Meet Hannah Marie

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hannah Marie. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Hannah, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

The short answer is, I found my purpose through prayer, exploration, and the voices of wise people speaking into my life.
The longer answer goes like this: As a high school graduate, my parents and I didn’t really feel like college was for me … but we knew it was important to keep developing and honing the skills and talents God had given me. So to start out, we just thought through what things I seemed to have a bent for and then looked for ways to further develop those skills. In the summer and fall after high school, I registered for a computer class at my local community college (because it’s always good to know how to use Word and Excel, right?), took video courses on photography, read a couple books on writing, started a novel, and submitted small practice writing projects to my great aunt (who’s an author!) for feedback.
That fall, my dad found out about The Author Conservatory, a three-year college alternative for writers, where you learn both the writing and business skills you need to succeed as an author. After prayer and a couple calls with Conservatory co-founder Brett Harris, I decided that taking this big step toward writing was the direction I needed to go. I knew writing was one of the major gifts God had given me, and the Conservatory seemed like a good way to continue developing that skill—a much better way than any other ideas I had at the time. And while I wasn’t necessarily sure I wanted a career in writing … this felt like the next right thing.
I was accepted as an Author Conservatory student in December of 2020 and I grew SO much in the next 3-and-a-half years. I learned to tell a good story, to tighten my stories in edits, to give and receive feedback, to build a business from the ground up, to market, to connect with people, to publish a book, and so much more. By the time I graduated the Conservatory in their founding class (class of 2024), I had published my first book, started and run my own business, been paid as a freelance writer for a homeschool curriculum company, and gotten a part-time job as a writer for a major missions organization.
But thanks to my time in the Conservatory, I also came away knowing more about myself. Over my 3+ years in the program, I talked with my instructors, worked on branding, processed with my parents, talked with God, got feedback from fellow students, tried projects that went and projects that didn’t, and began to discover who I am as a person. I learned what kind of stories I’m best at writing (Biblical fiction, in case you’re curious), what kind of themes I write about, who I write for, and why I write. And as I learned more about myself, and how my background, passions, and needs make me who I am, I also learned more about my purpose. First, as a writer. Then, with those building blocks, as a person.
With the things I’ve learned about myself in the Conservatory, I’ve been able to pray and think through my vision for life in general. And as I’m moving forward as both an author and a person, I know that, whether I’m writing, talking with someone, welcoming people into my home, or something else, my purpose is to be a haven for everyone I touch. No matter where I go from here, I want to be a safe place, where people can experience God’s presence and then return to their own worlds with the courage they need to keep going until the end.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I tell the untold stories of true Biblical figures who changed their world through faith and perseverance. There are so many people in the Bible who don’t get a lot of screen time, but who are mentioned for the courageous things they did. In my writing—both the short story I have published and the novels I have in the works—I love uncovering these little stories. I believe that in these stories, we can find the courage we need to live out the stories God is writing in each of our lives. And since my purpose is to provide a safe place where people can experience the Lord and grow in courage, Biblical fiction is where I’ve camped out! In May 2024, I published my short story, “Zelophehad’s Daughters”, in the Author Conservatory’s second “Voices of the Future” student showcase anthology. In the first 10 months since publication, we’ve sold more than 750 copies!
My long-term goal is to publish novels, and to that end, I have a Biblical fiction novel that is currently in edits, and another Biblical fiction novel that I’m plotting and getting ready to draft.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

One of the things that has helped me the most on this journey is being willing to learn. I’ve gained so much from asking questions from experts in my field, and then applying their answers. That doesn’t mean I do everything exactly the way they’ve done it. But just being willing to ask questions of people who have been at this longer than I have, and to learn from those who have gone before me, has gotten me a long way.
When I was doing market research before starting my piano lesson business (one of my assignments in the Conservatory) I called an experienced piano teacher in my area. We didn’t know each other, but she was really friendly and wanted to help me succeed. Because I was willing to listen and learn from her, I got to visit her studio, look through the lesson books she used, ask specific questions about teaching methods, and generally get a lot of advice that helped me start out strong.
So, look for people—either online or in your area—who are successfully doing what you’re doing (or what you want to start doing soon). And then talk to them! Tell them about yourself and what you’re doing, and then ask them if they’d be willing to give you any advice as you’re starting out. It may feel like they’re going to see you as competition, but a lot of times, they’re actually super kind and happy to help someone who is passionate about the same thing they are. Come up with a list of questions that is specific to them and their expertise, and if they’re willing to talk, you can pull out some of your questions to help guide the conversation. But also, just be willing to let them lead the conversation, while you listen. You never know what you might find out!

Along the same lines, trust is another quality that has served me well. I am where I am today, not because I’m so wise or smart, but because I sought out people who were wise … and then followed what they said. This is deeper than just asking for advice. This is finding experts in your field who you are going to follow. People who you can trust enough to follow the processes they set out—even when it feels scary or it’s a ton of work. For me, these people were my instructors in the Conservatory. I trusted them enough to follow the processes they set out for me, and as a result, I successfully started a business, landed a freelancing gig, published my first book, and began touching people with my writing in ways I could only have dreamed about before.
So, find people who are succeeding at what you want to do, and then do what they’re doing. If they have a course, take their course, and follow everything it says. If they have a podcast, listen to their podcast and do the things they’re recommending. Trust that they know what they’re talking about. And don’t give up. If you try something they recommend, and it didn’t work for you, that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you can’t trust them anymore—it just means that they’re human, you’re human, and sometimes things don’t go the way we wanted. It’s a journey, and sometimes, even though the path in general is good, there are rocks or sticks to trip over. So, pick yourself back up, learn what you can from the experience, and keep going.

One other thing that has helped me in my journey is the skill of winning friends and influencing people. That book by Dale Carnegie may be nearly a hundred years old now, but it really does have some good advice! The Author Conservatory teaches this principle as the foundation of marketing, and it has brought me so far. The whole reason I landed my first freelancing gig was because I was doing a Conservatory assignment that required me to reach out to someone and encourage them. I chose the homeschool curriculum company that my family has used and loved for years, wrote them a nice letter letting them know the impact they’d made in our family, and then received an offer for a freelancing job with them as a result!
Obviously, blessing people doesn’t always bring results quite like that. But the book of Proverbs says that “he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed”, and I’ve seen that to be true over and over again. When I get on a brainstorming call with a writer friend, she’s blessed as I talk through her story with her, and I’m blessed as I receive help and encouragement on my writing. When I reach out to an expert to ask for their advice, they’re honored that I’m willing to learn from them, and I get to enjoy the fruit of their years of experience. When I seek to write encouraging or fun emails for the people on my email list, I find that I have a whole posse of friends behind me as I continue in my author journey.
So, wherever you’re at in your own journey, start looking for ways to bless the people around you. Read “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, and try doing what it says. The people you bless don’t have to be people who could somehow help you succeed or who are specifically related to what you want to do. Just build the habit of seeing other people, caring about them, and serving them—no matter where you are—and that habit will translate to the professional or career-related interactions you have, too!

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

It can be easy for me to get overwhelmed, especially when it feels like there are so many things I need to do to have a good website, make sure I’m marketing, move forward with my novels, and more. I’m having to learn to slow down—even to STOP—when I start getting that panicky feeling where I know things need to happen, but I just can’t move fast enough to get them done. At that moment, I’m learning that I need to drop what I’m doing and walk away for a little bit. The answer is not “just move faster”. Maybe I need to go on a walk for five minutes, or maybe it’s evening, and I need to just call it quits for the day.
One way or the other, when I start feeling that frenzy, I need to put down what I’m doing at least for long enough to talk to the Lord, lay out the things swirling in my head, and allow myself to hear His still, small voice.
I’m learning that success is not “working at a breakneck pace and never stopping until it’s done”. Success is measured by whether I’m working alongside the Lord, with my heart and mind at peace as I do what He’s given me to do. In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 11, He says His yoke is easy—it fits me well—and His burden is light. And He’s right! But to have that yoke, I have to slow down enough to join Him in the work He’s doing and pull alongside Him. I’m learning that, in the end, the work—how many chapters I wrote, how pretty my website is, etc.—is not the main point. It’s the being with Him that really matters. That’s what I was made for. When I’m with Him, I’m at peace, and the things we accomplish together are way more amazing and beautiful than anything I could have imagined or made happen on my own.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.byhannahmarie.com
• Other: My email list is the main way I connect with people! If you want to join me on my author journey, you can subscribe here: https://subscribepage.io/5xboey