“Never Impossible”: An Interview with Indie Author Sarah Sutton
For years, I have preached that nothing is impossible. In the words of Audrey Hepburn, “the word itself says ‘I’m Possible’.” This belief in all things possible has led to many valuable opportunities and dreams in my life.
My band director in fifth grade told me I would never be able to play the flute. A year later, I had given up saxophone and picked up the flute, remembering how devastated I was that I was not allowed to play. By my senior year of high school, I played flute and piccolo in our Wind Ensemble and had become Drum Major for our marching band.
It was this belief in possibilities that influenced me to start writing. It’s been a dream of mine for about ten years, a desire that has stuck with me to see my own book sitting on the shelves of Barnes and Noble. I’ll never give up on this dream.
Though I will say over and over, “Nichelle, nothing is impossible. Nothing is impossible,” there can be some doubt at times. Fear and disappointment have a way of creeping in, and I’m sure we all have some experience with that. But we all have the potential to stand up to our fears and never back down.
That’s why I decided to interview my friend, Indie author, Sarah Sutton, about her experience with impossibilities in setting out her goals and achieving them as a now-published author.
Back in January, I followed Sarah on her journey of publishing her first Young Adult romance novel, What are Friends For?, and I knew immediately that she had quite a future in writing. She ended up sending me a What are Friends For? bookmark, and her thank you note was incredibly heart-warming–about as sweet as her romance novel.
She is creative and ambitious. As I came to know her and her dreams, I decided I wanted to ask her opinion on impossibilities and where she stands with her creative endeavors.
Without further ado, here is our “Impossibilities” Q&A with Sarah Sutton:
Q: How would you define a passion project for yourself? Is it an “all at once” endeavor, or do you pursue several at a time?
A: For me, I definitely think it’s one at a time! It’s a project I can delve all of my creative energy into and just let it all out. I love those kinds of projects!
Q: Tell me about how you developed your passion for writing and/or other passion projects you might have?
A: I think I really developed a love of writing by reading. Entering worlds created by other authors really stirred that desire in me to make those worlds of my own.
Q: How many passion projects have you felt were successful over the years? For example, I’ve written many beginnings to books, but I never really felt successful until I poured my heart out into my writing once I started high school.
A: I think a “successful” project is very subjective for me. If I’m able to complete a first draft and fully get my thoughts onto paper, I believe—for me—that’s successful! If I feel connected with my characters and that we’re on an intimate level of understand, that’s a successful project for me!
Q: What helps you feel most inspired to complete your projects and share them with the world?
A: The idea of surrounding myself with my different “worlds” is such an inspiration to me. I love the idea of having all of my thoughts and ideas scribbled onto paper and to share them with the world. It’s kind of silly, but sometimes I just picture taking a photograph of me surrounded by all of my story ideas—I think I’m up to 10!—and it fills me with happiness!
Q: What’s your favorite aspect of fiction? What gets you most excited to read and write books?
A: I love how amazing these worlds can be! Let’s be honest, real life sucks. Especially right now. But diving into a fiction world—whether that be fantasy or contemporary—is so exciting to see all of the endless possibilities that authors are dreaming up!
A: In your book, What are Friends For?, the protagonist, Remi, struggles with art, so much so, that she might not finish her senior year! When I read this, I immediately related to Remi because I am so bad at art and drawing. When I want to do them, I usually get frustrated and end up quitting because I am just not pleased. Do you have any passions similar to that, where you feel frustrated that you are not better at them?
A: For me, it’s definitely painting. When I was younger, probably middle school and high school age, I loved painting. I loved the idea of a blank canvas and covering it with something beautiful. However, I’m not great at painting, haha! I don’t have unique ideas to illustrate. I wish I did, though!
Q: How do you think your younger self would feel if she could see you now?
A: Oh, I think she’d be blown away. So blown away. She’d be impressed with how “out of my shell” I am, how I’m not letting anything get me down. I’m still kind of in awe of how my life is panning out. I never would’ve thought this would be possible!
Q: Do you have a specific message you want to share with others, for either social media presence or within writing?
A: Such a good question! In terms of social media, I think it’s super important to remember that the followers you have are not numbers. They’re people behind their phones, cheering you on, rooting you as you go along your journey. They’re choosing to be there for you, and it’s important to never forget that!
Q: How would you encourage others to pursue their dreams, whether or not they fall within the writing world?
A: I’d tell them, whether authors or not, to never lose heart. Don’t forget why they’re wanting to get to this destination. Don’t forget what’s propelling them forward. Don’t forget their dreams. It can be easy to allow yourself to feel discouraged—I definitely know that!—but don’t let that derail your train!
Q: Sometimes our passions seem impossible to complete. How do you feel about pursuing something seemingly “impossible”?
A: Nothing is ever impossible! Never! I know it can sometimes feel that way, but even if it takes time, your dreams are achievable. Why else would you want to achieve them? Would you allow yourself to want to pursue an unachievable goal? What purpose would that serve? No, if you have a dream, it’s because in some capacity or another, it is achievable. Never impossible. You’ve absolutely got this!
Never impossible. — Sarah Sutton
Sarah has such powerful dreams that keep her going. What an inspiration! Not only does she keep up a wonderful social media presence, developing a relationship with so many of her readers, she has also started a YouTube channel to discuss her writing career and challenges–something very impressive to this introvert!
Even if you are not an aspiring author, Sarah is an amazing example of setting your heart on something… and getting it! With hard work and patience, nothing is impossible. Thank you for being that reminder for me, Sarah.
What are Friends For? was released January 14, 2020, and her upcoming YA Romance, Out of My League, will be released on June 16, 2020.
Please follow the links below to support Sarah on her writing journey! If you would like to check out Sarah Sutton’s YA Romance books, the Amazon links are listed below, as well. If you have time, please leave a review on Amazon–they are a big help to our Indie authors!
Sarah Sutton’s YA Romance, What are Friends For?.
Sarah Sutton’s YA Romance, Out of My League.
Sarah Sutton’s Website.
Sarah Sutton’s Instagram.
Sarah Sutton’s Facebook.
Sarah Sutton’s YouTube.
Comments