As a born and bred North London girl, I loved meeting Mira Shah last year and chatting all things writing. The first time I met her, we went for a walk in one of our local parks with her gorgeous brood of dogs in the rain. My first book (the one that didn’t sell) was out on submission and Mira was great at setting my mind at ease. We shared our frustrations and discussed expectations vs reality of being a writer.

Mira’s debut novel HER is out now in ebook and coming in paperback in November. She wrote it alongside a full-time job and here she tells us about juggling her writing career with her legal career.

1. What’s your current writing routine?

Like the majority of writers I wear different ''hats'', many of which take me away from my writing. I currently work full time as a Legal Editor for a professional training company, which is fast paced and intellectually challenging so by about 7pm I'm useless to anyone. I've recently started working compressed hours, which means long days (Mon-Thurs) but gives me Fridays off to focus solely on my books. During the week I try (emphasis on *try*) to set my alarm between 5-5.30am and write/edit for 1-2 hours before the rest of my household (consisting of my partner, three dogs and a cat) wakes up. When I'm on a deadline, I have no other option but to work in the evenings - usually accompanied with a glass of red to really work that stereotype, and take annual leave to give me more focus time. I also write during the weekends, but I'm trying to limit that to either Saturday or Sunday so I maintain some sort of life. 

On Fridays I treat it very much like a normal working day. I'm at my desk by 8.30am and continue until about 5pm (with an hour's break to walk the dogs). 

2. Do you structure your writing day? 

So, this very much depends on what stage I'm at. I'm currently juggling multiple books - at the final edits stage of my debut, finalising a first draft (in reality: third draft) of my second novel to send to my agent and fleshing out a plot for my third novel. For first drafts I tend to work much better early in the morning, pretty much when the birds begin their  singsong. There's something in this - your creative brain fired into action before the mundane seeps through. So, I'll probably hit my target 1,500 word count by about 8am. For editing I need to be wide awake, so I tend to save this for the evenings, Fridays and weekends.  

I don't have a fixed structure - having a finite amount of time to write means you have to be flexible and prepared to reprioritise whenever something more urgent comes in. 

3. How long did it take you to write your debut versus your second book? 

Good question! My debut pretty much vomited out of me in three months. I'd say it was more therapeautic than creative, as so much of myself and my life was wrapped up in the original draft (not in the final one!) Also, I wrote it in the first national covid-19 lockdown so the purpose was more about escapism, a coping mechanism and I had zero expectations except to reach the end. 

My second novel has been a real struggle - book two syndrome is real.  I started writing it in January '21 but due to expectations/goal posts changing, several crises of confidence and juggling it alongside book one edits, it took me about seven months to write a first draft. I'm currently on a third draft and it's finally looking like a real novel, so that alone shows how much work is involved even before the agent and editors get involved!

4. Do you have any tips for being productive under time pressure?

YES. I find short bursts or writing sprints as some people like to call them work best for productivity. I've started using the Pomodoro method (you can download the app or just use your phone timer). This involves working solidly for 20 minutes and then taking a 5 minute break. I apply this throughout my writing day, which usually means I'm not distracted by things like Twitter, text messages or hunger during the 20 minute sprints. Also, you'll be surprised by how quickly 20 minutes goes! 

I know it sounds counterproductive, but taking a break can be really useful. Writing isn't like most jobs - being stressed, emotional or tired can be creatively stiffling so if it isn't working for you, don't just sit there staring at a blank screen and getting increasingly frustrated, Read, go for a walk, watch something. All this can spark creativity and eventually feed into your story. 

5. Would you ever like to write full-time?

I've toyed with this idea, and in an ideal world, yes. But I don't think many writers actually write full-time even if they no longer have a day job - many have caring responsibilities alongside their writing, which is a job in itself! I think when/if we have children, it will become impossible to juggle being a mother with a demanding day job and a successful writing career (I find it really tough already with the three dogs), so something will have to give, and I sincerely hope it's not the writing. 

The other side to this is the uncertainty of the industry. There is no guarantee of income, and it's hard to see beyond the book you have published/are writing. I think I would definitely benefit from having more time to write during the week (and less rising with the birds), so perhaps I'll find a part time day job. I also think I'm one of those people who are more productive with less time, so I'm not sure being a full time writer will make me more efficient! 

6. What advice would you give a new writer, someone just starting out who is writing on the side of a job? 

I have two main pieces of advice.

1) To write everyday - whether it's for 5 minutes or 5 hours. The reason for this is that it is so important to sink into your story, and keep that momentum going right until the end. I find that even with just one day off, it takes me longer to find my groove and I end up having to familiarise myself with my story and characters before starting to write.

2) Make writing part of your daily routine. By that I mean, experiment with writing at different times of the day and learn what works for you and your routine. For example, I tend to write better in the mornings, but I have many writing friends who prefer the evenings when the kids have gone to sleep, and others who can only write during their commute to work. 

Daily word counts work for some people, but for others they can be stiffling. I tend to aim for 1,500 words per day, which is a realistic opposed to challenging target. I also edit as I go along, which helps with my confidence and working out the real story (I'm a pantser, not a plotter).

7. Wha can you tell us about your first book? 

My debut novel is called HER and it is being published by Hodder & Stoughton (Hodder Fiction) in March 2023. It's a darkly compelling, emotive story about two women who find themselves sucked into each other's worlds - with devastating consequences. You can read more about it here: https://meerashahauthor.com/debut-novel

Thanks Mira! Can’t wait to read HER.

You can find out more about Mira on her website and chat to her on instagram @shahvmira.