'My performing arts students inspired me to write about growing up in the age of social media'
When she isn’t writing scripts (for films and showreels mainly), Sarah Day is either walking the Yorkshire countryside with her Border Terrier Audrey, or teaching drama, singing, and dance to children and teenagers.
The young performers, she says, inspired her debut novel Miss Influential, a book aimed at young people, which explores growing up in an age of social media, touching on themes of online safety, digital identity, and self-confidence.
“I’m noticing a difference between the kids I taught ten years ago in the nine to 12 age range and the kids I teach a decade later, particularly how they approach their day to day lives, their work with me and also social media now really becoming a part of their lives,” reflects 31-year-old Sarah. “My students inspired me to write Miss Influential to encourage them to embrace their true selves and use social media healthily.”
Harrogate-based Sarah hopes the book will also help young readers to understand that not everything they see on social media is true, and to not compare themselves to others as a result.
“Also to not expect instant validation,” she adds. “That’s the kind of thing I was noticing in my lessons. Years ago kids would be more about the process, now kids are asking (straight away) did I do well? How did I do? Was I good? I think partly it’s the influence of social media with instant likes and responses.”
Sarah, who is also an actress and has worked behind the scenes on the script teams of major West End musicals including The Devil Wears Prada and Burlesque, has big ambitions for her story.
With her friend Nicole Johnson, a composer and musical director in London’s West End, she has written a musical version of the tale, with school shows in mind, and is currently pitching to producers. She also hopes to see it turned into a television series. "I think this is something young people can really connect with and understand,” she says.
Sarah is well-versed in writing for camera, something she began after training in musical theatre at ArtsEd, London. Her acting career, which has taken her from the original cast of Calendar Girls: The Musical to classic favourites such as Singin’ in the Rain, as well as onto TV screens in BBC’s Doctors, has developed in parallel with writing and production.
She has worked on more than 1,000 video showreels for actors, across genres including comedy, romance, drama and sci-fi and also runs production company DayByDay Productions, with her short films screening at festivals across the globe.
As with Miss Influential, inspiration is all around her. “I usually write things that are very topical and have set a fire off in me,” she says. “With Miss Influential, I wanted to write a story that captures the humour, heart, and challenges of growing up in the digital age.”
- Miss Influential, published by Fisher King Publishing, is out now.