Meet Ann Michelle Harris

 

We recently connected with Ann Michelle Harris and have shared our conversation below.

Ann Michelle , so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever had any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?

Creativity sometimes comes in bursts and then disappears. As a writer, I sometimes feel like everything is an inspiration but when a deadline looms or a new project is creating stress, finding the muse can sometimes be elusive. As a result, I have a few reliable strategies for managing writer’s block. The first one is to take a break. To literally close the laptop or put down the pen and get a change a scenery. A walk through the woods, a park, or a crowded downtown area can clear your mind and also provide some unexpected writing inspiration. My other technique is to read or watch tv or movies in a different genre from what I am writing. This is a great way to de-stress and remember why you enjoy the creative process. Another technique is visiting a museum or other venue where you can enjoy different expressions of art. I’m always surprised at the way elements of art, such as visual contrasts, movement, sorrow, or family connections, depicted in a story or visual art, can trigger a new and different concept that can eventually drive my own imagination forward. In the end, taking the time to take care of yourself can lead to an artistic breakthrough.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am grateful to be pursuing my path as a writer. I have loved reading since I was a young girl and I often dreamed of being a writer. I decided to create the kind of books I wanted to see, and to write strong, diverse lead characters in honor of my children. My goal is to create satisfying, escapist stories with meaningful social justice themes tucked inside. Trauma and social justice are important parts of my storytelling but ultimately my focus is on strength, wholeness, and triumph. My goal is to use fantasy adventures to connect to and symbolize real-life struggles and motivations. My debut novel North launched in January, 2025. North is a YA fantasy fairytale retelling that showcases flawed but strong and relatable role models. The theme of the novel is to never doubt your strength and to test how far you can go in life, despite the adversity life may throw at you.

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?

Curiosity, patience, resilience. As a writer, the most important thing is curiosity or having a learner mindset. This makes me see the world in a way that becomes writing inspiration. But the learner mindset also makes me want to get better and better at my craft by continually learning writing techniques. The second skill is patience, because writing is a long-game. Learning writing techniques, creating a manuscript, and going through multiple rounds of editing and critiquing takes a while but yields a better product. My third important trait is resilience. Writing comes with rejection, disappointments, harsh critiques and constantly putting yourself in front of strangers for approval. Trusting your inner strength is essential to keep persevering. My advice to new writers is to cultivate these traits through self-care and connecting with a supportive writing community. Joining a writing group is a great way to find new ideas and learning opportunities as well as to find the support you need from others who can encourage you.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird was a big inspiration for me. It was gifted to me as my first book on writing. I love the way it encourages you to find your own voice and to focus on the intrinsic value of creating stories. Now more than ever, our stories matter. Finding the courage to create space for our thoughts in creative, clever, and thoughtful ways is essential.

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