Meet Stephanie Sim | Animation Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephanie Sim and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Work/life balance has been an ongoing struggle for me, but it’s so important. I’m still finding the right recipe. I’ve certainly found what DOESN’T work. In the past, I viewed my body as an antagonist, always getting in the way of my success. It was frustrating that I had to eat, had to sleep, had to mentally rest. I’d fight it and push my productivity as far as I could, as if I could wean myself off of having physical needs. Spoiler alert: it was terrible! Now, I’ve accepted that the body is an essential part of the self, not an unfortunate side effect of being alive. It’s helped immensely—go figure! I’m still figuring out the rest of it. Sometimes I feel unfulfilled in my work, so I hole up with my computer and write for a month. Then I miss people, so I book social events every weekend until I regret it and feel like I’m neglecting my writing again. I’ve got to get better at evening out the board instead of this whiplash-inducing seesaw ride!

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story??
In my earliest memory, I’m a toddler outside at daycare staring at a praying mantis. It was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen! I was so mesmerized by that weird little bug that I didn’t hear the call to go back inside, and someone had to come pull me away. That big-eyed, childhood wonder is what I try to anchor to in all my work.

My focus is writing for children’s TV animation. I write about fantasy worlds, believing in magic, and believing in yourself. And as the oldest of three daughters, I love stories about sisters and female friendship. Monster High is a great representation of my writing interests, so I’m really proud to have written two episodes for Season 2! (Especially one about our favorite snake-haired monster, Deuce…) Stay tuned for news on when Season 2 is coming to Nickelodeon!

I’m still early on in my professional journey, but it’s already been a winding road. I’ve loved animation all my life (my first movie obsession being The Lion King), and I’ve known since high school that I wanted to work in the industry. But one of the biggest challenges was my own brain! Self-doubt is a powerful thing, and I almost took myself out of the race before starting several times. Luckily, the pull toward a creative path was too strong to ignore. I’ve learned to trust my intuition and “follow the fun”. And when all else fails, sometimes you’ve gotta force yourself to recite affirmations in the mirror. (Awkward, but effective!)

I’m excited to keep writing and see where it takes me. In the future, I hope to be staffed on a show as a full-time writer and work toward pitching and showrunning my own original series.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc. In your view what are some of the most fun, interesting, exciting people, places or things to check out?
Hmm, let’s see… An outdoor activity is mandatory to enjoy the California sun. A long walk through Huntington Gardens or a hike up to Griffith Observatory would definitely make the list.

LA is the US entertainment capital, so let us be entertained! We’d check what musicals are performing at the Ahmanson or Hollywood Pantages Theatre and grab tickets to our fave. Or for something a little more intimate (and more budget-friendly), we could see a comedy show at a smaller venue like the Lyric Hyperion. And for some entertainment history, a trip to the Academy Museum would be on the agenda.

I’m a sucker for a good indie bookstore, so we’d visit my favorite: Skylight Books! For more shopping fun, I’d recommend nerding out at Geeky Teas & Games and thrifting at Playclothes Vintage in Burbank.

As for food, you can never go wrong with Porto’s. We’ll take a dozen cheese rolls, please!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there a person, group, organization, book, etc that you want to dedicate your shoutout to? Who else deserves a little credit and recognition in your story?
There are so many wonderful people to thank! Let’s see if I can get away with three shoutouts…

One: Shoutout to Shea Fontana, the fangtastic showrunner of Monster High. Shea took a chance on a newbie to give me my first ever TV script and let me double dip as both a PA and writer on the show! She’s a compassionate leader with invaluable storytelling wisdom, and I’m thrilled to be learning from her example.

Two: Cheers to Brian Christensen Zapiecki, longtime friend and fellow writer, who recommended me for my first animation job as a PA at Nickelodeon. Brian, you’re the coolest sponge in the sea! And for those reading, hire Brian!

Three: Shoutout to Asians in Animation, especially the AIA Writer’s Group. The writer’s group has been my saving grace when workshopping scripts, and it’s been a great way to build relationships with other writers. As a whole, AIA is a fantastic resource and fun community of animation lovers; I highly recommend joining the group Discord!

Website: https://www.stephaniesim.art/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-n-sim/