When author and editor Annmarie SanSevero says you can write a book even if you’re busy, she means it. As a single mom of four, homeschooling her kids while working multiple part-time jobs, she carved out her writing career in the smallest increments possible: fifteen minutes a day.

“I told my kids, ‘Mommy wants to write. I just need 15 minutes,’” she recalls. “Those 15 minutes add up. Eventually you have a whole novel.”

The Power of Small Steps

Annmarie’s early drafts were written in lobbies, waiting rooms, parking lots, and anywhere her children’s activities took her. She created a “mobile office”, a giant pink bag filled with her laptop and craft books, that came with her everywhere.

You need commitment, not perfection.

Finding the Right Writing Community

Her path changed dramatically when she found the Superstars Writing Seminars, a conference built by bestselling authors for both the craft and business of writing.

“I met my publisher there during a pitch session,” she says. “She asked for my chapters, loved them, and asked for more then offered a three-book deal.”

Annmarie stresses that not all writing conferences are created equal and finding the right one can change your entire trajectory.

Why Short Stories Matter

One of the strongest threads in her journey is her belief in writing short stories. Initially she resisted, but a talk by Jonathan Maberry changed everything.

“Short stories teach pacing, structure, and emotional impact,” she says. “Nothing has grown my writing faster.”

Her collection, The Butterfly Stroke and Other Stories, includes pieces that placed from Honorable Mention to Semi-Finalist in the Writers of the Future competition.

Transforming Hardship into Story

Annmarie’s writing is deeply shaped by her life, including extensive medical challenges. She has survived two entirely different cancers, undergone numerous surgeries, and completed rounds of radiation and chemotherapy.

“Everything is research,” she says. “The fear, the loneliness, the sensations, all of it ends up in my stories.”

One of her most gripping stories, Memory Ghost, was inspired by a frightening hospital stay and a blood transfusion that sparked the question: What if it wasn’t just blood being transferred? What if it was memory?

Editing, Mentoring & Helping Writers Grow

Along with her writing, Annmarie works as an editor and mentor offering developmental and copy edits, and a uniquely compassionate mentorship structure that doesn’t require thousands of dollars upfront.

“I know what it’s like to be poor,” she says. “I want to help serious writers grow.”

Advice for Women Authors

Her final message is a rallying cry:

“Know your WHY. Put it where you can see it. When you don’t feel like writing, look at it. The only thing that stops you is quitting.”