MoAA Interview #10: Sarah Hans

Sarah HansToday’s MoAA features the lovely and talented Sarah Hans, editor of the fabulous new cohort-anthology, SIDEKICKS.

Sidekicks: We know them, and we ignore them. They sit courtside, they wait in the shadows, they ride on the coattails. They have nothing to offer.

Or do they?

Heroes and heroines perform world shaking deeds, but sidekicks? Sidekicks are the unseen glue holding those powerhouses together. They are the backbones. They are the voices of reason.

It’s long past time for them to shine.

Here, the fangirls, the trusted associates, the loyal assistants, and the imperiled wards have their moment in the spotlight. Join them as they shake up the world in unexpected and understated ways.

Let the heroes sit this one out. Celebrate the Sidekick!

I, for one, am really looking forward to this anthology. Take it away, Sarah!

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Alethea Kontis: What’s the best thing about writing?

Sarah Hans: Exploring the world from the perspective of someone else, usually someone who is completely unlike me. It’s the closest I can get to living someone else’s life once in a while. I also enjoy acting for the same reason.

AK: What’s the worst thing about writing?

SH: The echo chamber of self-doubt.

AK: Finish this sentence: “Writing is like…”

SH: …showing everyone your underwear. Even if they think it’s the cutest underwear ever, it’s still kind of jarring to realize everyone is looking at it. (Thanks to editor Janet Harriet for this most apt of metaphors.)

AK: If you could write anywhere in the world, where would it be?

SH: Scotland, because it’s cool and near the ocean. And there are Scottish people there.

AK: Pick five words to describe your latest work.

SH: Inclusive, enjoyable, thought-provoking, unexpected, fun.

AK: Pick five words to describe you.

SH: Writer, teacher, silly, smart, busy.

sidekicks coverAK: What’s your favorite type of tree?

SH: Definitely the willow.

AK: What were you like in high school?

SH: Pretty much how I am now, nerdy and silly! Only skinnier, and unmedicated. So I had a lot more anxiety and a lot less self-control. And I lacked any confidence whatsoever. Fortunately, confidence can be learned!

AK: If you could give one piece of advice (writing or otherwise), what would it be?

SH: Luck is really a matter of outlook. If you look at every failure and rejection as an opportunity to learn, and keep an eye out for the unexpected, you see opportunities everywhere. No effort is wasted, even the stories that never sell.

AK: The Colin Harvey Memorial Question: What are 3 things you’d like to do before you die?

SH: Visit India. Publish a novel. Ride a dragon.

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Sarah Hans is an author, editor and educator whose recent projects include the anthologies Sidekicks! and the forthcoming Steampunk World. You can read examples of her work and follow her adventures in steampunk at http://sarahhans.com/.