A Novel Life: 5W's of Melissa MacVicar & GIVEAWAY

WHO?

I’m a nerdy New England girl who loved school so much she became a teacher. I was born and raised for most of my life on Nantucket Island. My time away from Nantucket in high school and college only made me realize I wanted to be here all the time. Luckily, I fell in love with another islander and got married. Now, we live and work here with our two kids.

WHAT? What do you enjoy doing other than writing in your spare time?

Let’s see. Well for starters, I don’t have a lot of spare time because I’m a full time teacher, mother, and wife with a house, a dog and a cat. Someone always wants something from me, trust me. And now I have editors! I love saying that and I almost always love when they want something from me. Almost…

Here is a list of a few things I enjoy doing alone. I haven’t included all the family stuff I enjoy because the list would be long and boring.

Running 2-4 miles

Singing along to pop songs with gusto. (current favorite is Cruise)

Sitting on the beach staring at the ocean with a pad of paper and a high quality pen at the ready.

Reading anything with romance in it.

Watching chick flicks

WHEN? When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

As a teenager, being a writer was one of my goals but I always doubted myself. I used to write these really bad stories about a group of girls at a boarding school or a horseback riding camp. I still have some of the stories. In college, I gave up on being a writer because it wasn’t serious enough to me. It wasn’t until 2010 when I turned 40 that I decided to revisit my dream and started writing again.

WHERE? Where do you write?

The real answer? Wherever and whenever I can. My favorite time to write is first thing in the morning with a few cups of coffee. I also like writing late at night in my bed. I huddle up with my laptop and try not to wake my husband with my keyboard tapping. Another place I like to write, as I said above, is the beach. Most of the time, my writing happens at a desk in my guest room on my laptop. There, I am surrounded by books and out of season clothes and my window looks out on a cemetery. Maybe that’s why I ended up writing a ghost story.

WHY? Why do you write?

Good lord, I don’t even know anymore, I just know I have to write now. Writing is my passion and my escape. I love the challenge of it. Writing fiction isn’t work to me—it’s just part of who I am now. My mind is always formulating some crazy idea and writing is the best way to put it in action without ever having to leave home.