I want to start with your career path.
How did you get where you are now?
I worked in childrens publishing from like 2008 to 2019.
That was my life, but I was also freelancing, because Im a millennial.
My initial reaction was like,I cant write a book.
Prior to that, I had published just a short story in a YA anthology with HarperCollins.
But a whole book?
And thats kind of how it started.
I worked in childrens publishing from like 2008 to 2019.
I was also freelancing, because Im a millennial.
Of course, I had to leave New York.
Its actually remarkably similar, I think.
Its just all work life all the time.
So Im very strict about my hours.
I dont want to be in a position where Im burning myself out by not structuring my day.
Having a dedicated space to work is very important.
Having a set up is very important, which is what I had in an office.
Now, the only difference is I dont have to go somewhere for it.
I just move to another room in the house.
Whats that set up is like?
Do you absolutely need certain things so you can be productive?
This is actually kind of a learning process for me.
I wanted to do it where theres less pressure.
And then COVID happened.
Im in this position where I dont have a permanent space or permanent office like in my ideal world.
I ended up ordering a folding desk so that I can move around and get privacy when I need.
Trying to learn how to do that at home has been an experience.
Not everything has to be monetized.
you’ve got the option to have a hobby just to have a hobby.
Writing on pop culture can blur the line between work and procrastination.
Can you talk about how you balance those things?
Whats the difference between working and watching something for sheer enjoyment?
you’re able to have a hobby just to have a hobby.
And what what does that mean, productively?
What I found is that with entertainment, its not something Ive managed to do.
Even when Im not looking for it.
Of course I would like to write about it!
And then all of a sudden finishing the game became work.
Its certainly a fun experience and I still enjoyed it, but its no longer just an escape.
How do you feel about that?
Im in a very fortunate position where I get to write about the things I like.
So its not something that I would ever stick my nose up at.
Its not something where Im like,oh, god, its so overwhelming.
I get to watch and play things, and then hopefully get paid money to talk about them.
And what thats been for me is something like cross stitching.
I might give them away, but theyre just for fun.
And its not something where Im thinkingwhat can I do with this?Nobody wants my four-by-four-inch cross stitch.
Even prior to being paid for it, I was talking about this stuff.
I cant really fathom being able to sit back and ingest without any sort of response.
Even in publishingI got into publishing because I wanted to contribute to the literature that people were reading.
I wanted to be a part of the process of creating art.
And so, to me, It always goes hand in hand.
Having one app that can delineate all the different ways Im working is so important.
Is there anything you need before you could be productive writing?
I have a hard time starting my day without a cup of chai.
Its really, really difficult for me to get started without it.
Im trying to get into space where exercise can be that thing, but we havent gotten there yet.
Thats harder than the daily chai, huh?
Thats a lot harder than a daily chai.
For now I think the daily chai is the thing getting me through the morning.
Are there any apps you use for productivity?
I love this app.
Having one app that can delineate all the different ways Im working is so important.
Who else would you love to know how they work?
Im cheating a little bit because I know how they work, but Im so impressed bySwapna Krishna.
Shes the person I go to whenever Im like, how do I do this, yo help me.
When I first started trying to balance freelance and author life, I was asking for her advice.
Im just always so amazed at how good she is.
Theres another person though who I dont know exactly how they work, and thatsGreg Pak.
I just think thats amazing.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
