32. From postpartum depression to author w/ Samantha Bryant

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 superheroes.Joining today’s conversation is Samantha Bryant, an author of horror and superheroes. This mom of two returned to creative writing as a means to help herself through postpartum depression. Learn how Samantha established healthy boundaries with her children to safeguard her writing time. You’ll also hear about the evolution of her children adjusting to her writing needs and 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: Writing to process the worldThe slow decline of writing post-childbirthPPD and getting back into writingWeekend family team meetings Pursing writing beyond being a hobbyImplementing a daily writing habitThe kids’ reactions to mom writingHow healthy boundaries change as kids grow upWriting has no age limitLooking back at our earlier writingsFor the love of superheroesNo right way to go about a writing lifeFavorite booksDon’t wait to start writing again About Samantha: Samantha writes half-hero and half-horror, depending on whether she wants to save the world or watch it burn. Her superhero series comprises four novels, two novellas, and a collection of shorts and will conclude with the fifth novel in 2024. Her short-form horror work appears in several anthologies.She parents an adult daughter and a teenage non-binary kid with her patient husband. La Casa Bryant is in a small town in North Carolina.Get her books:Menopausal Superhero series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074CHNLQ2 Anthologies with her horror stories: https://bit.ly/SamanthaBryantConnect w/ Samantha:Website: http://samanthabryant.comFB: https://www.facebook.com/samanthadunawaybryantTwitter: https://twitter.com/samanthabwriterIG: https://www.instagram.com/samanthabwriter Books discussed during the show: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas AdamsComic books: Spider-Man, Underdog, Archie, Red Sonya, X-Men, and Uncanny X-MenThe Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly BlckMagic Tree House series by Mary Pope OsbornePajama Time and Barnyard Dance by Sandra Boynton Junie B. Jones by Barbra ParkFranny K. Stein by Jim Benton Amelia Bedelia by Peggy ParishThe Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley JacksonDavid Copperfield by Charles DickensBeloved by Toni MorrisonMrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha ChristieMurderbot Diaries series by Martha WellsSend us Fan MailREADY TO TAKE YOUR WRITING FURTHER? Join our Patreon community and access our vibrant Discord writing group to get writing prompts, participate in sprints, download free resources, and more: https://www.patreon.com/erinptcanningeditor