Member Spotlight: Anna Schocket

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? For me, writing is a way to create moments of connection, especially between parents and children. Books open doors to conversations that can sometimes feel complex or tender to navigate. I originally wrote to give myself a tool to talk to my daughter about how our family came to be. In crafting something for my own family, I was able to create something that could help many others. Writing, for me, is a way to support the broader community by giving voice to stories that help us understand, teach, and connect.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? For me, the cure for writer’s block is to not plan to write but rather to catch ideas when they show up. Mine usually pop into my head late at night, in grocery store lines, or while I’m supposed to be doing something entirely different. I try to capture them before they disappear in my phone so I can shape them into something meaningful later.

What is your favorite time to write? My most productive time to come up with ideas is rarely planned. Ideas tend to appear in pockets of the day or night while I’m trying to fall asleep or doing something else. I jot them down immediately (usually in my phone). Later, when I find a quiet moment, I return to refine them into something meaningful. Mornings are best for clear thinking, but my calendar doesn’t always allow for that opportunity.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? The best piece of advice I received was, “Be brave enough to put your neck out there, especially for something that matters.” As a very private and personal person, writing and publishing a story rooted in my own journey felt vulnerable. But I realized that staying comfortable also meant staying quiet which wouldn’t help the community. So I chose to be brave. I wrote the story I needed, trusting that others might need it too. That experience taught me that writing often requires courage.

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? What excites me most is that stories today spark conversations and create connection. As a writer, I get to help families feel seen and give children, especially those whose family structures aren’t always represented, a chance to recognize themselves in books. That kind of impact is what makes writing today so powerful.

Anna Schocket’s The Heart That Found You, illustrated by Carole Chevalier, is out now with The Collective Book Studio.