Where my Write-at-Home Mamas at?? (MARCH!) - Page 2

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by Aufilia 

Yes, my advice for writing your short book would be to sit down and write a novel outline (which is different from an essay outline -- more like a wordy description of the important stuff that happens in your book).  Then if you feel like you need more structure, you might break the outline up into scenes, and write down what each scene accomplishes (does it develop character? move the plot? provide necessary background information? etc).  Sit down and write it all the way through without going back to edit, and keep writing even if you think everything you're writing sucks.  Then put it away for a few weeks or a couple months, and when you get it out again you'll be able to look at it with fresh eyes.  :) 

Thanks so much! I'm new at this. I used to kid about writing a book (when I was in, uh, junior high!) but never actually went through with it. This one won't leave me alone. I get ideas randomly and it invades my thoughts when my brain wanders. I guess that means I have to write it right? LOL Even if it's never published I can have it written and feel better about it.

[Aufilia]

Have you made any progress?

I picked up a new freelancing gig, writing SEO articles for Pampers.com.  The pay isn't great but they want opinion pieces rather than fact/research-based stuff, so they don't take too long to write.  Kinda like replying to stuff on message boards.

[AFWife]

Originally Posted by Aufilia 

Have you made any progress?

I picked up a new freelancing gig, writing SEO articles for Pampers.com.  The pay isn't great but they want opinion pieces rather than fact/research-based stuff, so they don't take too long to write.  Kinda like replying to stuff on message boards.

I did! I wrote a rough outline (just the basics of "this happens and then this happens" kind of thing...did some more research on my general theme too. I started sort of writing it (by hand in a notebook). That was kind of daunting. DH has been really supportive (even though it isn't his genre) and told me "Go for it and just write it. Even if this goes nowhere it's a start and maybe you'll get an idea for something even better along the way!"

I wish I could make this a paying hobby...

[kindchen]

I want to be a write-at-home Mama!

I worked as a professional writer and editor before kids, and I did some freelance work for my former employer for a while after deciding to stay home with my girls. It has been a few years, though, and I don't want to work for that company anymore. They paid pretty well, but the articles involved lots of phone interviews with physicians who would ignore our scheduled interviews and just call me whenever they had a moment.

Anyway, I'm thinking of checking out the content mills and maybe starting to blog. I'm not sure if I can come up with a topic that I'm passionate enough about for blogging, since my favorite part about writing is researching new topics.

[JoyMC]

hey writing mamas! i've been swamped - tons of for-hire work, plus getting my manuscript all submission-shiny. i began the submission process a couple weeks ago and while i've gotten 3 form R's, last night i got my first request for a full, from a dream agent! i'm trying not to get to excited, but i'm glad to know my query letter doesn't suck.

i agree with outlining fiction, as long as you keep it loose and are flexible enough to change things if it should come up in the creative process.

Erin, that's great that you picked up another gig!

[Maze of Mirrors]

Hi writing Mamas,  I posted this in an old thread (woops, I'll get the hang of this forum.):

Hi I'm new to MDC.  I had no idea there would be writing moms here too.  Hurray!  

I'm taking a writing course at MatadorU., which I absolutely recommend.  There are writing labs, a forum, help with blogging, twitter, FB, and job leads.  (Although, I've never been paid to write.)

I have a blog but, (I'm glad I'm not alone in this) its hard to get anything done.  I've started a series called "Why I am an AP parent" that I've opened up for contribution.  I'd love for any of you to contribute and if you have a blog, I'll link it to the post. 

I'm kind of like coming out of the attachment parenting closet to my writing community and out of the writing closet to my parenting community.  This group is the best of both worlds!

[JoyMC]

quick hi and welcome to the new writing mamas!

i continue to be swamped - just tons of writing-for-hire, to the point of turning down some work. but i'm so grateful, because we really need the funds. two agents have requested my full on my first book, and i'm about 10,000 words into a new WIP. and i'm super excited because my mom gets here this week for two and a half weeks, which will free up some more writing time. most of that will go to clients, but even my client work is fun right now. so i'm a happy writer at the moment, despite the rejections that roll in on a regular basis.

and for those who think fiction writers have long wait times to hear from agents or publishers, yesterday i got a rejection on a play i submitted FIVE YEARS AGO. cracked me up.

[seawitch]

Hey, just wanted to say hello.

I'm currently working on... too many things. And none of it is paying. None. And someone needs to be making money. Argh.

Anyway, I'm working on a fun-novel (not intended for any publication ever), a YA religious fiction book, a romance novel (short and sweet and for the publishing market), a sequel to that romance using similar characters but more fantasy than romance, and a non-fiction book about teen pregnancy (not my own). A few times a month I also wake up in the middle of the night and write down a nearly complete short story - I have about six or seven of those in my "vault" (where I put semi-finished stories that I don't look at for about six months before editing). Whew. Oh, and two more religious books that I'm not seeking to make publishable at the moment, more to document my own personal journey for myself. I also have two different blogs and two journals (one for personal thoughts, the other for homekeeping ideas). All in all, I write most days, every day - but I'm a) not getting paid and b) jumping around from work to work. But I find that if I'm not inspired to work on that particular work that day, it doesn't happen. I've written about 75,000 words this past month but they're all spread out between the different works, so I haven't made *significant* progress in any one. Accountability helper, anyone?
Edited by seawitch - 6/26/11 at 3:23pm

[JoyMC]

hi, Seawitch. wow, that IS a lot to juggle. i juggle multiple projects, but only when they're paying.  it doesn't sound like you need accountability to do the writing if you've written 75,000 words in a month.  but maybe you need a bit of help to focus? could you maybe choose two to focus on and dedicate your writing time to them until they are finished/ready for submission? personally, i don't need to be "inspired" to work on something - i show up at the page and sometimes what comes out is crummy. but at least i showed up and i shape it in revisions. if you're particularly interested in getting paid, there are of course no guarantees, but maybe focus on the idea you think is most commercial/marketable and try to focus on that. it'll definitely take you a long time to finish everything if you spread your time out over so many projects.

[EarthRootsStarSoul]

Hello everyone!  I'm taking a college class that is training me to be a writing tutor for their writing center.  It is very cool and very fun!  Just wanted to say Hi! 

[tjjazzy]

what am i thinking, mamas?? i just had my baby a week and a half ago but i don't want anyone else writing for my section of the magazine i write for so...i'm writing my column and a couple articles. i hope they don't sound terrible bc i'm still in a new baby fog.

[gitanamama]

So glad to find this forum! I consider myself an aspiring writer--the truth is I don't write much right now (too busy!) but I would love to start. My dream would be to work as a freelance writer someday (and make a living at it, of course!) I've always been really self-conscious about my writing ability, but it's a skill I'm hoping to work at and become more confident in. It's inspiring to "meet" the other mamas here who are already successful writers---way to go! I'll tag along in this thread and hopefully learn a thing or two about writing for profit. 

[Imakcerka]

For AFWife, Smashwords is a good place to start writing.  Ebooks that is and honestly look how things are going!  It's becoming and Ebook world.  I have a few things in the works and will be putting them on Smashwords soon.  Good luck to you all.

[featherstory]

I'm trying to write a few articles for Examiner, but I'm really stumped on my category...alternative communities, but it has to be localized.

I have 3 blogs I'm trying to keep up with, and a few other blogs I've put on the backburner.

I would really like to submit some poetry, I haven't submitted all year.  :(

I'm doing nanowrimo, in theory.

I'm finding and trying to organize my journals, notebooks and create a system for all my writings to be easily accessed...this is the hardest thing I'm working on right now.  Any tips?