Who are you?
Hello, and thank you for having me! My name is Tracy Hewitt Meyer, and I’m an award-winning author. When not writing, I work as a mental health therapist in private practice, so I juggle two careers I’m equally passionate about. I was born and raised in rural West Virginia, but have lived outside of Washington, DC, for the past twenty-five years with my family and two dogs, Leonard and Lila.
What do you write?
I write gritty Young Adult fiction. Gravitating toward tough topics like self-harm, domestic violence, teen pregnancy, and teen behavior can make my novels raw and dark. I want readers to go on an emotional journey, and I don’t shy away from issues teens face. But I always try to leave the reader feeling satisfied and hopeful once that last page is turned.
Two of my novels have won awards, which I’m very proud of. A Life, Redefined (Book #1 in The Rowan Slone Series) won the InD’Tale RONE Award for Best Young Adult Fiction. The Reformation of Marli Meade won the IPPY Gold Medal for Best Regional Fiction, Mid-Atlantic Region (the novel, a thriller, is set in rural Appalachia, and I guess they liked how I portrayed the area!).
My upcoming release, Generation Annihilation, is a bit different from my previous works, incorporating more horror elements (set in an abandoned lunatic asylum) and suspense. It can read like a dystopian novel in some aspects, but the unique aspect is that it’s a thriller set in modern-day society, and begs the question, “Could this actually happen?” The novel was released on 10/10/23.
Where do you write?
I’ve written everywhere over the years. I started out at the library when my children were young. I love being surrounded by books, and find their simple presence inspiring. For months before Covid shut everything down, I wrote at a local Panera with other writers. That was fun, but hard not to sit and chat when I really needed to be productive. Now I write at home. I have an office where I do telehealth, but I usually write on the couch in the living room. But I also write in the car, hotels, coffee shops, outside…anywhere and everywhere. Thank goodness for the laptop.
When do you write?
I’m a morning person and by far the most productive early in the day. I’ve been known to get out of bed at 5:00 am, and start writing by 5:30 when I’m on deadline. I love the quiet of the house early in the morning. Sometimes I’ll write in the afternoon, but usually not at night. I’m just too tired. And overstimulated.
Why do you write?
I don’t know exactly. I don’t think I have a message to send to readers. I don’t think I have some profound wisdom to impart. I just like stories–in print or on screen, told by my elders, or created in my head. I see life through the lens of a story, so becoming a storyteller wasn’t a far leap; it was simply learning to put into words what I see, interpret and create in my mind.
At my core, I am a reader, and the progression to storyteller simply happened over time, the first urge starting in middle school, expanding in high school, blooming in college, getting completely derailed during graduate school and the years after, before returning to a desperate desire to tell a story. So I did. And fortunately I’m still telling stories.
So, why do I write? Because I can’t not.
How do you overcome writer's block?
I simply stop writing if I’m not on deadline. I walk away from the computer and distract myself with other things. I read more, usually not in the genre I’m writing in. I watch movies and shows. I also interact more with people. As an introvert, I can spend a lot of time alone. But I gather a lot of story ideas from human interaction, so getting out of my house is a great way to spark creativity.
Bonus: What do you enjoy doing when not writing?
I like to watch my boys play baseball, and visit my daughter at college. I like to play with my dogs. Lila is a rescue mix, and Leonard is a frenchie. They make me laugh all the time and really add joy to my life. Probably what I most like to do, though, is sit on my butt and watch tv. I do take pilates classes and have played a round or two of pickleball, but on the couch, alone, with something entertaining on tv and something delicious to snack on is my happy time.
Thanks for having me!
My thanks to Tracy Hewitt Meyer for today's interview.