A Day in the Life of Megan McCarty: Writer, Designer, Trendsetter

Tell us more about who you are and what you do!
Hi! :) I’m Megan—a writer and editor based from my sunny patio in Los Angeles. Much to the chagrin of my seriously unfun journalism school advisor, I write about the fluffy topics: design, commerce, travel, wellness, beauty, and fashion. You can find my work in Domino, Architectural Digest, Better Homes & Gardens, Bustle, The Spruce, Well+Good, InStyle, and other lovely lifestyle publications. I also do a lot of copywriting and ghostwriting for interior designers, so perhaps I wrote the captions under those pretty pics you see all over Instagram.

Outside of work, I care for my codependent pug, admire my garden, hit every hiking trail possible, and watch the madness that is QVC with my boyfriend.

What is your favorite topic to write about?

In a “the cobbler’s children have no shoes” way, I love writing about home design. Until recently I’ve always kept one foot out the door of each place I lived, the last of which was a friend’s home that I squatted in with a single suitcase…for two years! Perhaps because of that I’ve wanted to help others create a safe space that feels like themselves, surrounded by their own treasures and memories, no matter the budget or square footage.

Ultimately though, I love writing any story with humanity and humor. We’re all just out here trying our best, so any writing project that taps into the specialness of somebody hits home for me. If anyone out there is ever in need of cheeky, smart copy, you holler!

Megan is wearing the Tapered Barrel Jean

You are always so on top of the latest trends in the design space. What is a trend you are loving right now?

I audibly groaned when the “unexpected red theory” made its way around the internet—not because I don’t love it, but because I should have coined that first. In high school I painted my bedroom red, and my stepdad rightfully called it the “hell hole.” I’ve always been charmed by a red vintage tea kettle here and a monochromatic bouquet of crimson ranunculus there.

I don’t love the red theory for its headlines and TikTok views though. I love it because its ethos clicked with me, like something that both my eight-year-old and 80-year-old self would delight in.

What's a book that changed your life?

I still have, and always will have, my childhood copy of Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends. It was the first book to make me both laugh and cry. It’s sweet, concise, clever, and sprinkled with life lessons that still took me years of therapy to unpack. To think that one book could tap into such a wide range of emotions that resonate with all ages—what a remarkable skill. Plus, you know that if a book has been banned by certain libraries in certain states that it’s threatening to insecure types, and makes me want to shout about its brilliance from rooftops all-the-more.

What advice would you give to someone looking to be a freelance writer?
Read more than you write. Find your niche, but don’t lock yourself into one topic right away—that can take years to hone in on. Ensure a contract has a kill fee before signing. Contribute to a SEP account. Find a good accountant. Ask for more. Be nice.

Megan is wearing the Tapered Barrel Jean

What's coming down the pipeline for you creatively?
Media is in a ~weird~ place right now, with layoffs and budget cuts. While the industry finds its footing (please find your footing!) I’m finally going to release a silly and specific passion project that I’ve been wanting to do for, well, ever. It’s called Like Sands, a Substack for ‘90s Days of Our Lives nostalgia. I’ll cover plotlines like Marlena getting possessed by the devil and Carly getting buried alive, while also digging into more meaningful topics amongst the evil-twin-back-from-the-dead storylines, like why soaps were such a generational bond between mothers and daughters.

What do you like about your Just Black Denim jeans?
My oh my are these jeans comfortable. Nothing digs in, the waist doesn’t gap (hallelujah!), they feel the same at 9:00 a.m. as they do 9:00 p.m. At 5’2” I can often drown in jeans, making me look like a kindergartener who needs to grow into her clothes, but the inseam on Just Black Denim is just right.