Hey there, I’m Emmy Laybourne!
I’m a novelist who got hooked on her phone -- the fight to break free turned into my next big plot twist.
Now I help others reclaim their time, focus, and health from addictive apps.
Before I ever taught anyone about screen habits, I spent three decades building a creative career. I love what I do! I’m the internationally bestselling author of six young adult novels, including the Monument 14 series (translated into nine languages), Sweet (a Junior Library Guild Award winner and YALSA Quick Pick), and the Viking-inspired historical fantasy duology Berserker and Ransacker, now in development for television.
I’ve also lived a whole other life as a performer. I’m OCCASIONALLY still recognized as Mary Katherine Gallagher’s best friend in the 1999 cult comedy film Superstar. My acting career also included film and TV roles (Nancy Drew, The In-Laws, DAG) and years in the improv comedy world. Check out the photos below for some nostalgia!
At the heart of everything I do -- writing novels, teaching, or helping people break away from their phones -- is my belief that creativity and human connection are what’s most important in life.
Some photos from my long career, just for fun ↓
Dancing my frippin' hearts out on the set of Superstar!
Will, Harlan Williams, and I were guest performers at Second City Toronto one night.
My improv team at Improv Olympic West circa 2002?
Tied the knot in 2002.
In the cast of the NBC sit-com DAG. Fun fact: me and my cast-mates Lauren Tom, Lea Moreno, and Paul F Tompkins still meet up for dinner every couple of months!
After I retired from acting, I got an MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA. This is me on graduation day with my parents and my daughter Ellie, age 3 here. (And our son Rex is also in the photo, in utero!)
This was my official Author headshot for many years. And yes, that's Chewbacca on my shirt.
My first novel, Monument 14, made a big splash and I got to travel all over NY, NJ, and CT giving school talks.
When I was a novelist, I also hosted a literary event in NYC called Spine Out. Shown here on opening night with David Levithan, Leigh Bardugo, Matt DeLa Peña, and RL Stine.
Showing off my books at an event I did with my pal, Kass Morgan, author of The 100.
Giving a Ted X talk in 2015 at George School.
My husband, Greg, and I moved our family to Los Angeles in 2019. I promptly became a blonde, as per local zoning requirements.
My brother, Sam, and I a few years ago.
I am a family woman. Here with my son, husband, and daughter in 2024.
Showing off the "Dumb Phone" app to my students on zoom earlier this year.