Meet Melina Morry | Writer & Women’s Fiction Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melina Morry and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melina, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I used to be all about work. From the moment I woke up — after a morning yoga class — I’d be at my computer until well after dinner. When you’re a freelancer and work for yourself, you’ve got to have a strong work ethic and hustle. However, since having twins, I’ve found that my work life balance has changed dramatically. (Obviously.)

It’s always been important to me to create a balance between the two. Which is why I would carve out time every day to sit down for a meal with my husband, get on my yoga mat, watch an episode of a show, etc. And this is something that I still do — I just have to be strategic about it.

Now, nap times are used for work, workouts, or just time for me to sit on the couch and chill. I’m still freelancing and working for myself, and with two one-year-olds that can be quite a challenge depending on the day and their moods. But I take the balance wherever (and whenever) I can get it.

Sometimes a break from work means cuddling with my twins and I love it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Writing my debut novel, The Manhattan Mishap, is definitely one of the accomplishments I’m most proud of and excited about. I started writing it in 2017 and it was published in late 2021. It took years of hard work and dedication to complete it. What started out as an idea in the Notes app on my iPhone ended up being a complete novel, and that blows my mind.

I’m so proud of myself for actually writing an entire book. Actually, I’ve written two! I’m in the process of editing my second stand-alone novel. However, with twins at home it’s a little more difficult than when I wrote my first one as a childless working woman with plenty of hours to spare.

I have so many ideas for new books that I keep jotting down and now the challenge is finding the time to plan them out, start writing, and hopefully complete one — or all — of them.

Once you see a physical copy of your book and hold it in your hands, you kind of forget about all of the late nights and chapter rewrites and everything that went into creating it. You get lost in the glamour of having your very own novel. But let me tell you, writing a book isn’t easy! Fortunately, I love what I do and feel lucky to be able to work at it whenever I have a slice of free time. And next up, I have an audiobook coming which is super exciting!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m brand new to Los Angeles, so I’m not too familiar with the city yet. But I have had some time to check out a few spots with some friends who have come to visit. One of my girlfriends took me to Katsuya and I discovered that I could eat the rock shrimp tempura roll every single day. The gin martinis at Soho House West Hollywood are delicious and the steak at Gwen is mouth-watering. I love walking around different neighborhoods and discovering local cafes and vintage shops. I’d definitely like to spend some more time at the beach too! I grew up near the ocean on the west coast of Canada and can never get enough of sand and saltwater.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d love to shoutout my husband for encouraging me to chase my goals, no matter what. There is also a framed quote I have on my desk that says, “Your vision of where or who you want to be is the greatest asset you have.” I love looking at it every day and remembering to manifest the woman I want to be.

Website: www.melinamorry.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melinamorry/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melinamorry/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/morrymelina

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melinamariamorry