A Day in the Life of.....
Myra McEntire knows the words to every R and B hit of the last decade, but since she lives in the country music capital of America where her lyrical talents go sadly unappreciated, she chose to channel her mad word skills into creating sultry Southern timeslip novels.But if you catch her at a signing, she can probably be convinced to rap with you anyway.
Places to find Myra:
twitter- @MyraMcEntire
website: MyraMcEntire.com
A Day in the Life
During the school year, a day in this life of a writer (who’s also a stay at home mom) is pretty regimented. Wake up around 6:30, get everyone ready for school, put them on the bus, come inside and have a dance and coffee break, work for a couple of hours, do housework for a couple of hours, work for a few more hours until the bus drops of my devilish angels.
But during the summer?
As it turns out, I’ve been on some kind of deadline for the last three summers. The difference this year is that I’ve had an actual full draft going into the month of June, and this year, well, I threw the (tiny) draft that I had away and started over. Because I am apparently a nutbag.
A Typical Summer Writer’s Life Day:
6:30 Up. Twitter and email scan. (This is why I always forget emails. I read them pre-coffee.) Coffee. Incoherent mumbling.
7:30 Gleefully discover The Husband is going to drop off the kids at Vacation Bible School – I’ve never been so grateful for a week of free mornings. Press him to discover if I have to go INSIDE to pick up children at lunch.
7:45 Breakfast for the kiddos, more coffee for me, shower supervision, wardrobe assistance, dental hygiene policing.
8:40 Push everyone out the door.
8:45 Sit on stairs and listen to the quiet. Pet cats, who’ve come out of hiding since the short people are gone.
9:00 Get to work. Check in with Jodi Meadows, who I’m usually on chat with every day, and make sure she’s working, too. Accountability is a wonderful thing.
I’m ignoring the phone, email, and social media this week, because I need to get a jump on this draft. I’ll pay for the backlog later, but my job is to write. Write books. Not tweets and emails.
I realize that I need to reread certain parts of HOURGLASS and TIMEPIECE, so I get a notebook and more coffee and take a seat at my kitchen table.
10:30 Stop to put laundry in and unload the dishwasher. Take a dance break while I’m at it (Tell Me by Groove Theory, from a playlist Lauren Billings made me).
11:00 Back to work.
11:30 Leave to go pick up kids, secure in the fact that I don’t have to go inside, so it’s PERFECTLY FINE to wear my work clothes – tank top, yoga pants, hoodie. I don’t even brush my hair!
11:55 GO INSIDE TO PICK UP KIDS. The rules have changed. And, of course, my pastor holds the door open for me. He takes one look at my hair and says, “Oh, you’re writing today?” with a big old grin on his face. Punk.
12:30 Make turkey and cheese sandwiches. Get a text from Stephanie Perkins with a link to this video. Cry on turkey and cheese sandwiches.
Fear is an issue with this draft. It’s something I’m struggling with in a way I never have before. Third book in a series, more readers every day, and I don’t want to let anyone down. Mostly myself.
1:00 Finish up notes on HOURGLASS while my children play violent video games. I’m THAT mom.
4:00 Feed our hyperactive lab, Molly, and start dinner prep. The excitement. You must be overwhelmed.
5:00 Youngest leaves for baseball practice. I read. I READ! Gotta keep the creative well full. If it’s empty, you don’t have anything left to give the page.
8:00 Dinner. Post baseball. My waist is already bigger than my behind, so let’s eat late and compound the problem, shall we?
9:00 Put my babies to bed. Think of a scene I want to play with and do so.
10:00 Snuggle with The Husband.
11:00 Bed.
There are definitely more exciting days, but this is the kind I like. I take care of my family, check in with friends, and create worlds and people. I do what I’m born to do. And that’s the best kind of life there is.
Myra, you need to throw in a mani/pedi, a stop at your favorite cupcake shop and a nap in there! Your energy and devotion to your craft knows no bounds. (((hugs)))
ReplyDeleteOnly if you were with me!
DeleteLOVE Groove theory! Along with Myra and her awesome books! Thanks for the behind the scenes peek!
ReplyDeleteXOXO! Dance breaks are important!
DeleteThis sounds like a wonderful day of doing what you love with family and your work. And honestly, I stay in my yoga pants and hoodie as often as I can when at home or running errands - it's all good. I'd live in yoga pants and hoodies if only my work would allow them. LOL
ReplyDeleteI think yoga pants should ALWAYS be allowed. ;)
DeleteI feel like we lead parallel lives. Only I don't have book contracts. J
ReplyDelete