A girlfriend suggested I write this book and I mentioned it in passing to an agent friend of a friend who said “Tessa, if you write that book, I will agent it!” Next thing we knew, Random House wanted it. Yikes! It wasn’t easy to write – that was a very tough year in the rest of my life – but there were times when I felt I was channeling the words. In fact, when I’ve fallen off the confidence wagon (which is often) I have many times been counseled by friends, “There’s this really great book you should read. It’s called Anything I Can Do You Can Do Better!” My friends are very droll. But, weird though it may sound to seek your own advice, they were right. Because pursuing anything is usually a long road. No one knows this better than my friend Graham McTavish, (Outlander, Preacher, Lucifer, House of the Dragon), who was in his late 50s when his acting career really took off.

But why should you listen to Graham? Well, there are things in this book that I haven’t found anywhere else. It deals with money, relationships, artistic process, how to get started, how to keep going, agents and managers, family, and more. There’s even an entire chapter on jealousy. I tapped the minds of many successful and struggling artists for their best advice so that you needn’t make the same mistakes. Some of my very best friends, who give away their secrets within its pages, have “made it” since the book was published (may we all be so fortunate!): Graham McTavish;  Renee Knight, best selling author of twisty-turny novels Disclaimer (now also an upcoming Apple TV series directed by Oscar-winner Alfonso Cuaron) and The Secretary; multi award-winning author, the late, Mal Peet; best selling author and historian Alex Kershaw; and best selling romance novelist Veronica Henry, whose books are like getting into bed with a hot toddy and a fluffy hot water bottle when it’s quietly snowing outside. I hope you find it useful.