Meet Stephanie Munch

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stephanie Munch a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Stephanie, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?

Optimism comes mainly from experience. After 40 years, we’ve been through things, some of them not easy, and we’ve learned to deal with them. There’s a door that opens, you’ve developed skills and resilience. We know that no matter what we do, we won’t change the world, so we try to contribute something positive through creation. I like the idea of setting an example and inspiring others. I think we reach that stage in life when we realize that pessimism is an unnecessary burden, and so much the better.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

My background is rather atypical. I did lots of odd jobs to earn my independence, and throughout those years I never stopped writing stories. I always had this little voice in my head telling me, this is what you have to do, this is your path. I self published a few books, and then came the moment when I said to myself, I need more. I quit my day job to learn screenwriting, because I really wanted to take that next step and bring my stories and characters to life. That was my motivation. I was lucky enough to be able to adapt my book Looking for Sally into a fiction podcast, I worked with voice actors who were also screenwriters and it was such an incredible experience. I enjoyed this teamwork so much that I trained as a director. It was a new challenge, and I’m glad I did it. I’ve just shot my first short film, Chemin des Innocents, which comes out in March, and we’re already working on the feature!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Persistence. There’s this Richard Bach quote I really like, “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.” I think that’s true in every field, especially creative work. It’s a tough road, and you always have to remember why you started so you don’t get discouraged. Then, don’t stay alone. I’ve been surprised by the number of people who reach out, when you’re passionate and have a project that can benefit everyone. And of course, you must never stop reading or looking at what’s been done before, to get inspired, and to learn.
If you love what you do, nothing will stop you.

Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?

Like many of my peers who have a screenplay, a film project, the industry is changing completely. There’s less money, less support. It’s hard to make a place for yourself as a videographer or artist in a world where social networks are multiplying. You have to gain visibility brick by brick, and that’s very difficult for everyone. So i’d say yes, financing and distribution are challenging.

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