistency matters more than grand plans. Start with a hundred words, build from there; a whole book is possible in 50–60 days.

“If you could get into the habit of writing a thousand words a day...you could have a full book in 50 days.” – Jenny (41:00)

11. On Literature Competing With Digital Distraction

Timestamp: 44:09 – 47:29

• The contemporary author faces an uphill battle for reader attention against TV, TikTok, YouTube, travel sports, and other distractions.
• Good craft and respect for reader time is paramount; storytelling must be magnetic, not just available.

“You’re not entitled to the attention of anyone...If they’re spending time with me, I want to make it count.” – S.D. Smith (47:29)

12. How to Make Reading the “Most Attractive Choice” in the Home

Timestamp: 47:29 – 51:42

• Make reading the reward, not the chore: Sam describes how his family made books and reading the treat at the end of a task.
• “Creative traps” abound: window seats, cozy blankets, snacks, and well-placed books can draw kids into the world of reading.
• “Tricksy parenting” is endorsed as a way to “hook” kids on the “good drug” of stories.

“From the very, very beginning, we made reading the reward...it’s such a powerful experience.” – S.D. Smith (48:10)

13. Books as Gifts: Tradition, Recommendations, and Favorites

Timestamp: 51:42 – 58:35

• Books have become Jenny’s favorite gifts to give—thoughtful, lasting, and deeply personal.
• S.D. Smith recommends The Prodigal God by Tim Keller (nonfiction), The Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie (spiritual), and for fiction: Cry, The Beloved Country by Alan Paton.
• Discussion of audiobook formats, Yoto cards, and the Green Writer course for aspiring young authors.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Kids are being experimented on so profoundly that I just want to give them a connection to something more timeless.”
  – S.D. Smith (08:15)

• “Hearing language and reading books together and sharing stories, those things build a person.”
  – Jenny (09:38)

• “Writing does feel like discovery... you’re uncovering a found object.”
  – S.D. Smith (28:26)

• “If we just push a button and replicate it... we are missing something. It's like asking someone to kiss your wife for you.”
  – S.D. Smith (33:24)

• “Make reading not the chore that gains a reward, but make it the reward.”
  – S.D. Smith (48:10)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• [00:48] – Jenny on reclaiming childhood and introducing S.D. Smith
• [03:33] – Discussing rising social/parental/cultural pressures
• [09:01] – The enduring value of storytelling, reading, and family traditions
• [12:13] – The evolution of the Green Ember series and its appeal
• [15:02] – S.D. Smith describes his writing routine
• [28:15] – Writing as discovery; the backstory of Helmer
• [33:24] – The difference between AI creation and human storytelling
• [39:50] – Atrophy of imagination and the need for “story-grown” kids
• [47:29] – Making reading the most attractive choice at home
• [51:42] – Book gifting traditions and favorite recommendations

Final Thoughts

The episode positions both host and guest as passionate advocates for childhood, imagination, and the power of story, standing as “allies in imagination” with families navigating a changing world. It offers encouragement, practical strategies, and a sense of solidarity for parents and creators committed to nurturing children’s inner worlds—one unhurried page at a time.