This week, we’re sitting down with Emma Shulman, a self-described “recovering executive” who left a 15-year tech career to chase her lifelong dream of writing a novel. Emma shares what it’s like to be out the door by 4:45am three to four mornings a week to write at her regular Starbucks — where she knows every barista by name — before her kids can “smell her” and end the flow.
In this week’s conversation, Emma opens up about querying literary agents for her debut dystopian novel, the writing group note that sent her back for a full rewrite, a solo writing residency on Nantucket that cracked open how much of her mental space usually belongs to everyone else’s needs, and what it’s really like to run two kids’ entirely separate school schedules with zero outside childcare.
What We Cover:
The 4:45am Starbucks ritual that buys Emma two hours of writing time before her kids can pull her back into mom mode (she knows every barista by name).
Why she calls herself a “recovering executive” — leaving a 15-year tech career, including an acquisition that closed the day her second child was born, to write full-time.
The writing group note that sent her back for a full rewrite of her debut novel.
What a solo writing residency on Nantucket taught her about how much headspace she normally spends on everyone else’s needs.
The “should, should, should” loop she quiets with a literal 10-minute kitchen timer — and why leaving corporate life means building her own boundaries from scratch.
Running two kids through entirely separate school schedules with zero outside childcare, plus the “boomerang tasks” her part-time house manager takes off her plate.
The preschool expert’s rule for deciding if a five-year-old is actually ready for an extracurricular.
Why she deletes Instagram every Friday, saves TikTok for her 10-minute red light mask, and finally let herself get her nails done again without the guilt.
The exposure therapy of being a “recovering type A” who’s finally comfortable trying things she’s bad at, from wedding calligraphy to a new needlepoint kit.
Connect with Emma:
Instagram: @writewithemma
Substack: Write With Emma
References:
Euphoria
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Such a good one!!!