You’ve said it well. My background is in film/tv and I came to children’s books later… and im acutely aware of that waiting feeling. But there’s an incredible vibrancy that comes from reaching out to and doing-and also exhaustion… I do think you have to pull a lot from within… anyway, this is a great article
Yes - in sort of a roundabout way. I wrote about storyboarding and Ridley Scott (who's storyboards are works of art in and of themselves!) and thinking visually while creating...
Omg i love this. Louder for the people in the back! Thank you Sarah for such a positive, optimistic essay. I am feeling hyped to go looking for these possibilities!
Oh absolutely. It definitely takes a lot of work and effort to keep going. When I focus on the work itself and creating things I’m really excited about, that’s when it all feels the best!
Oh for sure. Marketing is its own whole can of stressful worms. That's why lately I've just been focused on the creating part, and putting it out there, and then letting whatever else will be, be.
I love the clip from Jason Alexander. He's so thoughtful about all this--and so right. My daughter just graduated from college, and I keep trying to tell her that she doesn't have to do things the way I did them to be successful as a writer. That in fact, following the path I took twenty years ago might not be right at all. So much has changed about how we make and distribute creative work. There's a part of me that's very jealous; I wish I'd had so many avenues of creation and distribution available to ME out of college. My friends and I were filming things on VHS cassettes and recording shows that would now be called podcasts on cassette tapes, with no great way to distribute either one. I'm entrenched in traditional media now, so much that it doesn't make since for me to change horses in the middle of the race, but I'd definitely be riding a different horse out of the gate today! I'm super impressed by all the people out there who are "making their own luck" through self-production. I know it is a TON of work, but as I always tell aspiring writers, no one will ever care about your career as much as you do. In the past, you could care A LOT and still find too many barriers to entry; Now, it's gratifying to see tons more avenues for people willing and able to put in the time, money, and energy.
You just summed it all up perfectly!! I completely agree with this all. I think there's going to be even more new opportunities we could never have predicted in the future. All the best to your daughter!
You’ve said it well. My background is in film/tv and I came to children’s books later… and im acutely aware of that waiting feeling. But there’s an incredible vibrancy that comes from reaching out to and doing-and also exhaustion… I do think you have to pull a lot from within… anyway, this is a great article
Spot on! Definitely pulling a lot from within, for sure. So exciting about your background in film/TV! What did you do there?
Writer! (and sometimes actor). I think that's really informed how I think through children's lit - it's so visual... don't you think?
Oh absolutely! That's so cool! Have you written about that influence before here on Substack?
Yes - in sort of a roundabout way. I wrote about storyboarding and Ridley Scott (who's storyboards are works of art in and of themselves!) and thinking visually while creating...
Omg i love this. Louder for the people in the back! Thank you Sarah for such a positive, optimistic essay. I am feeling hyped to go looking for these possibilities!
Oh yaaaay I’m so glad!!!! Hehehe I know for real and talented artists like you there are even more amazing options. We’ll see what’s in store!
Great essay, it's good to be optimistic about the possibilities that exist before we writers, I must confess that remaining optimistic is hard.
Oh absolutely. It definitely takes a lot of work and effort to keep going. When I focus on the work itself and creating things I’m really excited about, that’s when it all feels the best!
Same, but when I think of all that it takes to do marketing it darn near knocks me down. So definitely get where you’re coming from.
Oh for sure. Marketing is its own whole can of stressful worms. That's why lately I've just been focused on the creating part, and putting it out there, and then letting whatever else will be, be.
Same, tbh I’ve a few people helping advise me on that front, but I still dislike it and prefer to mostly stick to the creative part.
Love your proactive look at all this, Sarah! And your optimistic approach too!
Thank you! I hope even some of these work. And for real, talented artists like you there are even more amazing options, I think!
I love the clip from Jason Alexander. He's so thoughtful about all this--and so right. My daughter just graduated from college, and I keep trying to tell her that she doesn't have to do things the way I did them to be successful as a writer. That in fact, following the path I took twenty years ago might not be right at all. So much has changed about how we make and distribute creative work. There's a part of me that's very jealous; I wish I'd had so many avenues of creation and distribution available to ME out of college. My friends and I were filming things on VHS cassettes and recording shows that would now be called podcasts on cassette tapes, with no great way to distribute either one. I'm entrenched in traditional media now, so much that it doesn't make since for me to change horses in the middle of the race, but I'd definitely be riding a different horse out of the gate today! I'm super impressed by all the people out there who are "making their own luck" through self-production. I know it is a TON of work, but as I always tell aspiring writers, no one will ever care about your career as much as you do. In the past, you could care A LOT and still find too many barriers to entry; Now, it's gratifying to see tons more avenues for people willing and able to put in the time, money, and energy.
You just summed it all up perfectly!! I completely agree with this all. I think there's going to be even more new opportunities we could never have predicted in the future. All the best to your daughter!
One of my favorite expressions is, "the harder you work, the luckier you get!" Love everything you said - and I'm excited, too!
That sounds like something my grandpa would say. I love it!