🐈⬛ Part 3. Why Sarah J. Maas is the Taylor Swift of Publishing 🐈⬛
Slide: Justine Anweiler, Sarah J. Maas x Taylor Swift, 2024.
How Sarah J. Mass is Courting The Muse: A Journey Through Romantasy Book Covers, The Power of the Female Market, and Taylor Swift
Like Taylor, Sarah J. Maas is not just courting her creative muse, she has direct access to them.
In Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, Gilbert talks about how creativity is gifted from a being we sometimes have access to, called The Muse. Some, better than others, can court her regularly—draw on her waves of inspiration and enter that flow state.
My theory is that Taylor Swift has been acutely exploring, refining, and devoting with The Muse for a very LONG time. It’s what makes her output and traction so high.
If you look at Sarah’s age, consistency in output, evergrowing popularity, and the creative complexity of the extensive worlds she builds, I have no doubt she too, has consistent access to The Muse.
Similar to the Queen of Easter eggs (Taylor), Sarah knows how to keep her audience hanging onto every word, searching for meaning and clues to connect her past, present, and future work.
They are masterminds of time.
Experts at opening and closing loops.
Both creative geniuses ensure that nothing feels completely resolved. What may seem insignificant in passing can suddenly become the focal point of their next masterpiece.
You feel guided, held, and endlessly seen as an audience member in either of these two women’s worlds. How can something so small have so much meaning?
Are they makers of meaning?
Is that all creativity is…the ability to assign, derive, and create meaning in an experience that often feels meaningless?
A few closing points to link their shared mastery:
👑 Central theme of a strong, complex female protagonist prioritizing love, serving revenge, and living bravely
👑 Unnaturally high output in the creative arts
👑 Emotionally resonant worlds that remind us we are irrevocably alive
👑 Easter egging, the twists, turns, and infinity loops
👑 Meaning weavers who create intimacy with their fans
👑 A fanbase with the morale that love is the goal and heartbreak is the journey
👑 They are just getting started . . .
P.S. As a bonus I asked the AI oracle, commonly referred to as ChatGPT “If each ACOTAR book was a Taylor Swift Era, what album would they each be?”
Slide: Justine Anweiler, ACOTAR as Taylor Swift Eras, 2024.
Article FAQs generated by Chat GPT:
1. What specific examples of "Easter eggs" or hidden meanings have been found in Sarah J. Maas' books, and how do they connect to her future works?
Rhysand being present at Calanmai to meet Feyre is a significant Easter egg in Sarah J. Maas' A Court of Thorns and Roses series because it hints at a much larger connection between the two characters, which only becomes fully clear in later books. At the time of their meeting, neither Feyre nor the readers are aware of the true significance of their connection. However, Rhysand later explains that he had been searching for Feyre since he first saw her in a dream after she had been transformed into a High Fae. This makes his appearance at Calanmai less of a coincidence and more of a fated event, laying the groundwork for their deeper bond.
This twist recontextualizes the earlier scene, adding layers of meaning to their initial meeting. It’s an example of how Maas plants small, seemingly inconsequential moments in her books that later become central to the story, rewarding attentive readers and deepening the overall narrative. This kind of subtle foreshadowing is part of what makes Maas’ storytelling feel interconnected and complex, much like the Easter eggs found in Taylor Swift’s work.
2. How does Sarah J. Maas' creative process mirror or differ from Taylor Swift's in terms of drawing on inspiration from The Muse?
While we don't have the same level of transparency as we do with Swift’s public discussion of her songwriting, it's clear that Maas’ devotion to world-building and character development suggests a deep, methodical relationship with her creative muse. She spends years crafting the intricate political, cultural, and emotional landscapes of her books, allowing her worlds to expand organically. Swift, on the other hand, has spoken openly about drawing from personal experiences and relationships to inspire her music. Maas might be more reserved about her process, but both women demonstrate a sustained, intense connection to their creativity, refining their craft over time. The Muse, in both cases, appears to be more about persistent effort than spontaneous inspiration.
3. How does Maas' work resonate specifically with her fans, particularly in terms of female empowerment and emotional complexity?
Maas’ work resonates particularly with her fans because she writes strong female protagonists who are multidimensional and deeply relatable, especially in their moments of vulnerability. Characters like Feyre embody both strength and compassion, challenging the traditional roles of women in fantasy. They pursue love, face loss, and seek justice in ways that feel real and raw. This emotional complexity draws readers into their journeys, offering them characters who aren’t perfect but who grow through their struggles. This mirrors the emotional resonance that Swift’s fans experience in her music—whether it’s through themes of love, heartbreak, or personal evolution, both creators tap into the feelings of being irrevocably alive, making their audiences feel seen and understood.