Embracing the Fiction Author Journey

54. Giving yourself permission to write now w/ Megan Clancy

• Erin P.T. Canning

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For many parents, moms in particular, society perpetuates the idea that we should sacrifice everything for our children. So how do we push that aside and give ourselves permission to write now and pursue our creative dreams? 

In this episode, you’ll hear how Megan Clancy did that—not only for herself but also the writers she coaches. Megan is a writer of upmarket women's fiction and queer contemporary romance, a book coach, a former high school English teacher, and a mother of two young children. 

Needless to say, she has a lot to say on this topic. 

So stay tuned to learn how she’s overcome these obstacles. And bonus: Find out how to own your identity as a writer today. 

Topics discussed in this episode: 

  • Losing yourself and writing in parenthood
  • Fighting against societal norms
  • Changing your mindset
  • Setting boundaries with the family
  • Owning your identity as a writer now
  • Addressing the impossibility of writing dreams as mothers
  • Getting past mom guilt
  • Finding your confidence
  • Sapphic women’s fiction
  • Favorite books


About Megan: 

Megan Clancy is a writer of upmarket women's fiction and queer contemporary romance. She has a BA in English/Creative Writing from Colorado College, an MFA from the University of Melbourne, and worked as a high school English teacher before becoming a full-time writer and book coach. She loves to travel, which frequently inspires her writing, and has lived and worked in Australia, Nepal, and the United States. She currently lives in California with her husband and two young children.

Get her book:


Connect with Megan


Books discussed during the show: 

  • The No-Show, by Beth O’Leary
  • Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus 
  • Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, by Ashley Herring Blake
  • The Magic Treehouse, by Mary Pope Osborne
  • Dragon Masters, by Tracey West
  • I Built a House, by Chris Van Dunsen
  • Maybe, by Kobi Yamada 
  • The Remember Balloons, by Jessie Oliveros
  • Robin and Her Misfits, by Kelly Ann Jacobson
  • Tinkerbell and Wendy, by Kelly Ann Jacobson

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Erin:

For many parents, moms in particular, society perpetuates the idea that we should sacrifice everything for our children. So how do we push that aside and give ourselves permission to write and pursue our writing dreams? In today's episode, you'll hear how Megan Clancy did that, not only for herself, but also the writers she coaches. You'll also learn about changing your mindset, setting boundaries with the family, and not waiting to own your identity as a writer. Welcome to Parents Who Write, the podcast that helps parents pursue their writing dreams. I'm your host, Erin P.T. Canning. I'm a mom of two young boys, a writer, editor, and writing coach. My mission is to help you regularly make time for your writing, find your voice again, and confidently share your stories so that you can own your identity as a writer and be a happier, more patient parent. Hey friend, thank you for joining us for another episode of Parents Who Write. Today, I am joined by Megan Clancy, who is a writer of upmarket women's fiction and queer contemporary romance, a book coach, a former high school English teacher, and a mother of two young children. She loves to travel and has lived in Australia, Nepal, and now the United States. Megan, thank you so much for joining me on the show today.

Megan:

you for having me. It's so nice to be here.

Erin:

Thank you for bearing with all of my technical issues that delayed this recording.

Megan:

It is okay. It happens to all of us.

Erin:

Right. That is the true, the true, uh, hallmark of parenthood. Flexibility. Yeah. So let's dive in because we have some really fun stuff to talk about today. All right. So you once said that when the pandemic hit and you gave birth to your second son, you lost yourself and your writing to the daily grind of motherhood. When and how did you realize how important writing was to your identity and mental health?

Megan:

The how was probably like, mental breakdown.

Erin:

Hmm.

Megan:

You, you're, it's just suddenly hit you that, oh, like this is not, I'm not where I need to be and everything is not okay. Like I keep telling myself and everyone who asks, I'm okay. I'm fine. The world is not burning around me. Um, but my second was a few months old. Um, I had a two year old as well. And between new parenthood and the pandemic, we were just stuck inside all day. And writing and exercise have always just been my two big forms of therapy. And exercise went out the window because we had the time in early parenthood, and I used to be able to get away and go to the gym. And those were all closed. And writing again just didn't have the time, didn't have the brain power or focus ability and your mental state just gets to a point where you can't think of anything creative. And so that all went away. And it took a while, um, for me to realize how bad it had gotten and how much I really like, I was like, Oh, those are the band aids that I need to survive this period of life. So yes, realize that need to get that back somehow.

Erin:

Yeah, I, uh, I suddenly became an at home parent after having my second child because the daycare that my first had been at throughout his first two and a half years of life. And I trusted these people, 100%, uh, it was an in home daycare, and I kid you not, one week before I was supposed to go back to work after having my second, the owner of the daycare was like, nah, I'm done with this. I want my house back. And, uh, so. I broke out in hives and had panic attack and now I have a three month old and finding a place for my two and a half year old was not so much a trial, but it was most definitely for a newborn. So I became an at home parent and, um. Yeah, it wasn't during a pandemic, but suddenly being at home with these two people who are 100 percent dependent on me for everything

Megan:

Right.

Erin:

was very overwhelming. And yeah, I, I didn't make time for writing. I didn't even know how to prioritize time for myself during that period. Um,

Megan:

it doesn't help that prioritizing yourself is not something that people encourage you to do as a mother.

Erin:

They don't, they don't and they don't give you lessons about this or even warnings.

Megan:

Yeah, even if you have women around you that are going through this at the same time, great, fantastic, you lean on each other, but it's kind of the blind leading the blind, right? Anyone that's had kids in that past, they've gotten to a point where, like, you talk to your own mother or older women that are like they don't remember the bad parts. They don't remember what it was like on a daily basis. And I got to the point where I was like, I am not taking parenting advice from anyone who did not do this during a pandemic. Because everything that worked for you isn't working right now. I don't have those outlets. So who, who do I turn to? And yeah, I really, I love that there is this new wave of mothers coming through that are like, no, in order to be a full and complete and good mother, I have to focus on myself, and I have to do stuff for myself. But there's still a very strong, um, societal belief that mothers are supposed to be, sacrifice everything for the good of your child, and you end up sacrificing yourself and that's not okay.

Erin:

It's not and then our kids don't get the best version of us. When I put my kids first for everything, I was depleted all the time, and they just got an exhausted, irritated, bitter, cranky mom. Like, that's not what I wanted to give them either, so, um, I agree. It's been a relief to hear more and more parents come forward and say, Dude, you have to make time for yourself in order to give your kids a better version of you. Like, it's not, yes, you need it for you, but your kids also need it.

Megan:

And we make these, you know, we have these jokes about like mommy wine culture and mommy's taking her happy pills and everyone has the thing that they need to like survive. And I think wouldn't it be fantastic if instead of depending on these band aids or even making fun of these band aids, let's address the like underlying issue and figure out how do we support these women. So mommy wine culture isn't the joke with this really dark subtext. Um, wouldn't be necessary. And I'll always like have my glass of wine for fun and enjoy, but it's not going to be like the joke of mommy needs her wine cause she needs to just take a break for a second.

Erin:

Uh huh. I hear ya. I completely agree. So, how did you change your mindset so that you could prioritize writing among the hundreds of other daily tasks that could consume your day?

Megan:

Um, it got to a point where it's like, like you said, I, I realized I needed to make this, uh, an intentional decision and I had to figure out a way to make it a priority. And for me, like looking through the day, obviously there was at the time there was no daycare, the playgrounds were closed, there wasn't going to be a time. And my two year old had decided that naps were no longer a thing. Um, both my children now believe that naps are not a thing. Um, so. I don't get nap time. So I knew that during, during the children's waking hours, there was probably not going to be much writing time. Um, I can sneak in a few minutes here or there, but like for just a focus, just me focus, uh, I'm not going to have anyone asking for snacks. I'm not going to have anyone asking for, it had to be outside of their waking hours. And I've always been more of a morning person. So, you know, wake up an hour earlier, and yes, there may be days when it makes me more tired, but if I get in that hour or so of writing before everything, mentally, I'm in such a better place. Like, I have, I've done this bit for my creative process, for my creative growth, for my personal, emotional well being, I've gotten it out of the way. So regardless of what else goes wrong during the day, and, as a mother, you are well aware, everything can go wrong during the day. And I just, I don't want to leave it to where after 8pm I can finally write because I'm gonna be too tired regardless of when I woke up in the morning. So having that early morning and the intention behind what I'm writing, it definitely makes the me space and it makes me, like you said, it makes me a better more, uh, better mom for my kids throughout the day because I don't have this in the back of my head of like, I wish I could be doing this now. No, I did that. I had that part of my day. This is a different part of my day.

Erin:

I love how different parents can find different ways to make it happen because I'm a night owl, and I went through years where I was too exhausted and mentally tapped out at the end of the day to write, and so I didn't write for several years. But what became a big change for me was the more, I don't know why I laughed it before I say this, but the more, the more depressed I got, it sounds so sad, um, the more I daydreamed. And then it got to the point where I gave myself permission to write and, especially for a first, for that shitty first draft to just tell the story. And I had daydreamed the story to the point that when I was ready to sit down at night, I was ready to go, and the words just flew out at that point. So that was the big shift for me. And then also, like you said, one of the other biggest differences for me was realizing that I, I couldn't write for hours and hours like I used to, so I got really good at, I've got the idea now. I've daydreamed it. I've got the key few sentences. Great. Let me open up my phone real quick, record those thoughts, and then I'm ready to go tonight when I'm ready to start writing. So that was another thing that was a big shift of, I don't have to write for hours. I can sneak in 10 minutes here, 10 minutes there, or, you know, five minutes on the potty. Awesome. I've got to get another thought.

Megan:

That the number of times that I've thought to myself, how did moms, whether you work, you know, creatively or not, how did you get work done before cell phones? Because I've, yeah, the notes on the toilet or notes while I'm sitting in the carpool line or whatever. And this is like, it does. My writing has changed, or my writing time and the chunks of time that I get change as the boys get older. And I know other women, like, as your kids get older, Okay, so I have three mornings a week now where they're at preschool, and I can write a bit during that time. Um, I'll leave the house. The problem is... for me sitting at home, um, I start to think of all the other things that you do, the laundry and everything else that needs to be done at home. So I always make sure I leave that I can get to their school a half hour to an hour before they have to get picked up. So I'm stuck in my car, and that's writing time. And I know, you know, moms that like, oh, now my kids play sports. I go and I sit at their practice and I write. And so as your kids change, I'm sure the writing schedule and timing changes. And for me also, like you were saying with the notes app and all that kind of stuff, I'm never not writing. I'm may not be at a computer physically writing, but like the story's always percolating in my head or going so, like, lines of dialogue, plot points, all these kind of stuff's always notes on the phone. I've dictated things into my phone. It's, it gets a little crazy when you like dictate all these random thoughts, and then you go and you look at it later that night and you're like, what did I? I don't remember what I meant.

Erin:

I love when that happens. I, somebody asked me the other day in my Facebook group, how do you hold on to an idea? Because they're like, I had this idea and then by the time I was able to sit down and write it, it was just completely gone. And it's, I play the scene over and over in my head, and I hold on to whatever the key moment was that was like the catalyst for that scene. So I'm like, if I can remember those two sentences, that, that's what I need. And then the rest of it will come back to me if I can just hold on to whatever that key catalyst was.

Megan:

sometimes I like, yeah, oh, and speaking it, like making it so it's audio and mental. So like the number of times that I've gone through an entire shower saying a line of dialogue over and over

Erin:

yes.

Megan:

loud, I'm sure people thought I was crazy, but yeah. And then never, never in bed, like right as you're about to sleep, Oh, I'll remember it in the morning. No, no. It goes. Write it down first.

Erin:

Yep, just those few sentences, it'll trigger the thought in the morning. How many times when I'm doing the dishes and I'm talking out loud dialogue as my husband comes in and he's like, Oh, new scene for your book. Yes, I am. Please leave. I'm in the middle of my thoughts. Okay. They know it's fine. Um, so how did you get your family on board? What boundaries did you set?

Megan:

Um, a door. That's, that's kind of the big necessary thing. And I, I talk to people about this and I know that I am, um, I'm blessed enough to have a space where I can close a door. I know plenty of parent writers who, you know, you have to sit there and write. You don't have the door, and the kids see you. It almost works. I, when I'm typing stuff on my phone, my, my kids don't relate that to work. If they see the computer and they see me typing, they

Erin:

Mm hmm.

Megan:

their world is the point, but um, I can say, you know, give me one minute, I just gotta finish typing this or whatever. For me, like I was talking about, you're always writing in your head. What a lot of non writers don't understand is me sitting, staring off in the corner, I'm, I'm working. Like I have, I'm trying to process this thing in my head. So without the door, it's very easy for people to walk in, see you just staring at a wall, and think you can be interrupted. Um, so yeah, the door and that morning time. Like fortunately I have a very supportive partner and he, you know, until a certain hour in the morning that we've agreed upon, like if the boys get up and thankfully they've started sleeping a bit longer, um, I know. Fantastic.

Erin:

nice.

Megan:

Because it used to be like, that was. That broke my train of thought, right? Like if I'm working here writing and pitter patter across the, I hear them upstairs, Oh, freaking mom guilt. Right?

Erin:

Yes. Yes. Um,

Megan:

start to think, Oh, they're up. And even if I'm like, okay, he's taking care of them. I can sit here and write, but my mind already starts thinking about what, what's going to be for breakfast. When do we have to leave? Doing the backward math of everything that has to happen today.

Erin:

Yep.

Megan:

yeah, it's, it's the separation and understanding of, and having someone to support you in your journey. I know far too many, especially mom writers who like, don't take themselves seriously or aren't in a, in a situation where whoever is their support person doesn't take their, their writing seriously. It's a hobby or it's just for fun or whatever. I, I've worked with mom writers who their own partner doesn't know that they're trying to write, just because either they don't feel like they would be supported, or they're not confident enough in saying like, I am a writer. And that's another thing, like making that statement to yourself and to everyone around you. Put significance on it, and that sets up a good boundary of like, this is my thing. This is what I'm doing.

Erin:

Yep, I am a writer. I encourage everybody to own that statement because it really does make a difference. And,

Megan:

and not a, um, what is everyone right? I am, uh, not like future writer. What is the. Oh,

Erin:

Oh, like the mugs future

Megan:

Well, the future author, that's fine. But too many people put in there, I'm a, um, aspiring writer.

Erin:

Oh, yes. Aspiring writer. No, you are a

Megan:

If you're, if you're writing, you're a writer. Like, how, how are you an aspiring writer? An aspiring writer is someone who's like, maybe one day I'll write something? Is that, is that what that is? Like,

Erin:

I guess?

Megan:

You're not an aspiring writer. You might be an aspiring published author. That's different. But, you're not an aspiring writer. You're a writer. Take,

Erin:

Yes.

Megan:

clean it, give it intention and purpose in your life, and carry forth.

Erin:

That was one of my favorite transformations to watch with my clients, too, where, like, one who started with me, she was like, I just want to journal every day. That's it. That's my goal to make this time for myself. And, uh, by the time she was done, she was 10 chapters into her first novel. And it just took that, like, even just the first month of, no, you're already a writer. We're going to prioritize this for you. And she did. And she was like, yes, this makes a difference. I'm not yelling at my kids as much. And I'm like, I know. And that's exactly why your partner should support that with you because everybody's benefiting from your writing. So, yeah.

Megan:

Pouring into your own cup before you have to pour all those thousands of milk cups a day.

Erin:

Exactly. Exactly. Um, so I'm envious of your door. I am the mom who writes in the living room, and for a long time, it was the corner of the sofa. There's a particular corner of the sofa that once my butt was in that seat and I had the laptop on my lap, that meant mom was writing, and my kids learned to see that visually. So at least I had that. But then I graduated to getting a desk in the living room because I just don't have a dedicated room right now. But my preschooler is in pre K in the mornings now for three hours. And so that's when I do. I know, right? Um, this September, he's starting kindergarten. And um, I'm equally heartbroken and equally elated. So... Well, he's my last baby, so there's that bittersweet moment. But yeah,

Megan:

My children, if they, if I sit on a couch, mommy transforms into a jungle gym. I do throw on Bluey, which is fantastic. And, um, the island in the kitchen is my desk, and I sit there and, and type while standing up at the kitchen. Like, cause yeah, if anyone sits in this household, you are climbing equipment.

Erin:

I love it. He has, my preschooler has climbed on the back of my chair and then onto my shoulders while I'm typing at my desk. Um, and I'm like, this is cool. And he'll play with my hair. And then I just keep typing, and I'm like, we're good. So and then he'll be like, mommy, I've had enough now. I want to play with you. And I'm like, okay, bud, let me finish this thought. Let's go play. But he's content for a while for me to finish my thoughts for at least 10 minutes while he plays with my hair and sits on my shoulders. But, um,

Megan:

showed me a memory the other day of when I had my first and he was like brand newborn and I was sitting, typing, and it was one of those like, he was in that phase where he needed something. He didn't ever like a pacifier, but my finger in his mouth was fine. And so my fingers are on the keyboard and this pinky is sticking in his mouth and he's laying next to the computer. And I was like, I miss those days.

Erin:

Wow,

Megan:

was so easy to write and keep them quiet at the same time

Erin:

Yes, I have, I came across a photo of my then two and a half year old watching TV, and I had the baby asleep on my chest and I had the laptop on my lap and I was writing.

Megan:

when they couldn't move. Wasn't it nice?

Erin:

Yes, it was nice when they couldn't move. So you shared with me that motherhood can make it feel like writing dreams are unachievable and even inappropriate. It hurts, but I, I, I know how true that is. I've heard other people say that. So can you talk to us about that more?

Megan:

Yeah. It's kind of what we were saying before about so much of the message from society and culture and everything. And I know this isn't a very Americanized, um, idea, but that like, you should be devoted to your children. There, you should have no personal life, no everything, anything. Like you are a bad mother if you are not devoting every minute of your day to your children. And I counter that with no, them seeing me work hard towards something that I really want and have a passion, I don't think I could set a better example for them. And

Erin:

agree.

Megan:

so I don't want to just keep my writing to secluded moments when they're not awake. I make sure that they see, you know, we, we talk about mommy's going to write right now and mommy has to do some work for writing and, um, yeah, showing that example of, no, there's something that mommy loves to do. And she's putting a lot of effort into it and working hard to achieve certain things that she wants to achieve. Like, why would you not want to display that for your kids? But yes, there is a strong message that, you know, mothers should wait till the kids are out of the house. Or, you know, I want to write a book, but I'll do it when I have time. No, do it now.

Erin:

Do it now. Life's too short. Yeah. Um, how do you help other parents to overcome that line of thinking? How do you help encourage them to get past that? Aside from just think about the role model that you want to be for them. Do you have any other advice to help them get past the, the guilt trap? Okay.

Megan:

guilt where she's writing or doesn't have writer's guilt while she's mommying, I question. It's always gonna be there. Um, there's always gonna be the doubt either way. But for me, and what I encourage my clients to do on one of the first things that we talk about is what is your intention? Not specific, not just for writing in general, which you should have an intentionality behind why you're writer and what you wanna bring to your work. But placing an intention on the specific story that you're working on now gives it that importance, right? It's something that has to be done, and this is the reason I'm writing this because X, Y and Z or. And giving it that point and that intention makes it easier to be like, no, no, honey

Erin:

hmm.

Megan:

I need a break from Lego because I have to go write this. Like this is, this is something important. It's something that has to get done. And I am by no means someone that says you have to write every day because it's just not feasible. A lot of times it's not gonna happen. But having that intentionality and that point to what you are writing specifically this one story, um, makes it so it can't be something that's just constantly pushed down the list. It's one of your three main things that has to get done today.

Erin:

Yes, I agree. You're speaking to my heart here. One of the things that my previous mentor talked to us about was our big why, which is that same idea of your intention, right?

Megan:

yes,

Erin:

And she got us to acknowledge what becomes possible, not only for ourselves, but also for our families, and also for our future readers, if we sit down and make this happen now. And that was very eye opening, because starting with me, it was, oh, well, I'm happy, right? Or I'm happier. And then it benefits my family, because... they get a happier parent. Hopefully, if I get to the point where I can actually earn income from my writing, then there's also that benefit for the family. And then, uh, whatever specific story it is that I'm writing, I like to think about how that is going to help my readers, especially for the readers who have been waiting for that story.

Megan:

Whatever the story is in your head, you are making it. Because it hasn't been made yet and someone else wants it just as much as you do. I see it kind of two sides of it is that you have readers out there that can connect with something that you're writing and they need that. And there are other mother writers out there that need that person that's writing this story to be like, Oh, I can, I can do it too. Right? Like it's

Erin:

Yes. Yes. Oh, okay,

Megan:

that you're writing, someone else is going to connect with. And every part of your journey, someone else is going to connect with. And I think a lot of what I write is, you know, like I said, it's part of my therapy. It's part of understanding who I am. The story that I'm writing right now is very much tied to my personal journey. And so it's like, I'm writing this not only for me, but this is something that I know other women are going through and other people. I mean, if this book was out there before, it would have been very helpful for me. Um, so yeah, that's definitely seeing that. And I don't want like, if I sat down every morning and were like, I have to write this book because the weight of the world is on me. That's too much. That's too much.

Erin:

no, no, thank

Megan:

No. And that's, that's pretty huge thinking on my part. Like, please get over yourself, and just get the words on the paper.

Erin:

Who cares about the showing in the telling right now just get the story down.

Megan:

Scoop that sand in the sandbox. We'll work on the castles later.

Erin:

Oh yes, oh I love that. That's such a fantastic description of that. So what advice do you have to offer other parents who write so that they can find confidence with their own ideas and their works in progress?

Megan:

Um, confidence is like just, yeah, it's, it's the not thinking of the, the whole. Think of the next steps that you have to take. We're going up this staircase. It's one thing at a time. Um, everyone started somewhere, right? Everyone, you always hear about like every draft is a shitty first draft. I would love to like, some of these big authors would be really nice if they give us a sample of what the first draft was of your book because I know they, having that. Where the confidence comes from is stop comparing yourself across the board. And that goes for writing and momming. Like motherhood is about constant comparison, right? And you're constantly told you're not good enough because someone else is doing something better. Um, just stop comparing. It's your journey. Um, don't worry that someone else got their book written in. Five months and you're taking five years. It does not matter. The books will get out there.

Erin:

In the episode that I recorded with H. L. Brooks, she said to stop comparing yourself to other writers because that's basically an imposter syndrome injection. And I was like, I love that! That's true! Like, I like keep picturing how are these like instant injections of imposter syndrome because we keep comparing ourselves. So I, I agree 100 percent

Megan:

And I've caught myself before, like my writing group, we joke about when we all read like a really, really good book. And it's like, well, should we just like give up now? Like this is, there's no way that we're ever writing like this, right? Like we can just stop writing, but that's not the point, right? You're not writing to equal someone else in their style. You're writing to create your own thing. Imposter syndrome is, it's, it's a strong force in the creative field. And it's separating yourself. Um, especially once you get further down the line and you started like querying books and some, you have like a whole desk drawer of manuscripts that have been put on the back burner for a while. Um, you gotta separate the business from the writing. Cause the rejection is constant. And it took me a while to get the thick skin of like, Nope. Next thing. Moving on.

Erin:

Yeah, I love it. Um, there was somebody in my group who had recently posted a question of, Oh, I started this idea for this story. Can somebody let me know if this is like worth even continuing? And I replied, I don't remember 100 percent what I said, but I was like, How could we possibly know if your story is worth telling yet because you haven't told it? You don't know what you're going to discover. The more you write and develop this idea, you don't know what it's going to turn into. You don't know what nuggets of gold you're going to discover, or dig up, or whatever the analogy is with gold. Um, but, right?

Megan:

Mine out of that mountain. And you're never gonna, like, whatever your story idea is at the start, what you end up with at the end might not include that original idea at all.

Erin:

Exactly! Like, part of it is, especially with the shitty first draft, is that discovery of what you're going to tell. So I was like, please don't judge that yet, friend. Just keep writing it. And, you know, then when you're done with your shitty first draft, then you can look back and be like, Okay, where are my plot holes? And what characters did it turn out that I didn't need? And what character arc is it that I'm trying to tell here? What transformation is it that I want at the end? What message am I trying to convey? Right? Like, you don't, you don't know that yet. So I was like, don't stop writing it. Who am I to judge your story idea right now? Like, keep

Megan:

that is a writer that needs, and we all do, we want that validation, right? Like, I'm, I'm, this is a good story, I should write it. And I would say yes, start writing any story. And you're going to get 20, 000 words in and realize, nope, don't want to write that one. I have this other story in my head and that's a problem when it happens over and over again when you reach a certain mark, and you're like, I'm going to let my brain focus on something else for a while. Um, but you got to just try like get, get those, get to 20, 000 words and see if you're like, no, this isn't it. And that sounds like a lot of work and it is. But, you gotta try all the openings before you can get in the right house, right?

Erin:

huh. Exactly, and you don't know which one's going to pan out. You don't know which one's going to surprise you yet, so

Megan:

And, like, you write those 20, 000 words, and you don't like them right now? Don't throw them away

Erin:

Right.

Megan:

ten years down the road, Maybe you realize what was wrong with it and it clicks back in but

Erin:

Yep. And it's still practice. It's, it's, it's still all practice. You're still learning your craft, so it's never a waste of time. That's for sure. So, um. what are you currently working on?

Megan:

I am currently working on It's a upmarket women's fiction with a sapphic love story undertone. Yes, loving it. It's um, it's been a lot of fun, a lot of, like I talked about, self discovery kind of stuff, working, working its way through there. But a lot of it, it's, it's all based on the idea of, you know, what if you got to live out the what ifs. What if you were able to go back and change things, would you want to, um, and would you want to return to the same place you are now?

Erin:

Mmm. That's interesting. There was, um, I can't remember the author's name, and I always feel so bad about that. But the name of the book is, Oranges Are Not the Only Forbidden Fruit. And, um, I distinctly remember this moment in the book where the main character is thinking about all the what ifs, and that every time you make a decision, there's another parallel world that shoots off where you get to live out that opposite decision. And that always stayed with me, wondering what would have happened if I had made these different decisions. For example, a big one that I always think about is I got into Kent University for my Masters in Writing in England. And I chose not to go. I instead got my Masters at Hopkins in DC, which is where I met my husband, who is the love of my life. So of course I have zero regrets about that, because I am madly in love with my husband, no question. But there's that curiosity of what would it have been like to have studied abroad in England, learning more about the craft of writing and literature and et cetera, and hmm.

Megan:

yeah, there's it's the whole like sliding doors, right? Like what if you make the train? What if you miss the train? How different does life become? And yeah, this one's more what if you were still with that person, the different people that you're with throughout your life? What happens if at this point in your life, you're still with that person and exploring all those avenues Oh

Erin:

That's interesting. That's really interesting. So, that brings us to my last question, which is, what are some of your favorite books and your kids books and why?

Megan:

Can I just show you my bookshelf? That's

Erin:

I know, right? Like mine's

Megan:

Uh, right.

Erin:

even see the poll. Yes.

Megan:

picked like three of my most recent favorites. I think that's how I'm going to, yeah. Um, my favorite of last year was The No-Show by Beth O'Leary. It is

Erin:

what's it about?

Megan:

good. The tagline is three women, three dates, one missing man. So it's this one guy and there's three different women. So I initially listened to it, which as a mother, audiobooks, fantastic. Um. And there's a twist and when the twist happened, I was like, wait, what? And I had to like, go back and rewind. I guess you would call it and listen to it again. And I was like, no, I have to get the, the printed copy and like, go through and see how she, her storytelling and the way she worked things up. Masterful. Um,

Erin:

And because then you didn't see it coming, but then when you go back, you can realize how many breadcrumbs there were.

Megan:

why as a, as a writer, I'm like, no, I want to see how, how did she make this work so well? Um, Thank you.

Erin:

amazing. I love

Megan:

One of my favorites from this year so far is Lessons in Chemistry.

Erin:

Mm

Megan:

Fantastic, um, you know, fight the patriarchy, women in science, but in like the 50s. So, so as a craft side of things, so much head hopping, but it works. And I was like, how, how is this working? But it works. Like head hopping within one scene between the woman, the man and the dog. Like you get in the dog's head and it's, but it's a, it's a brilliant story and the voice is masterful. And then

Erin:

fiction or nonfiction?

Megan:

are all fiction.

Erin:

Okay, so I wanted to verify. The, yeah.

Megan:

And then the other, um, most recent love is, uh, Delilah Green Doesn't Care.

Erin:

I don't know. What's that one

Megan:

Ashley Herring Blake. She has. This is the first in her trilogy. Her third in her trilogy is coming out this year, which I'm super excited about. Um, romance in this small little town up in the Pacific Northwest and just, yeah, all about, you know, it's a, at the heart of it, it's a, it's a female, women's group of friends story and just like how you survive as a female in the world and traveling through it. But yeah, the, the sapphic romance is just a, she does, she writes it so well. So yeah, Ashley Herring Blake. I'll read anything by her.

Erin:

Nice.

Megan:

With the kids books, when I speak of audiobooks, our new thing is listening to a book in the car, and my boys are both obsessed with, um, The Magic Treehouse, which is super old. Like, I remember reading it, but they love it. My four year old talks about Jake and Annie like they're his friends at school.

Erin:

You know, that didn't occur to me of that as an audiobook. We've been listening to Dragon Masters on audiobooks, and my seven year old loves them. My four year old is bored out of his mind, like, Mama, what are you doing to me? So, but Magic Treehouse might actually be a good balance between the two of them, and yeah, that one didn't occur to me as an audiobook. Good luck.

Megan:

Like, they're so obsessed with it. And my four year old is constantly like, can we, can we download the next one? Can download the next one? Um, and then for physical books, Little Blue Truck is the two year olds like beep, beep, quack, quack. He's all about it. And then my four year old loves the, um, this is the, I built a house. This is the first one I think. But Chris Van Dunsen does I built a house, I built a car, and I built a school. And it's just so imaginative. And the, it's very, it's rhymey and the, the lines will stick in your head, but the illustrations are great. They're very, um, like retro.

Erin:

oh, I don't know these ones. I know Little Blue Truck, but I didn't know about the I Built a

Megan:

I built a house. It's very, I recommend for it. Like, yeah, the lines will get stuck in your head, but there's so much fun. It's Jack is this kid who has a great imagination. And it's like, what would I put in a house? I put a room with no gravity, and I would put an art room where there's like this giant piece of paper that you can just draw all over the wall and then rip it off and you're done. It's, it's a good one.

Erin:

A book that I have been reading to my kids and it makes me tear up and like cry by the time I get to the end of, it's absolutely beautiful. And it's called Maybe.

Megan:

Reddit.

Erin:

you've read it? Yes. And especially at the end about the idea about when pigs can fly and at the end she has the pig flying. And I just, I cry because I feel like that book is so applicable to every single human being on this planet, that maybe you haven't discovered your purpose yet, and maybe the world has been waiting for someone just like you, and maybe you have these skills and talents that you haven't even scratched the surface of yet. It's just so inspiring.

Megan:

if you want a good cry, have you, have you read Remember Balloons?

Erin:

No!

Megan:

I cannot get through that one without. It's just like all your memories are balloons that you're carrying with you, and it's a little, I think it's a little boy, and his grandpa, and grandpa starts losing his balloons. Oh! Nope. Can't, can't do it. Yeah.

Erin:

This is a kid's book? Oh.

Megan:

I, I think I tear up more at some of these kids books than adult writing. Yeah,

Erin:

I love it.

Megan:

I, there's some quote, I don't even remember who says it, but it's like, if you want to write a story but you think it's too hard for adults to get, write it for kids.

Erin:

That's awesome. Oh, my goodness. Um, and the other book I was going to mention was. Oh, you were talking about sapphic romance and one of my classmates from Hopkins, she has published several sapphic romances and I'm just watching her grow and grow in her career. It's been so amazing. Kelly Ann Jacobson. And she just released her newest book. Uh, I can't remember which one is the newest, but I, I believe her newest one is Robin and Her Misfits. So it's a retelling of.

Megan:

and Robin and his Merry Men,

Erin:

Uh huh, but Robin and her misfits. And she did also recently another one, a retelling of Peter Pan, and it's Tinkerbell and Wendy.

Megan:

Oh,

Erin:

Mm hmm. I'm just so proud of her watching her career grow. So,

Megan:

Some of these new retellings coming out are amazing. I love them. Yeah,

Erin:

Yeah, I haven't gotten Tinkerbell and Wendy yet, but I have to because I'm just such an interesting new idea for that storyline that's never been done before, so go Kelly!

Megan:

We need more, more queer books out there in the world, please.

Erin:

I agree. I agree. Well, thank you so much for joining me on the show today. Before we go, do you have any thing else that you would like to share? Your contact information is all in the show

Megan:

Yeah. So MeganAClancy. com. Um, I have both my coaching and my author stuff up there. So yeah, reach out to me. If you're a mom who wants to write a book, let's work together because I am happy to help any way I can.

Erin:

That's fantastic. I love that you are helping more parents pursue their writing dreams.

Megan:

I feel like mums particularly have a lot to say and very little time to say it. So let's make it loud.

Erin:

Yes, I agree wholeheartedly. Well, again, thank you so much for

Megan:

Thank you for having me. It's great talking to you.

Erin:

Thanks for tuning into another episode. Looking for a community of passionate writers who understand your goals and struggles? Join my exclusive Facebook group, Parents Who Write, where you can join weekly group writing sessions and find writing prompts, writing resources, and free weekly tutorials. Click the link in the show notes to join the community today.

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Erin P.T. Canning

Host