When postpartum depression strikes, escaping those feelings can seem impossible. But finding a way to overcome the impossible and turn what we view as a weakness into our strength is part of what draws us to stories about superheroes.
Joining today’s conversation is Samantha Bryant, an author of horror short stories and superhero novels. This mom of two returned to creative writing as a means to help herself write her way through postpartum depression.
In today’s episode, Samantha shares how she established healthy boundaries with her children to safeguard her writing time. You’ll also hear about the evolution of her children not only coming to terms with mom’s needs but also becoming her biggest supporters.
So, if you want to hear how Samantha turned a forgotten hobby into a writing career that includes superheroes, tune in today’s episode.
Topics discussed in this episode
- Writing to process the world
- The slow decline of writing post-childbirth
- PPD and getting back into writing
- Keeping a piece of yourself for yourself
- Weekend family team meetings
- Pursing writing beyond being a hobby
- Implementing a daily writing habit
- The kids’ reactions to mom writing
- Writing at home vs elsewhere
- How healthy boundaries change as kids grow up
- Proud kids showing support
- Being our kids’ role model
- Writing has no age limit
- Looking back at our earlier writings
- Using fiction to explore women’s issues
- For the love of superheroes
- No right way to go about a writing life
- Favorite books and why
- Don’t wait to start writing again
About Samantha
Samantha Bryant writes half-hero and half-horror, depending on whether she wants to save the world or watch it burn today. Her superhero series consists of four novels, two novellas, and a collection of shorts and will conclude with the fifth and final novel in 2024. Her short-form horror work can be found in several anthologies, including Slay: Stories of the Vampire Noire and A Woman Unbecoming.
She parents an adult daughter, a teenage non-binary kid just trying to make it, a dapper corn snake, and two rescue dogs with her patient gamer-husband. La Casa Bryant is located in a small town in North Carolina, but Samantha grew up too far north for sweet tea and doesn't quite fit in there.
Get her work
- Menopausal Superhero series: Going Through the Change: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074CHNLQ2
- Read her short-form horror stories in these anthologies: https://bit.ly/SamanthaBryant
Connect with Samantha
- Website: http://samanthabryant.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samanthadunawaybryant
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/samanthabwriter
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samanthabwriter
- Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Samantha-Bryant/e/B00TBPQTLY/
Books discussed during the show
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
- Comic books: Spider-Man, Underdog, Archie, Red Sonya, X-Men, and Uncanny X-Men
- The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Blck
- Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
- Pajama Time by Sandra Boynton
- Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton
- Junie B. Jones by Barbra Park
- Franny K. Stein by Jim Benton
- Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
- The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
- We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
- David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
- Beloved by Toni Morrison
- Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie
- Murderbot Diaries series by Martha Wells
Online support
Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.
