We were lucky to catch up with Scarlett Luna Strange recently and have shared our conversation below.

Scarlett Luna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I’ve always had a huge passion for creativity and seeing the things I imagine come to life. I wrote when I was in elementary-high school, but life became busy and I couldn’t find the time. In 2020, I turned to writing as a new hobby. In 2021, I started to publish poetry and it was that year that made me realize I wanted to pursue writing full time. I’ve been full time since 2022 and when 2023 rolled around, I jumped into a journey of Young Adult Fantasy. It’s been an incredible time and I’ve really enjoyed being able to channel my creativity into a career I love.

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 am a 28 year old author who writes clean Young Adult Fantasy Fairytale Retellings. It is something I’ve been very passionate about and in my love for the young adult community, I’ve been able to embrace and offer support in the position I find myself in. I get to connect with younger audiences daily and encourage a love for reading that makes me genuinely happy. I’m proud to be a part of a community where young readers can feel safe and heard.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

The main thing I wish I had known about earlier was connecting with other authors who had similar mindsets. Creating clean young adult content is something that is very challenging in today’s society. Taking the opportunity to research, reach out, and network with those in a similar career has been very beneficial to my career. The encouragement I find in these fellow authors has kept me going on a lot of difficult days.

Another thing I would like to emphasize is to never overlook your audience. When readers commit to you as an author and engage with your stories, it’s a beautiful thing. From questions on if I’ll come back to a side character later to asking if I can build an entire series based on one small novella, I love that readers know what they want and they look to you to deliver. I write what my audience requests, even if it means postponing some projects that previously were coming soon. I recognize the value in what my readers desire and I love being able to deliver that.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

There are so many rewarding things about being a writer, but there is one that stands out to me the most. When my third book was released, within the first week I received so much love from readers. One reader messaged me sharing she had read the book twice and loved it so much, she had bought copies for her book club. She wanted to explore the themes of love, forgiveness, grace, and selfless attitudes. It meant a lot to me that a book I had dedicated so much time and energy to had found a home with such an appreciative and now loyal reader.

There have been so many lovely experiences with readers, I could definitely go on for a while. When I started writing, I told myself that the only person I truly wrote for was myself. Over time, I’ve come to realize a love for writing for my readers. They have been the most rewarding part of this journey and I will forever appreciate them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://scarlett-luna-strange.squarespace.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scarlettlunastrange/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092249223647
• Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@scarlettlunastrangebooks