Meet Sarah Glenn Marsh

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sarah Glenn Marsh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah Glenn, thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us today. We’re excited to dive into your story and your work, but first let’s start with a broader topic that might be stopping many of our readers from pursuing their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. How have you managed to persist despite haters and nay-sayers that inevitably follow folks who are doing something unique, special or off the beaten path?

This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. I’m an author who’s about to make my adult romance debut in the spring–my adult gay romance debut, featuring morally gray characters, at that–and since advanced copies became available through my publisher, I’ve been taken aback and felt genuine despair at the attitudes people will take toward queer stories, even now. The way they hold queer narratives to some kind of impossible standard, the way queer books are typically rated lower for this reason and yet- despite the discourse- nothing seems likely to change. I’ve been misgendered by these readers. Had my character called into question, accused in their reviews of things I’ve never done and- this still vaguely escapes my comprehension- watched the book get accused of things that are not remotely present in the text (and the opposite; accused of omitting things that are there).

The ones who are the cruelest are the ones who consider themselves the cleverest. They are, you see, a professional editor, or know exactly what one does and what’s needed to shape your art to their exact vision. What’s funny is that they don’t know you at all, don’t know your experiences, or the kind of art you want to make. But when things don’t play out exactly the way they want, they become an expert on you and your work and scorn freely, creatively, for attention and validation from their peers.

The first thing that’s helped me to cope: staying offline. The external validation that some people will give is, at best, fleeting, a momentary high like eating a sugary dessert and skipping the protein beforehand. I’ve done enough therapy to understand that validation is the sweetest and longer lasting when it comes from within, and part of that to me is making honest art. Everything online is noise and performance, a competition to have the best aesthetic, to make the catchiest soundbite, to garner the most attention and “likes.” All that noise, well, it tends to overwhelm my inner voice, so I’m best served by silencing it so I can actually listen to myself. I’m not sure what I’d have left if I lost that.

The other thing that helps me sleep well at night and still create is knowing that the books I write are a reflection of my own lived experiences and observations and thoughts. I know that, no matter what others may fabricate out of their own unhappiness or need for validation, I’ve offered something true with my storytelling to the best of my ability. When that truth doesn’t resonate with others, it only means they haven’t shared enough of my experiences to view things through the same lens; when they are unnecessarily cruel about that lack of resonance, it’s entirely about them. Sometimes, I know, they’re just participating in the rise of performative morality, interacting with fiction as though the characters are meant to be their guide to how to live a good life. And other times, it seems that the freedom of anonymity provided by the keyboard offers them a way to let out the worst of themselves in a way they view as absent of consequence. To put a little of the misery that must be inhabiting their body and mind out into the world.

In short, I write what I know to be true. I write to explore themes and topics through the lens of my own experiences. I make things that, in isolation, I’m proud of. And I stay offline as much as possible so that their noise doesn’t drown out my sense of self and desire to create. Because when I can’t hear them, the act of creating is still genuine and joyful.

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?

I’ve been an author for just about my entire adult life. I’ve published almost thirty books across genres and age ranges, from picture books to middle grade and young adult novels. I’ve also done IP (intellectual property) work for major franchises like Star Wars, Crayola, and Critical Role, writing new stories that fit in their worlds, often with beloved, familiar characters. I can’t imagine doing anything else, because writing is how I reflect on my experiences and understanding of the world.

I love that very special moment of a reader connecting with what I wrote; the chance to make someone feel something, to build empathy. To gently challenge someone to look at something in a new way, if they’re open to it.

I’m very excited about my upcoming adult gay romance debut with light fantasy elements; the book is called “Our Rogue Fates,” and it follows two childhood friends who had a major falling-out but work their way back to each other and unbury their true feelings on a haunted, deadly treasure hunt. Actor Sean Astin, who plays Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings films, called it, “Such a treasure.” To me, the most important thing about this book is its message that we all deserve happy endings, even those of us who are really going through it. It’s a romance, yes, but it’s also focused on recovery and healing.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Resilience/flexibility. I think you have to learn a certain amount of resilience to keep going in traditional publishing. I can think of few other careers (well, perhaps sales) where you hear “no” as often, or are asked to rethink everything about a story that was particularly special to you. You’ll hear a lot of “no” when trying to get a literary agent; you’ll edit with them extensively, in many cases, and then you’ll edit many times over if you’re lucky enough to sell the book to an editor- and all that editing requires keeping an open heart and mind, being flexible about collaborating on ideas and accepting that you’re going to have to think of new ways to convey the same ideas you love that drove you to write your story many, many times over before you ever see it in print.

Drive, or self-discipline. Writing, for me, means working from home or the library. Even in traditional publishing, there are no set hours for an author, so I had to develop a writing routine that I could actually stick to; essentially, train my brain that when I showed up to a certain spot, it was time to tap into all my ideas and get them down. There’s no one watching your progress in writing, no one clocking you in or out–so having that hunger to create, setting your own goals and reaching for them so as not to disappoint yourself, is vital to staying on track and making sure you’re getting your word count. You can’t edit a blank page, after all, as the saying goes.

Imagination. I’m always coming up with new stories, new characters, new ideas, and exploring new ways to share them. There’s always something rattling around in my head that wants to be put on the page, and having too many stories waiting their turn to be told is an excellent motivator to never quit creating.

My advice to newer authors is to create a writing routine that works for you and put it into practice- choose a consistent place, a consistent time, and show up until it becomes such a habit that when you sit down at the right place and time, your brain knows this is the moment to let the words flow. I’d also say it’s important to have things you love doing away from the computer; time with friends, long walks, and travel are all things that might help refill the creative well, so that you always have an overabundance of ideas waiting to be written and avoid burnout. I also always suggest that newer writers read heavily outside of their genre, to find new methods of storytelling or ideas they might want to explore.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

My parents taught me the joy of reading from a very young age. I actually come from a family of avid readers; I can remember navigating around my grandmother’s stacks of novels when I’d visit, my grandfather’s painted hutch that held all his favorite books on sports and world history. To this day, my mom, sister and I will share books and reading recommendations, a long-standing habit; reading has been a part of my every day for so long because of them, and it helped shape me into a more introspective and empathetic person who is open to new ways of thinking. My parents read out loud to me every day growing up; they took me to the library, and showed me all the information and other worlds I could access through the books there. They also didn’t impose limits on what I read; when I was in elementary school and wanted to read about vampires, I was allowed- even when those vampires later meant I couldn’t sleep! It taught me the art of self-censoring, identifying what subjects I wasn’t comfortable with. It also made me more open to sitting with challenging texts and shifting my ways of thinking, and generally more open to new ideas and genres. I’ve had so many amazing experiences thanks to books, and my love of them.

Now that I’m in a career where I read widely and sometimes need to read quickly, I find I’m so often thankful that I have a strong foundation in reading- and genuine love of the act- that allows me to flourish even when I have a lot of material to get through, or don’t immediately gel with someone else’s storytelling.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sarahglennmarsh.com
• Instagram: @SarahMarshAuthor
• Twitter: @SG_Marsh
• Other: www.sarahglennmarsh.com/preorders – to support my adult debut and receive gifts for doing so!

Image Credits

Author photo (from the first page asking for one photo): Credit to Ali Johnson Photography

Cover for Our Rogue Fates: Olivia Hintz

Three posters from Our Rogue Fates: Rosario Mendez, MuseTheArt