We recently connected with Brianna Albers and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Brianna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the toughest things about progressing in your creative career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?
I realized a fourth of the way through 2023 that the book I’d been working on for two years wasn’t something I wanted to publish. It was a very strange experience, as I had written the book for the market and was hoping to secure an agent for it by the end of the year. It was a strong manuscript. I poured my heart and soul into it. It felt, in many ways, like my magnum opus. But the fact remained that I wasn’t comfortable querying with it. What started as a book for the market became a book for me. It was something I needed, not to share, but to write and set aside. It took me months to accept that the two years I spent on the book were not a loss but simply a phase in my overall journey as a writer.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’ve always loved stories. But as a multiply marginalized, disabled woman, I never saw myself represented in the stories I grew up loving, I knew from a young age that what I wanted, more than anything, was to write myself into the narrative. I wanted to write stories by and for people with disabilities. My entire life has revolved around that singular goal.
Currently, I work part-time as a disability advocate while pursuing a career in traditional publishing. I write a bimonthly column for SMA News Today, “The Wolf Finally Frees Itself” (smanewstoday.com/the-wolf-finally-frees-itself-brianna-albers) about my life with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). I also work as a patient advocate on SMA My Way (smamyway.com), a resource cultivated by biotech company Genentech for all people affected by SMA. My advocacy work is incredibly life-giving. I’m fortunate to represent my disease community in such a way.
Of course, as much as I love my advocacy work, writing is my true passion. I’m currently drafting an adult space fantasy, AN ANGEL IN THE GARDEN, with the goal of seeking representation sometime next year. In addition to my manuscript, I am active on Instagram @briehalbers and Substack, where I publish a bimonthly newsletter, “Studes in Light” (briehalbers.substack.com).
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Not a resource so much as a frame of mind: The work will take as long as it takes. I’ve wasted so much time punishing myself for not working quickly enough when, in truth, I am juggling a rare disease (the management of which is a full-time job) along with freelance work and a social life. I wish I could write quickly. I wish I could drag myself out of bed at 6 am and write nonstop for nine hours. But I can’t. I’m physically incapable of doing so. So the work takes as long as it takes. I do what I can, and that has to be enough.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I’ve always said that my goal is to write books that disabled girls can see themselves in. I grew up with absolutely no representation in popular media. Disabled characters were exceedingly rare and either lacked purpose or were relegated to villainy. What’s worse, their stories weren’t written by disabled folks; they weren’t portrayed by disabled actors with lived experience. They were stereotypical and often insulting. They broke my heart. So I dedicated myself to breaking that cycle. I don’t want any more disabled girls to grow up without seeing themselves on the screen or otherwise reflected in the stories they love.
Contact Info:
- Website: briannahopealbers.com
- Instagram: briehalbers
- Facebook: briehalbers
- Twitter: briehalbers
- Other: https://briehalbers.substack.com/