An Interview with M.K. Smith
M.K. Smith grew up filling notebooks with stories, scripts, and even a few chicken-themed plays. With the unwavering support of her parents, she nurtured her love of writing into adulthood. Now a teacher in Montana, she spends her days convincing students of the Oxford comma’s importance, grading essays, and dreaming up mysteries that blend wit with suspense. When not teaching or writing, M.K. and her daughter explore the vast beauty of Big Sky Country, or relax at home with their calico cat, Callie, whose antics often inspire feline characters on the page.
What inspired you to start writing this book?
I had the idea for the mystery novel for years, but never had the motivation to write until last September. Writing was always a way for me to process emotions and a release, so when I was experiencing burnout from my personal life, I used the novel to help escape the pressures I was feeling. As a result, my main character became a teacher who was also overloaded in her life, and I explored how she dealt with the problems and expectations everyone had of her. Needless to say, that’s where the comparisons end, because I’ve never had to solve a mystery other than where missing homework went.
Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
The book’s title is a traditional call-and-response many teachers use in their classroom. With my main character being a teacher, I wanted to use the callback styles for this book title and the sequels, one of which I’ll be starting when I am finished with my current project.
Additionally, the ‘eyes on me’ part is appropriate because many of the characters are being called to notice or see what has been hidden by others, especially the victim and the antagonist.
The title came together pretty easily because I had a clear goal in mind for it. Now my struggle is finding other call responses for the sequels.
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
I’m a middle school language arts teacher, so much of my character development is inspired by my own experiences or what I’ve heard others go through. As I was writing, I loved being able to include little Easter eggs that people who have been in the education field will recognize, or people in my own life.
Besides teaching, I’ve also worked in retail and restaurant service. In all of my careers, it’s interesting to see how understanding human nature can help with the work or help explain why people are the way they are. This habit of studying people really helps in my writing because I’m able to look at the whole person versus ‘good’ or ‘bad’ characters; everyone is capable of good or bad, it depends on what their motivation is.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
I grew up in a home infested with books, as my dad liked to say. My mom was always a voracious reader, especially mystery novels from Agatha Christie and James Patterson. They would probably be my biggest influences because I was always sneaking books out of my mom’s collection from the time I was old enough to read.
Where is your favorite place to write?
My favorite place to write is on my patio in the early morning when it is cool outside and everything is quiet. Unfortunately, living in Montana, that only gives me a couple of months before it gets too cold or the hornets come out in force. My most productive spot for writing is my treadmill, which I set up utility shelving over so I could have a writing desk.
In all honesty, between my daughter and my job, I try to carve out any place to write and any time. Sometimes it’s the twenty minutes I have in the morning when my daughter is eating breakfast and getting ready for the day; sometimes it’s eleven o’clock at night because I had an idea wake me from a dead sleep and I had to get it down. I admire the people who are able to sit down and write in a designated spot, and probably have a really great chair to sit in, but any place I’m able to set up my notebook or laptop is my favorite.
What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?
The best advice I can give is the same as I give to my students: it’s about progress, not perfection. If you hold yourself back because you’re waiting for everything to be perfect, then you’re never going to get anywhere. Write the messy, write the bad, write whatever it is, just write. When you’re done, the real work starts, because then you’re refining, which, again, won’t always be perfect, but it’ll be something to be proud of. No one can tell the story you can, so no one will hear it if you don’t.
What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?
I hope readers found a character they could relate to. She’s messy, sarcastic, and half the time says things she shouldn’t. But she also cares about her family and friends and, ultimately, just wants the best for them. I would also like it if they could see from her struggles that it’s okay to make mistakes, feel burnt out, and feel like they’re under too much pressure from expectations, because everyone feels like this at one point. Find help if you need it and just take it one step at a time.
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