Writer and Engineer Bailey Streicher
This week’s Writer Wednesday features DWR member Bailey Streicher!
Based in Ann Arbor, Bailey is a full-time engineer at General Motors with a love for math, science, problem solving and writing. Married to a fellow engineer and raising three children, she says her life is busy, loud and often chaotic. “But it’s also deeply fulfilling,” she says. “We love to fill life with big plans and laugh through every ridiculous moment that comes with it.”
Read more about her below!
What writing projects are you currently working on?
I am currently working on my first piece ever — a memoir written for working moms. Through it, I aim to capture the challenging, exhausting and often overwhelming reality of trying to mix it all together, while also honoring the ridiculously funny moments that somehow emerge along the way.
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
It’s been surprisingly fun to turn the ridiculous stories — once shared over a glass of wine with other moms — into something tangible on the page. I love revisiting the memories and reliving them through written words. My family knows I’m writing now, and whenever chaos inevitably strikes, the kids pause, look at me, and ask, “Is this going in your book?!”
What does your writing workspace look like?
I haphazardly fit writing into my life, so my workspace is far from the classic writing desk. Sometimes it’s the dim glow of a laptop screen in a dark room while my youngest slowly drifts off to sleep. Other times, it’s a laptop balanced on my lap as I watch my daughter tumble through gymnastics practice. More often than not, my writing space comes with the soundtrack of kids bouncing through the house and life happening all around me. While this setup can challenge my focus and slow the progress I hope for, it fits perfectly with every scene in this book, capturing the awkward yet beautiful reality of life as it truly is.
When did you first discover your love for writing? Were there any key moments or influences that sparked your passion?
As an engineer, equations and numbers have always been my instinctive way of solving problems. I began writing family stories down last year, without any real plan for who might read them — if anyone at all. What started as a half-baked task eventually became a little more. I found myself enjoying the act of reliving each moment, and over time I started to dream of bringing it all together into a memoir. I love being able to share words about my crazy, yet entirely relatable life with other moms. Writing gave me a new lens — one that allowed me to reflect, process and find humor and meaning in all life moments.
What is your favorite non-writing hobby?
My favorite non‑writing hobby is outdoor running. It’s the time that belongs only to me. While many see it as just exercise, for me it’s where I solve every problem and let every worry slip off my back. Running is how I start every day — it makes me feel strong, powerful and ready to take on the world.
What is your favorite piece of writing advice?
The best writing advice I’ve ever received is to just write the words and to use powerful verbs.
FLASH QUESTIONS
Favorite book: “Ella Enchanted” by Gail Carson Levine since I was a young girl, and sometimes I still read it when I need a pick me up! But recently “The Frozen River” by Ariel Lawhon
Favorite author: Mom memoir writers — Michelle Obama, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and Lara Love Hardin
Favorite writing snack: Cocoa dusted almonds
I can’t write without: Disney instrumental music from my noise cancelling headphones
If I could have coffee with any writer (dead or alive), it would be: Michael Obama or Barbara Kingsolver
Follow Bailey on Instagram at @bailey.streicher.
— Interview by DWR intern Giselle Quintana