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Where Stories Are Made is a new feature here at Book Chick City. It’s where the author takes us on a tour of their writing place, be it an office, coffee shop or park and tells us about their writing day and rituals. My very first guest is the lovely Molly Harper…
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When I was a kid, I loved watching that Roseanne Barr movie, She-Devil. Meryl Streep’s character, Mary Fischer, was a Danielle Steele-esque romance novelist who lived in a huge pink house by the ocean, had a fabulous wardrobe, and spent her days writing on her veranda.
I thought, that’s so the life for me.
So here’s the reality of being a romance writer.
I get up at 5:45 every morning, usually to the cranky rumblings of a 16-month-old who REALLY doesn’t appreciate wet shorts. I get him and his five-year-old sister ready for school, get ready for work, kiss my fan-freaking-tastic husband, David, goodbye and drive the kids to school.
I work full-time at a national medical society, writing and editing our quarterly newsletter, coordinating ads, and sending an incredible number of e-mails. I really like my co-workers, who love teasing me about my “secret night life.”
I pick the kids up, get them home around 5:40. Usually, David has dinner going. Seriously, the man is a saint. He takes on more than his share of the housework, which he says is only fair since I basically have two full-time jobs. We’ve been together since I was 14 and he was 16, dating seven years before we got married. We had plenty of time to work out the whole “expectations of married life” thing. I failed to mention my ambition to become a vampire romance queen. Still, David’s a really good sport about hanging out at romance book festivals. He calls himself my “willing trophy husband.” You have to love that.
There’s usually a mad nightly scramble to get the kids fed, wash dishes, get our daughter’s homework done, and get the kids reasonably bathed. Seriously, on spaghetti night, I think we would be better off taking our son out back and hosing him off. The kids are tucked in by 8. I try to spend a little bit of time with David, so he doesn’t feel totally abandoned to my wild ambition. And then I settle down to work.
This my couch. It’s brown. And comfortable, which is good because I spend a lot of time there.
I don’t have a home office or a desk. I write from my couch, usually watching something like Castle or The Office. From my little spot, I can usually see our son’s Mickey Mouse ride-along train, and the 70-year-old rocking chair that used to grace the parlor at my great-grandparents dairy farm. There’s generally a strange grouping of naked Polly Pockets on the floor and a load of laundry thumping on the other side of the wall.
Super glamorous.
I write every single day, at least 1,000 words a day, no matter what. Even when I’m sick, tired, stressed, I get those 1,000 words in. They don’t even have to be brilliant. I can go back and fix them. Just the discipline of making time and building a story, that’s what matters. I have to admit that it helps that I have a newspaper background. When I was reporting, I couldn’t exactly wait around for the muse to strike when I had an angry editor standing over me, demanding to know when I was turning in my story. You learn to get beyond the need to get “inspired” and just write.
I generally work from about 8:30 to 11 or 12, depending on how well things are going. If it’s really flowing, I’ll stay up until 2 or 3. But I try not to do that too often, because I’m not all that sharp at work the next day.
And this is my lucky charm. A vampire themed Christmas ornament my friend Brandi made for me.
I’m not going to lie. Between working, wrangling two children under six and being married to someone I adore, but can’t spend a lot of time with, it’s tough. But it’s all about the routine, developing the discipline.
It’s difficult to get a routine going, but once you have it established, it’s a lot easier to channel your creativity into that part of your day. And when I have a hard time starting, I write a snarky entry for my blog, singleundeadfemale.blogspot.com, which is like a good warm-up exercise.
Feel free to follow my blog, look me up at mollyharper.com or friend me on Facebook, to be treated to this daily dose of sarcasm.
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To find out more about this feature go HERE
If you’re an author who would like to be featured on Where Stories Are Made then email me: HERE
10 Comments
Thanks for posting, Molly, that was fun! I can't even imagine how you manage to do so much, and so well, but I'm grateful. I loved all 3 Jane books and look forward to your future work as well. Enjoy that wonderful family! And thanks BCC for another good idea, Where Stories Are Mad is a great idea.
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Thank you for giving us an insight into Molly's ritual. I love her Nice Girls series. They are hilarious!
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I love learning about authors' routines. Haven't read any of the Nice Girls series, but will be sure to check it out now. Molly, I am impressed that you do what you do day after day. Thank you for opening up your routine to us.
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How fun! What a cool way to get a little personal insight into an author's writing process. What a great feature!
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Thanks for stopping by and commenting guys and I'm so glad you are enjoying my new feature – have lots of fab authors lined up!
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Fab feature! It's always nice to get a little insight into an author's writing ritual(s) and everyday life. Makes them feel more real and approachable. I can't wait to see who else is lined up.
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This is a great idea, and satisfies my curiousity about how other authors do it. Thanks for being so open Molly, it's made me appreciate my life all the more too. Hooray for supportive writing-widow husbands, eh?
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hey, i like this feature. molly, i love comfy couches and your vampire ornament rocks! thanks for sharing your process.
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Wonderful interview! Molly, I just want you to know that I am currently reading the third Jane Jameson book. I absolutely ADORE the series and hope you write more! I love your style of humor!
I am so happy that you have a wonderful, supportive spouse! Thanks for giving us a sneak peak into your everyday life! 
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ah the glamour, how do you bear it.
great post.
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