Instructor Spotlight: Mimi Hayes

How long have you been with The Writer’s Rock? What led you here? 

I started teaching with TWR in 2017 shortly after signing my first book contract. I had just moved to NYC from Colorado (formerly a high school history teacher) and I was super excited to start my career as an author and move from teaching high school to writing!

What do you like to write? 

I love memoir and comedy! My first book combines the two and I'm super proud of it. I like pairing vulnerability with humor. It's a winning combo :)

Describe both your ideal and your actual writing routine.

Ideal = Perfectly crafted lattes on tap, writing all day with no distractions, somebody pays me lots of money... 

Actual = Writing half ideas on sticky notes, losing them, getting inspired randomly at 3 AM.

Who’s currently one of your favorite writers? 

Right now I am all about Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Hannah Gadsby.

What do you like most about teaching at The Writer’s Rock? 

I love getting to work with writers from such diverse backgrounds, ages, and writing styles! It really creates a beautiful dynamic when people can be exposed to new voices and perspectives and I always learn more about myself as a teacher.

What else do you do? 

When I wasn't busy fighting global pandemics, you could find me doing standup comedy in front of live audiences. For now, I am reconnecting with nature in my home state of Colorado working on my next book as well as a TV adaptation of the first book "I'll Be OK, It's Just a Hole in My Head." Sometimes I record episodes of my podcast "Mimi and The Brain" in my childhood bedroom with a pillow over my head (helps with sound quality). I am obsessed with my parent's dogs Stanley and Dug, a pair of 1-year-old golden retriever brothers who have harpooned my heart and slobbered all over it.