Meet Savannah Hendricks

We were lucky to catch up with Savannah Hendricks recently and have shared our conversation below.

Savannah, 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?
Creativity can be a tricky thing to spark, even with the best of intentions. I think the most important aspect of keeping your creativity alive is the movement of both mind and body. Often we’re creatures of habit and get stuck in our routines because they’re comfortable and because, usually, we’re overwhelmed. Which, I believe, is how we lose our creativity. I think there are many ways to keep your creativity alive and each person needs to determine what their way is. For me, it’s getting out in nature, be it the backyard, a desert walk or hike, or even watching a movie or reading a book in a genre that is not my “go-to” comfort pick. I think simple tasks can instantly spark creativity, keeping it alive. I love to walk around craft stores without a plan in mind. I don’t have to buy anything, but seeing all there is on the shelves reminds me of creative paths that I can use to channel and keep my creativity alive.

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?
I’m not only an author, I’m also a social worker in the medical field, which cuts down on my writing time. This means that I must be selective and truly excited about a story. Being able to provide readers with heartfelt and humorous books to read across genres makes me the author I am today, because that was not always my goal. When I had more free time from work I tended to write with less meaning and many manuscripts were thrown out as a result. I want readers to understand I’m not writing just any story or putting books out there because I can. Every book has meaning and purpose because my time is limited and I don’t want to waste my time or readers’ time.

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?
Watching my mom struggle with multiple sclerosis shaped who I am as a person and as a writer when it comes to telling stories. A lot of my readers know about this when Grounded in January released in 2019. My skills and knowledge as a social worker also form who I am as a writer. Even if I don’t write medical stories, I’m surrounded by the very rich and the very poor, giving me a wide view of the world. One of my most valuable skills is the ability to manage my writing career through learning, knowledge, and practice. I love that I can juggle many hats and push myself to do the very best. If I don’t know how to do something, I learn and grow from it.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

The number one obstacle that not only myself but other traditional authors are facing is AI. When I say traditional authors, I mean those still writing stories without the help of AI. Those of us still outlining and drafting stories, creating sentences and entire novels. AI has become a huge fear for those of us still writing from scratch. Some authors are putting in their ideas and allowing AI to draft an entire story, while others are becoming “authors” by doing the same thing. While the competition for book sales was always high, with the invention of AI it makes it even harder for those traditional writers, like myself, who spend six months to a year creating a story to compete. The heart and dedication that we put into our novels is quickly being lost among “authors” pumping out books at record speed. This challenges me to find new ways to stand out and, unfortunately, to understand that the market has changed and how to overcome it. How can I create a story that grabs readers and lets them want to cheer for those traditional writers and not support those who are using AI? I don’t have an answer yet, but I’m working on it.

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