The Happy Writer with Marissa Meyer

Guest: Elise Bryant - Happily Ever Afters

January 18, 2021 Marissa Meyer Season 2021 Episode 49
The Happy Writer with Marissa Meyer
Guest: Elise Bryant - Happily Ever Afters
Show Notes Transcript

Marissa chats with Elise Bryant about her debut contemporary romance - HAPPILY EVER AFTERS - as well as Elise's journey back to writing after a long hiatus; creating a protagonist who is also a writer and all the real-life challenges we can draw from; how we never quite get over the dread of being critiqued; and the awful yet oh-so-universal impostor syndrome, especially for those of us who just want to write "silly" things - and how those silly things are actually really important!

Books discussed in this episode can be purchased from your local independent bookstore or buy them online from the Happy Writer bookshop.org store (that benefits indie bookstores) at https://bookshop.org/shop/marissameyer

Find out more and follow The Happy Writer on social media: https://www.marissameyer.com/podcast/

Speaker 1:

[inaudible]

Speaker 2:

Hello and welcome to the happy writer. This is a podcast that aims to bring readers, more books to enjoy and help authors find more joy in their writing. I'm your host Marissa Meyer. Thanks for joining me. One quick reminder today is that we are continuing to run our regular contests on Instagram, where you can post a response to one of our monthly prompts and get entered to win a book of your choice from either myself or any previous podcast guest. This month, we're talking about writing goals and resolutions and what we're going to try to get done this year. Uh, so please check it out and respond and enter to win a free book that is on Instagram at happy writer podcast. The thing that's making me happy this week, um, it's actually kind of more of a bitter sweet thing, um, and comes with some scary news, sad news. I don't know my emotions are everywhere. Um, my grandma, my 92 year old grandma has COVID, um, she's at an assisted living home and there has been an outbreak and she is one of the residents, um, who caught it. And we're on now, I think like day nine that she's started showing symptoms. Um, and my whole family is of course, very worried about her and frustrated that we can't go see her. Um, and so that's, that's a thing that's of course taking up a lot of space in my brain and in my heart right now. Um, and so the thing that's making me happy, it's not so much happy as something that I'm really grateful for right now. Uh, and it's a strange one. So bear with me, but it is the K-pop group BTS specifically. They are making my mom really happy and of course she's going through a really difficult time as we all are, but she has become just infatuated with this K-pop group and she knows all of their names and she watches all of their videos and interviews, and now she's starting to learn Korean and it is so cute. Um, and I'm just really grateful that they exist and that they are there to kind of be bringing her some joy in this time right now. Um, and I know that they have a lot of fans also out there, so yay, BTS for helping my family get through this speaking of things that are bringing a lot of joy. Uh, the book that I just finished reading this week has brought me so much joy during this time. And I am so excited to talk to the author. She holds a BA in Africana studies and an ma in special education, her debut WIA, contemporary, happily afters just came out earlier this month on January 5th. She and I also happen to be involved in a secret side project together. We can't really talk about it too much in this episode, but I am hoping that we will get to announce it as early as next month, but for now, please welcome Elise Bryant

Speaker 3:

Time or it's, I'm so happy to be here.

Speaker 2:

I am so happy to have you. Thank you for joining me today. Thank you. Um, and again, I do want to say thank you for this book, because truly it was the most wonderful escape for me the last few days. And just getting to go into this very sweet, happy story just really was exactly what I needed.

Speaker 3:

Oh, that makes me so happy. I mean, that's why I wrote this book and why I write the kind of books that I do. Um, it's just to be bring people joy. I need it right now.

Speaker 2:

I know. And I don't know what writers of like dystopian have been doing this year, because like all, I want like sweet little nuggets of stories with romance and an angst and joy.

Speaker 3:

Yes, me too. That, and I've actually been reading a lot of like murder mysteries too. I just go back and forth between romance novel and then murder novels.

Speaker 2:

So are you a reader, like, do you like the cozy mystery or do you want like more of a thriller mystery?

Speaker 3:

Oh, more of a thriller for sure. Like I grew up, like, I would, I would be laying in my parent's bed, like pretending I was falling asleep while my mom watched her like law and order episodes. And so from like a very young age, I was very, I was very into all the murder stories.

Speaker 2:

I love that. Do you think there might be a murder mystery in your future as a writer?

Speaker 3:

No. I think I'm too much of a wimp to actually write one, but I like that.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, no, I it's one of those genres that I admire the writers because when it's done well, like the there's so many red herrings and misplaced clues that as a reader, I'm just like, I have no idea what's going on. And yet, somehow when you get to the big reveal, you're like, Oh, how did I not see it coming? And it just feels like it's a writing magic.

Speaker 3:

Oh, definitely. I just finished, um, the wife upstairs by Rachel Hawkins. And it was just like every page. It was like blowing my mind. What was, what was happening? Those are the best. Yes, definitely.

Speaker 2:

Um, okay. Let's talk about your book, your debut novel. Why don't we start with you telling listeners what happily ever after is about.

Speaker 3:

Okay. I'm getting better at this now that I'm doing it more. Um, okay. So happily ever afters is about a 16 year old girl named Tessa Johnson. Um, and she's never really seen herself reflected in the pages of all the romance novels she loves to read. So she writes these stories herself. She writes these like fluffy swoony self insert stories for her and her best friend Caroline to read. Um, and she starts, um, at a brand new, um, arts high school and the creative writing program. Um, but when she gets there, she's totally frozen. She has writer's block. Um, and so her friend Caroline swoops in with this 11 step plan, this ridiculous plan to make, um, Tessa's life into one of the love stories she used to write in order to help her, um, refill the well, but as she's making her way through this plan, she starts to realize that this love story that she's chasing may not be the one that she needs after all.

Speaker 2:

So Tessa is of course, a perfect character to represent this podcast. So excited to talk about her and to talk about her story arc, because she's a writer and an aspiring writer, and she goes through like all of the things that we writers go through on a regular basis. And you, you talk about writer's block and she deals with, uh, you know, the fear of facing criticism and imposter syndrome. And just like so many things that we, we as writers talk about and bond over. And that we talk about here on this podcast. And I just, I love it. I loved reading about this character and I felt just such a strong bond with her.

Speaker 3:

Oh, thank you. I mean, yeah. Tessa needed this podcast probably.

Speaker 2:

So what was it like for you writing a main character who is also a writer? Was that like, what did you feel like that was easy because you share this thing with her or were there any like surprise challenges that came up with that?

Speaker 3:

I mean, there's, there's a lot of me in this character. She's, I mean, I went to an arts high school just like Tessa when I was growing up and I just like her, I wrote, um, romance, stories, love stories. And I was, I was frozen when faith with my peers and workshop settings. Cause I thought, well, you know, like what I'm writing is not important literature. Like there's, you know, like I, I didn't have all of the references that they had, you know? And so I, yeah, I took a lot from my own experience feeling like I was less than because of the writing that I did feeling like I wasn't, um, a true, a true writer, you know, with all that imposter syndrome. So that part came easy. It was, it was pretty easy to put all of her anxiety in there cause it's just, it was my anxiety. Um, but yeah, it was hard to be in her brain sometimes too though, because, um, she's a very anxious character. She has a lot of insecurities and, um, that it would be, it would be hard some days to sit down and, and have to go through all of those. You know,

Speaker 2:

I also was having like a lot of flashbacks too, for me for college and going through my creative writing program and, you know, sitting around the table during workshop. Um, and Oh my gosh, the panic that would set in it was terrifying.

Speaker 3:

Yeah. I used to break out into hives when I was in that setting. I would get all sweaty. It was, it was terrifying. And I actually just like Tessa, I stopped writing when I was in high school because I just could not handle it. Um, but I guess, I mean, her story is a lot happier than mine because I stopped writing until I was almost 30. I didn't start. Yeah. I just, I felt like this is not for me. I, I ended up, um, becoming a teacher, um, for many years and I really distanced myself, um, from writing, even though it brought me so much joy and it was like, everything to me is as a child until I was about 15 or 16. Um, and so yeah, a lot of that is taken from my life, but hers is like this, the happier, the happier version of it,

Speaker 2:

Or at least the happier sooner versus

Speaker 3:

Yes. Yes. It's I guess the, that it's happy now I'm here, here with this book.

Speaker 2:

So what I mean after all those years away from it, what brought you back to writing?

Speaker 3:

Um, so I, I was a high school teacher and I taught, um, English and reading classes for kids with learning disabilities. And so I was constantly, um, just searching out books that would get my students who hated to read that would get them excited about reading. And so I was reading like, you know, the hate you give and dear Martin and everything by Jason Reynolds and finding all these wonderful books that my students loved. Um, and I remember so clearly I was sitting with a group of other English teachers at lunch. One day we were just giving each other suggestions like, Oh, have you read this? Have you read that? And one of my friends and other English teacher was like, you know, we could do this. And I don't, it just, something clicked in my brain. I was like, well, why don't I try to do this? You know? Um, cause a lot of my students would ask me for, um, they wanted like happy books, romance books that had, um, black and Brown kids. Cause all of my students were black and Latin X. And so I thought like, you know, that's what I used to write when I was younger. Maybe I could, maybe I could try maybe this, maybe this is something I can do. And it was like, like that weekend I sat and wrote the first chapter of my, the book that I wrote before happily ever afters. Um, and it just like, it just came out of me so easily. Like it used to when I was younger and I wrote just for myself, you know, all the anxiety was gone because it was, it was just for me at that point,

Speaker 2:

Such a great story. I love that. Do you think that story that you started on, like almost immediately at that point, was it something that had kind of been, you know, in your head and like waiting in the background or did it, did you just like, okay, I'm going to write a book and then this idea of soda.

Speaker 3:

I really like, I, it was something brand new. It was, um, a lot, I think it was, it was very influenced by my students. A lot of my favorite students at the time, cause I taught high school. So I was, you know, I was living in uh, the white world already in that way. Um, so I started like, the story just started coming to my brain. I outlined for a few days. And then, yeah, I just, the first chapter, I don't know. It just, it just came to me so easily. Um, just like happily ever afters came. Like when I, when I eventually moved on from that story and wrote happily ever afters, it came to me so fast too. Like I had an outline in less than a week and the first chapter soon after that's all

Speaker 2:

Awesome. I feel like your subconscious was just like waiting a day when she realizes that she needs me again. What did your students say when you got the book deal? Um, so I,

Speaker 3:

I actually was not teaching when I got the book deal for happily ever afters. Um, I had left because I was having a lot of health issues, some auto-immune issues that were definitely exacerbated by the stress of, you know, being a teacher, being a mom and all of these different things. And so I, my plan was to be a stay at home mom for a semester and then reevaluate from there and then everything just changed. So, um, I had been, I finished writing a book, I queried and I got my first request from an agent within an hour. Yeah. I'd still like, I don't even know how that happened, but I, yeah, I got an agent very quickly and we sold in less than a month, um, at auction and it just, it all happened really fast. And so I didn't end up going back into the classroom. Um, but I still, I keep in touch with so many of my students through text or Instagram. They're always DM-ing me on Instagram. So, um, they've been, they've been very excited. They're always like, it makes sense to them I guess. Like, because I was always like pushing books on them. They were like, of course, miss, of course she wrote a book. Um, and especially this week that now that it's out this week, um, my husband's still teaches at the school that I used to teach at. And so all the teachers there know about it, they're all telling their students about it through zoom. So I'm getting all these messages, like, I'm so proud of you miss and I, we could do it miss and it's just, yeah, I, I, I miss, I miss my old students so much. I just, it was, it was such a joy to spend my days with teenagers. I think it's such a gift because teenagers are amazing. And um, yeah. Um, I keep getting pictures of them like holding the book and that just, it makes me burst into tears every time.

Speaker 2:

So great. And hopefully this stupid COVID will be,

Speaker 3:

And you can go do school visits and things. I hope so. I wish, yeah. I actually, a bunch of my students are and of happily ever rafters, that's been, they've been sending you pictures of that. Like, Oh dad, you miss, you put me in here. Did you base characters off of your students? No. I mean, I think, I think about, I mean the character, the main character tests is very much based on me. And um, I think what did, what did come from my students is because I, I was with teenagers all the time. I feel like I have a fairly good understanding of like a teenagers voice. And so definitely like things like things that kids I've heard them say, or they've said to me have made their way into the book. Um, and I hope that it stays that way. I don't, I never want to be like, you know what, like, uh, like someone trying to sound like a teenager that cringy boys, I hope that I can stay fresh. I'm not in the classroom anymore. You know,

Speaker 2:

I know I writing my first contemporary was like so scary because it's like, yeah,

Speaker 3:

Certainly you're expected to sound like today's teens and yeah,

Speaker 2:

We have not a teacher. I have very few teenagers in my life. So it's like, um, what do see, they just talk about, do they listen to,

Speaker 3:

Yeah, well you, you did a good job. Um, so I want to go back

Speaker 2:

Just something that you were talking about and something that comes up in the book, uh, is this idea of being a quote unquote real writer. Um, and how, and I actually wrote down at one point, Tessa is talking to Nico, one of the love interest in the book and, you know, talking about how she doesn't know she is a real writer because she just wants to write silly things for fun. Um, and I respond so strongly to that because I pretty much just feel like I just write silly things for fun. And I've always just wanted to write silly things for fun. Um, and yet now many years into my career, I've had so many interactions with readers who have had like really strong responses to the book and like the books have helped them through phases of their lives and help them see the world differently. And like, I've started to recognize that even though it's science fiction or it's romance, or it's silly that it's still really important. Um, and so I think that's kind of something that a lot of why a writers have started to pick up on. Um, so tell me about like your feelings toward and toward being a genre writer and Tessa being a romance writer and what it means to be quote a real writer.

Speaker 3:

I mean, I, I think just being in the classroom, I saw how much these silly quote, silly stories really affected students. Um, I think there's something so revolutionary about showing people of color living these like happy joyful lives. Like that is, that is important in itself, you know? Um, but yeah, I was just like Tessa, when I was growing up, I thought that, you know, if I wasn't writing something that was like Kurt Vonnegut or salad dressing or something, you know, like then I, what I was writing, I thought, you know, I thought the stories that I would, that my classmates would write that I didn't understand, like the reason I didn't understand them was because they were smarter than me, you know, or they understood something that I did it when really like, so many of them were feeling things out just like me and being esoteric on purpose, you know? Um, and yeah, I think, and even, I feel like this week in particular, having people respond, you know, with all of the, with the terrible things that are happening in our world, I've had so many people message me and say like, thank you for this story. It, it made me happy today or it was an escape today. And that is just something that is, that is so valuable, you know? And I feel, I feel grateful that I'm able to give people that relief right now. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, totally. I agree. I feel like, I mean, I, every kind of writing has value and so I never want to be like, you know, Oh, those literature writers, like, but I do being in Y a M and you still hear like negative comments about it from time to time.

Speaker 3:

I just think that that's so insane.

Speaker 2:

Interesting, um, that there can be this such a disconnect between what WIA is and what it can accomplish versus like

Speaker 3:

People think it is. Does that make sense? Yeah, we definitely, yeah. Um, I know a lot of, yeah, I know a lot of writers, um, just through like, you know, I don't want to like call anyone out. I didn't go to school for writing, but I know a lot of writers from college and then afterwards, and it's always, it's always funny to see people's reactions when they're, when they're like, Oh, that's a why a book, you know, that's why these things are happening for you. And it's just, I don't know. I just think why it's so important. And, um, you know, cause this is what the future of our country is reading, you know? So it's something, not just my book, but so many books are helping to shape minds right now that people that are going to be in control of our country. So that's what that's that in itself is what makes it important. Yeah,

Speaker 2:

No, definitely. Um, and I, yeah, again, I mean, I bonded so much with Tessa and I specifically remember too, like being in the workshop, kind of like you were talking about how you have your classmates and your peers and the things that they have, this beautiful metaphors and provoking images. And I was like, I'm writing about elves and fairies. And again, like come back to that imposter syndrome, right? Yeah. It's hard to get over. So what do you like when it comes to being workshopped or being critiqued? Like, do you have any advice that you might give to a writer who's listening to this? Who's just like, so scared that what they're putting out there isn't going to measure up. I mean, I'm still scared. I know, I know we're all still terrified.

Speaker 3:

I think that's helpful to know, like we, even, if you do get a book published, like those feelings never go away. I still only, the only people that read my writing is like, if my editor and my agent, like I still don't have even like, um, you know, beta readers or CPS, because I like am so anxious about it. So I don't know. I think that that might be helpful to know that like, we all have these fears so much of this is just like faking it and taking a risk and, um, and being okay with the outcome, you know? Um, yeah. I don't think it goes away, but also it's important to remember that whatever, whatever you create, it's, it's something that only you can do, you know, like I, we, you, all the story that I'm writing and the story that only I can write and that's that in itself is what makes it valuable. So even if you're scared, it's, it's important to try and take that step because, um, the world needs all of these different stories.

Speaker 2:

No, that's a really good, important reminder. And one that we can forget that, like, we all do have an individual unique perspective.

Speaker 3:

Yes. Yeah. Definitely. In our week we need all of these different stories out there.

Speaker 2:

Yeah. I want to talk about the character, Nico. Um, he is, like I said, he's one of two love interests, um, in the story. And by the end of the book, I feel like he's one of those characters that it would be really easy to write him off as like he's kind of a jerk he's, you know, kind of melodramatic kind of a player. Um, and there's, you know, it could, he can be like that gorgeous artsy, but dangerous stereotype, but he's also really complex. And, and for me, like I developed a lot of sympathy for him as a character. Um, and so I just curious about him and your approach to writing him and like, how do you feel about Nico?

Speaker 3:

Yeah. I've actually never had anyone ask me about Nico before. So this was fun. Yeah. I mean, he's, he's so much, like I said, I went to an art school just like Tesla and he's so much like a combination of like all the boys that I was in love with through that time, you know? Um, because I thought they had everything together. I thought there are these, you know, gorgeous artsy boys that just knew so much more than me, but what Tessa learns over the course of the story is that, you know, Nico is, is faking it just like she is, you know, like he, he seems like he has it all together. He seems like he has all this talent, but so he's, he's putting on a front just like she's been trying to put on a front. And I think that's, I want to just show that so many people, all these people that you admire are, are, are in a lot of times in the same boat that you are being scared and insecure too.

Speaker 2:

Right. The moral of the story is fake it till you make it. Exactly

Speaker 3:

Was doing that. Now I'm doing that here in this conversation with you when I'm, when I'm super anxious.

Speaker 2:

No, I mean, I think people are shocked to learn that, like I am still, like, I don't know what I'm doing. What do you mean? I get to be the experts always making it up as I go along. Oh yeah. It's the same here, but again, I mean, that's good. I think for people to realize that it's so universal. Yeah, yeah, definitely. Yeah. But no, I mean, and I, I got that from Nico too, that he is insecure in so many ways that you know, that the story doesn't really have time to delve into his psychology. Of course we're very focused on Tessa. Um, but, but as a character, I just thought that he was really well-developed, um, and complicated in a way that you wouldn't expect his, his role to be.

Speaker 3:

No, thank you. I thank you. That's really cool to hear.

Speaker 2:

Um, so this book, it is, it is a romance. It is a love story, but by the end of it, I was wondering if the love story element is the one that we're expected to think is the love story element. Like I felt like there was a bunch of different love plots happening kind of simultaneously. And I was just wondering, like, do you feel that I'm trying to be a little vague? Cause I don't like, um,

Speaker 3:

But how do you

Speaker 2:

Read into it? Like who, who was the real love interest, do you feel okay.

Speaker 3:

Yeah. I mean, I really wanted, I mean, this is it's, you know, it's a romcom, so there's romantic love. It's part of it. Um, really great kissing. I love writing all that. Um, but yeah, that's a huge part of the story, but I also wanted to explore like all the different types of love that are, um, in a teenage girl's life, you know? So the romantic love is important. Um, and we, we see that with Nico and Sam, um, you know, one is the boy that she thinks that she needs to be with. And one, I think anyone who reads the first chapter knows who she is, is going to end up what I keep

Speaker 2:

The true love interest, because it's pretty

Speaker 3:

Obvious. And you know, I've had some people like friends that would never read a Y romcom, um, mostly guys and there'll be like, I don't know who she's going to end up with, but anyone who's ever read, like read a book like this knows who that is going to be Sam and the end. So yeah, the romantic love is very important, but I also wanted to explore the other types of love. So like her love between her and her family with her brother Myles, and then also, um, there's a very clear arc with her relationship with her mom throughout this story. Um, and then in addition to that, there's the love with her and her friends, especially with Caroline, I think at times the relationship with her and Caroline, like that takes precedence over the romantic love in a story which, which was, which was on purpose. Because, you know, I know when I was a teenager, my relationships with my friends were just as significant as any relationship with a boy, you know? Um, and then ultimately I think the, the true love story of the book is Tessa's Tessa learning to love herself. You know, that self love there that's, that is like the, the most important thing that she gained by the end of the story.

Speaker 2:

[inaudible] no, I that's definitely what I was picking up on as well. And you keep it very subtle, but by the end of the book and just how much she has grown and learned over the story, I just was like, yeah,

Speaker 3:

You love yourself. Just embrace it. You're awesome. Yeah. I mean, yeah. And she thinks she thinks to solve her problem. You know, she needs to fall in love with a boy. Like that's gonna fix everything by the end. Yeah. She, this isn't spoiling. Right. I don't think there's, you know, the love with falling in love with herself is just as important. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Yes, yes. And her writing and it's, it's fun seeing how her, her writing path kind of mirrors that as well and how much, you know, her, her creativity and her motivation are really driven by her own self-esteem and what she's going through over the course of it.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, definitely. Are you

Speaker 2:

Allowed to tell us what you're working on next?

Speaker 3:

I think, okay. So someone sent me a screenshot from good reads and like the title is already on there. So yeah, I mean, I won't give too much away yet, but I can say it's set in the same world as happily ever afters. So I've gotten a lot of angry messages from people that by the end of happily ever afters that want to know more because of how it ends. Um, and so you will see these characters again, um, it doesn't this story doesn't follow a test. It follows one of her friends, um, who you might be able to figure out who it is, but it's, you know, it's another love story. It's another girl falling in love. Um, and I'm excited about it. It's a vacation romance. I think I can say that it takes place on a cruise in the Mediterranean, which was very weird to be writing. Um, the summer when I was second home.[inaudible] lovely

Speaker 2:

Though, to be there in your imagination.

Speaker 3:

Oh yeah. It felt honestly it felt like writing a fantasy novel because everything that was happening was like, well, couldn't do any of this right now. Well, that is so exciting. And I have a couple,

Speaker 2:

Well guesses as to who the friend could be, but I will, I will ask off-camera

Speaker 3:

Um, I can't say I saw the cover, um, last week and it's just, it's beautiful. It's I love the cover of happily ever after, but I think this one is even better and I can't wait to share it with people.

Speaker 2:

Oh, that's awesome. Because I love the cover for happily ever afters. It is so cute and so perfect for the story.

Speaker 3:

She's just so like delicate and soft on the cover. I love it. And dreamy, and then there's the little cupcakes I know they got it. And they got it, so right. So right. Okay.

Speaker 2:

We are going to wrap this up with our happy writer bonus round.

Speaker 3:

Okay. What book makes you happy? Um, I mean, I think anything by Becky Albertan, her books, they make me feel so good every time I read them, especially the upside of unrequited. Like that book just gets me right in the heart. I would read anything that Becky wrote. So great. Yes she is. Yeah. She's an incredible person too. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, and also, um, have you read the house in this the, and see by TJ Clune? I have not. Oh my gosh. That book is like, it's like getting a hug, like getting a warm hug. I love that book so much. It's an adult fantasy novel, but it, it, yeah. It's so good. Okay. I

Speaker 2:

Will, I will look it up. I love the title

Speaker 3:

Too. Yeah, that's great.

Speaker 2:

Um, and I did want to add, like, I love that in happily ever afters, there are so many little things

Speaker 3:

Francis, two different WIA books and why authors

Speaker 2:

And

Speaker 3:

Yeah. I mean, I I'm such before, I'm a writer, I'm just such a, I'm a reader and I'm a fan. And so I wanted to include that and that's, Oh my gosh. It's been, what's been so weird about this journey is meeting these people now

Speaker 2:

Or not.

Speaker 3:

And just these people that I'm just like a fan girl out and I'm like, how do you even know who I am? Like, it's very cool. Yes. I completely agree. What is your favorite romantic trope? Um, I think fake dating. I haven't, I haven't written it yet, but I, Hey, love books. Um, yeah, just having people follow, like, cause you know, from the beginning they're gonna fall in love and I just, like, I just love rooting for them along the way. What is your personal mantra? Oh, I actually have this, um, on a banner, up in my office. It's joy is an act of resistance. Um, yeah, because I mean, just like Tessa, I like, I've talking about like, I've talked about like I worried so much of like about if what I'm doing is important, you know? Um, but I think bringing joy to other people, showing black people, experiencing joy, like that is its own type of, of activism. And that's my, my, what I, what I'm doing as resistance in this world right now,

Speaker 2:

Advice, would you give to help someone be a happier writer?

Speaker 3:

No. Um, I think, I mean, for me, I, it's hard for me to experience the happiness sometimes and to fully feel it, you know? And I think because I get caught up in all the things that aren't happy happening or the disappointments along the way. Um, but I try to remember, um, like the eight year old Elise who was, you know, carrying notebooks everywhere and dreaming about being an author. Um, and what that Elise would think about where my life is right now, you know? Um, cause like my biggest dream has come true. I have a book in a bookstore and I don't know that that helps to send to me again and really feel experience that happiness because just what, we're, what we're doing, you know, creating stories, creating these worlds, like that is such a gift. And in that that's what brings me happiness.

Speaker 2:

I'm so happy. You said that. Cause I feel like, I think about 14 year old Marissa all the time and yeah. Like I can just like feel her like rooting me on like we've got this. Yeah. Lastly, where can people find you? Um, I'm online@elisebryant.com. Um, and then I'm on Twitter, but mostly Instagram. Cause I don't like Twitter. I hear you on Instagram as a leaf Bryant. Awesome. At least thank you so much for joining me today. I would thank you for having me to some such a joy readers. Be sure to check out happily ever afters, which is out now. Of course, we always encourage you to support your local indie bookstore. If you can, if you don't have a local indie, you can also check out our affiliate store at bookshop.org/shop/marissa Meyer. If you're enjoying these conversations, please subscribe and leave us a review. You can follow us on Instagram at Marissa Meyer author and at happy writer podcast until next time stay healthy and cozy in your bunkers and whatever life throws at you today. I do hope that now you're feeling

Speaker 1:

[inaudible].