Meet Bevanny Stearman

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

Bevanny, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

As an author, my mind is always churning to come up with new ideas and flesh out books I’m working on. When I’m excited about a project, it’s like a persistent hum in the back of my mind that I can’t turn off, even when I’m focused on other things.

Much of my inspiration stems from my family, my friends, and my boyfriend, but ultimately, God provides me with the creativity and imagination to develop stories. Since I began praying for God’s will to be done within my writing, I’ve felt more inspired than ever before, like He is revealing ideas to me so I can improve my work for His glory.

Like most authors, I still deal with my fair share of writer’s block, especially when it comes to working out the nitty-gritty details. Thankfully, I’ve been able to develop strategies to avoid reaching the point of feeling stuck, but when I do, I know how to get over it quickly by taking a small break or shifting my focus to a different project.

In addition, I’ve found that the more I read, the more I am able to write. I enjoy reading a wide range of genres, though sweet contemporary romance is my favorite. Not only does it help fuel my own work, but it gives my mind a break to simply absorb rather than output. I also participate in other creative hobbies that keep my mind moving without being too mentally taxing, like sewing, embroidery, and crocheting. On the other hand, I spend a lot of time exercising and enjoying the outdoors, which always leaves me feeling mentally refreshed.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

While I thoroughly enjoy working full-time as a software developer, my true passion is writing. With the help of my grandfather, my love of reading started when I was a toddler, and writing followed a few years later when I made my first book: a very short princess story illustrated in crayon. Since then, I’ve adored all things romance, especially with speculative elements, and I have always dreamt of creating my own worlds someday through my writing.

Now, I have a few short stories published in various anthologies, and I wrote two novels — one is a sweet contemporary romance, and the other is a Christian romance with speculative elements. I’m represented by Sherri Wilson Johnson at Gardner Literary, and we are currently on submission, praying for the right publisher! I’ve also had the amazing opportunity to help fellow authors with their work, from freelance editing and beta reading to ghostwriting! The whole process feels like my lifelong dream is coming true, and I could not be more grateful to God and excited for what He has in store for me.

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?

First and foremost, I believe resilience is a crucial quality for success. Despite our best efforts, we are guaranteed to face challenges at one point or another. The good news is that we can choose to get back up and keep going! You truly never know what blessings are in store for you until you find the courage to walk through the challenges, learn from them, and step into the goodness on the other side.

In a similar vein, another key component is problem-solving. This skill has been so beneficial in my work, both as an author and as a software developer. I’m a very emotional person, and it’s often easy for me to get frustrated when I encounter an issue. However, when I take a moment to hand the problem over to God and separate my feelings from the situation, I’m in a better headspace to tackle it. As I stated before, we are bound to face problems, but there is always a solution that I believe God is trying to show us.

I’m also an advocate for intentionality. As a woman of faith, I put my trust in God to provide and guide. That being said, I want to ensure that I am being mindful with all He has given me to ensure the steps I’m taking are in alignment with God’s will for me. Whether I’m in a stage of preparation or progress, I strive to make the most of each moment and be intentional with how I’m spending my time.

My advice for those early in their journey is to develop the right mindset, specifically regarding how you handle problems that arise and how you use what you are given. When challenges come up, find the courage to face them and embrace what you learn as you overcome them. Don’t be afraid to lean on your support system, seek help when needed, and remind yourself of struggles you’ve made it through in the past. Remember that even if you don’t see the solution yet, there is one, and you can find it! Finally, be mindful of your goals and the steps you are taking each day to achieve them. Even small steps, when done intentionally and consistently, can lead to significant progress over time.

Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?

So much has happened in the last year, from accepting an offer of representation from my wonderful agent at Gardner Literary and starting the submission process to taking on huge new projects in my day job and heavily editing my second novel. While there have been so many victories, I find myself needing more and more patience for the things I’m still waiting for. Though it’s been an exciting year, it has also been overwhelming and even discouraging in some ways. However, I feel that my patience and optimism have grown exponentially in this time, especially through reflecting on all I am grateful for. I trust God with my future, and I know He has good plans for me. I have seen God’s faithfulness throughout my life, I am still seeing it today, and I know I will continue to see it moving forward. More than anything, my confidence and hope in God has grown.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bevanny.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bevannywrites/