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How once woman went from being a SAHM of four to a published freelance science journalist |
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I'm revising this intro after more than 15 years to better reflect my intention When I started this blog in 2004, I was a stay at home mom to two small children, a college graduate with a degree in English and Astrophysics. By 2007, I had four small children, ages newborn, 2, 4, and 6. For several years, Writing.com was how I kept my sanity. This blog began, first as a way of staying connected. Later, when I worked on a novel, I used it to stoke the writing fires as I plotted out short stories and the next step of my novel. Ultimately, I moved my writing preparation to "Invalid Item"  In 2010, I became a single mom who had homeschooled her children for several years. I had a 2, 4, 6 and 8 year old and had never had a "real" full time job, since I was married while in college. Everyone told me that I would have to buckle down and take on a "real" job. Instead, I decided to attempt to live my dream: to make it as a writer. I knew that if I didn't try then, I would never really dive in. I counted my money and set a deadline. If I hadn't began making a decent (defined) amount of money after so many months, I would suck it up and get a J-O-B. After some thought, I decided to play to my strengths. I served an internship at Sky & Telescope magazine while in college and enjoyed writing about space and astronomy. With an astrophysics degree, I thought I would be able to sell myself more easily, and a small niche should be easier to penetrate. It's been about ten years since I was first paid for an article on Space.com. In that time, writing - journalism - has been my primary moneymaker. I've often thought about setting up a blog on my website - www.astrowriter.com - but just haven't gotten around to it. There are a few things I would like to share for those who are interested in scientific journalism in general. Now that I'm back on WDC, there's no reason not to combine the two and use the site blog for that sort of interaction. There are certainly plenty of folks on this site interested in the publication process. So while I'll probably meander around some, that's the intention of of this blog: to share some of my struggles as a published journalist and to help answer oft-asked questions. |
| I had another one of those 'oh cool' homeschooling moments. One of the premises of a Thomas Jefferson Education is that the parents should be modeling a love of learning in order for a child to love learning. So I have been reading less "fun" stuff and more thought-provoking and historical items. The kids learned a (stupid) song by the Animaniacs that lists all of the US Presidents up to Clinton, and so I've been checking out biographies about the different presidents, working my way up chronologically. And, of course, I've been reading those bios. So today I read about James Madison. Okay, I know this is all basic stuff that I learned in school - I was a one-B, the-rest-As student, so I passed the test - but for some reason I missed the fact that the Constitution of the US was not written until 1787, eleven years after the US declared its independance. And although (if I really thought about it) I knew the Bill of Rights were all amendments to the Constitution, I never thought, hey, if the Constitution was amended, that meant that the BoR weren't there in the first place! Duh, I know, but there you go. So anyway, I've been reading about James Madison, father of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the work he did to make sure the US had freedom of religion. It has all been very fascinating to me. I put several more books on hold at the library, and hopefully they will have them next Monday (I want to strike, or read, while the iron/interest is hot, LOL). It has been so interesting to read these bios with greater wisdom. The things I picked up on that just weren't a part of the test! For instance, I always wondered why Benjamin Franklin was never president. Well, he was in his mid-70s when the US declared independance! He died in 1790, about a year after Washington became the first President of the US. So he never had a chance to run for office. That was interesting. It was also interesting to look back at the way the government was set up after having more experience, and of course having more interest. Okay, enough on the history lesson, LOL. I know that is what you came for. As you can see, the excitement ran away with me. On to the writing aspect: I am actually trying to figure out a way to merge what I am studying for "school" with my writing, particularly my children's books. For instance, if I am really going to do some serious reading about James Madison, an early chapter book might well be possible. I have to take into account the extraneous research and decide how much I want to invest - but if it is something I am already interested in, then it wouldn't be too difficult to pursue. For instance, if I wanted to place a young boy or girl at some point during Madison's life - not sure when, but at some point - then I would need to do research on the more day-to-day aspects of life at that time period, as well. I'm not sure what, if anything, would work as an engaging (read: nonboring) children's book, but I am sure I could find something. In the meantime, my daughter came in today and asked me if I had managed to get my story (the one I wrote last week) published yet.  I told her it would probably take at least a year to get to that point. She said, "Oh," and then suggested I write some other books over the course of the year so that I could get them published soon after the first. Now, that is a bright child! Of course, that's my plan (and I told her so), but I was impressed that she thought of it on her own.I am trying to decide about whether or not to acquire a 2009 writer's market guide for children's publications only. I wish I had thought of it while ordering Christmas presents; I would've slapped it in there. It's $18 on Amazon, but would qualify for free shipping. But I have to order $25 or more. Well, I have two birthdays coming up in January and Febuary, so maybe I'll order them from Amazon, as well, and throw the writer's guide in. In the meantime, I am trying to get an older copy from the library, just to browse through. I'm curious whether or not you get the web access for free with the children's guide; probably not. Why not just get the web access? Anyway, that is the buisiness end. In the meantime, I am trying to figure out what to base the next children's book around. I have one idea - very piratey - but it entails research and I'm not sure if I want to go there. Oh, yes, I forgot about another idea about a magic harmonica. Hmmm. I might have to pursue that one. I thought about it today at (when else?) nap time. I am going to have to make sure I continue taking naps forever, since I seem to get my best ideas during them. Finally, I am still mentally working my way through the adult novel. It feels as though something is missing. I think I am holding off too long on one of the conflicts, because it really doesn't surface until the end. I mean, there are hints for it, and preparation for it, early on, but it doesn't create any suspense until the end. Earlier, I had planned to sort of wrap up one problem before moving on with the next but I realized that was stupid; I need to merge the two together. I think if I can figure out a way to draw the second conflict back further in the story, into the first, then I will be okay. I already figured out how to stretch the first conflict out further into the end of the book. I've done some background brainstorming, as well, over the last few days. I'm sort of sticking my toe into the fantasy world - its not a full immersion, but we have some mythical creatures involved (can't help it, I've been reading Stephanie Meyers too often, and I saw the movie "Twilight" on Saturday). So I need to get some "rules" ironed out. You know, are these vicious, human-killing creatures in general, what causes them to morph, etc. I think I have the basics nailed down, the background. But I haven't started writing my grown up novel. For awhile, I just knew that something was missing but couldn't put my finger on it. Then I realized I need to move the second conflict back, but I'm still not sure how to do that. I need to take an hour (which means finding a free hour) to seriously brainstorm my way through the problem. I think that will make a difference. And  I am a little nervous about starting a "big" novel, as well. I think that is why I am more hesitant to just start. And finally, I don't really want to start around the holidays. I know I will either disappear or wish I could, which is a lousy way to spend Christmas morning. I want to nail down a definite writing commitment, whether it is 30 minutes every day, or an hour at a particular time (I really want a set time). But I'm not sure when the best time is. I'm struggling when it comes to giving up naptime. <sigh> |
| Yay! I finished the kids book. I have to edit and re-edit, oh yes, and then I have to figure out how to go about getting a children's book published. That is going to be the difficult part. I'll look up publishers of books that are similarly based, since I know that they are already looking for books in that market. And we'll go from there. I also have to talk to my illustrator friend. My daughter seems to really like it, she was jumping up and down and wanted another one. My 5 yo is going to read it next - he said he wanted to wait until I was all the way finished. So we'll see how that goes. If anyone has any tips on getting a children's chapter book published, please feel free to let me know!  And if anyone just wants to go ahead and offer to publish it, I'm all set! (we need an {e:reallybigsmile}) |
| Yesterday, I wrote because I was on a roll. Today, I am writing to gripe about that roll. It has been a long time since I have really sat down to write, and especially long since I last wrote fiction. I did some content writing for $4/blog. Those were 15 minute bits that I didn't so much have to stress over, although I always did a quick R&R on them. Before that, when we were not yet living in the motorhome, I took a stab at freelancing nonfiction articles, with the mindset that nonfiction sells better and easier than fiction, and a good nonfiction resume would help me break into fiction. But that fact is, although I can write nonfiction, it isn't something I really enjoy. So yesterday I finally got rolling on this kids story. I did a quick outline and wrote four singlespaced pages. It was tough, because I had to keep the language simple and the actions a little faster than I might do for an adult story. But anyway, I wrote three chapters out of a planned nine. I also did some research on the length of the type of book I was looking towards - namely, the aforementioned Junie B Jones - and extrapolated to see if I was going to hit the same range, which I am. When I finished, I ran spellcheck for the specific purpose of checking the "average grade level" it guesses at, and it said my writing was at 3rd grade level, which is about where I was aiming. So all in all, I'm on track. So what is the problem? Well, I forgot how much I love to write, and how consuming it can be. I also forgot how quickly an idea can evolve into a story/novel and take over my head. For instance...I had a great dream last night (it seems all of my best stories start out as dreams) for a grown up novel that I'd really like to work on. Mind you, this came after spending a few hours last night with a teen girl who is a bit more obsessive than I am on the "Twilight" books - I love the books, but am not obsessed, LOL. (I've only read them three times in the last 11 months...does that count as obsessive? Hmmm.) Anyway, so I had my weird dream last night, and I woke up thinking, what if, instead of falling in love with a vampire, you learned that after fifteen years and five kids, your spouse was a monster? Oh, and some of your kids, too. Now that would be a real kick in the pants! So. After having set a goal of writing a couple children's novels, here I am with a grownup novel in my head. So I'm planning to squeeze out time writing both, but how do I manage that? And in the meantime, I am trying to list more books every day, so I can sell more (sales are picking up for the pre-Christmas rush, which is great; I shipped out 3 books yesterday, all sold in the previous 24 hours). That's why I only managed 4 pages yesterday, by the way; I spent an hour listing books. Now, here is the great news. I let my daughter (7, target age) read the first part of the children's book I had written. I let her read the first book, the one with the trig, and she said she liked it, but I could tell it was a passive like, know what I mean? Anyway, I gave her the four pages to read and put the baby down for her nap. She comes out ten minutes later, jumping up and down and going, "Mommy, mommy, why didn't you write more? How dare you stop!" I said, "So you like it?" and she said "I love it". I said, "Do you like it as much as <gag> Junie B.?" and she said "Even more!" So it looks like it's a hit with the target age! Then I jumped up and down some too, then told her I had to go write some more. It looks like I am not only going to have internal pressure on my kids stories, I am also going to have anxious daughter pressure. Which is great, because it means that she will really be pushing me to finish.I have to figure out a more idealized writing/book listing/homeschooling/Seminary teaching schedule, but for now, I'd better write a couple of more chapters before my daughter comes back in here and beats me up. She already ran in while I was blogging and said, "Are you writing more?" and pouted when I said, "Not yet." It's good to have a demanding audience, LOL. |
| I just wanted to let you know that apparently I have been bitten by the writing bug. It is interesting, because I never really thought of myself as a kids' writer, but I've been having some great ideas. I had the one I mentioned in my last post, although I'm not sure I've got that one polished. I wrote it out, but the problem is, I am essentially having second graders work on trigonometry, albeit very basic trig, so I am trying to explain the experiment at that level. I gave the book to my (bright) 7 yo to read and she didn't quite understand the experiment portion, although she enjoyed the story. I could just nix the "do it yourself" part of the piece, but I'm not completely certain that I want to. Perhaps I will have my daughter follow the directions on her own and see if she can accomplish the correct results. I also spoke with my friend more in depth about writing. She likes the idea of doing more of a children's book on par with the Magic Tree House series - a little bit more difficult than the first few levels of early reading, but not a big "Little House on the Prarie" type book. I have been trying to come up with an original idea for one, and finally today (again at naptime - I should take more naps!) I came up with a good idea. So I'm going to sprint over to Word and write up a basic draft of it now, and then I'll run through the editing process. But I'm really excited about it. Most of the early reading chapter books are slanted towards girls - if you have girls, think about the Junie B. (makes me puke) Jones books, which seem to be a big hit. So I'm thinking about leaning more towards boys, to engage them more and encourage them to read, as well. The plus: not as many books slanted that way. The minus: girls are statistically bigger readers, especially at a younger age, than boys. So, smaller market, but smaller competition. Okay, off to write. I forgot how much I really enjoy the writing process! (Actually, I'm off to outline the chapters, but then I'll write!) |
| Okay, I know this is my third post today, but I have to confess, I lied. I laid down at naptime with my 3 yo and kept thinking, hmm, what kind of kids' book would I want to write? Then I had an idea for...three! It's actually very "duh", because I always said I wanted to write about astronomy, since my college double major was Creative Writing & Astrophysics. But, I really think I have a great idea. I've looked on Amazon and I don't see any books similar to the first one, at least, that I am considering. I'm working on a rough draft right now; then I'll trim it down, simplify it, test it on my kids, and then test it on some other homeschooled kids I know (and maybe some non-HSed kids, too). We'll see how it works out! I'm really excited, though. I forgot just how much fun it is to write. Shame, shame, I know. |
| I actually went to bed stinking early last night - lights out before 10, a miracle for me. I still couldn't convince myself to wake up at four o'clock in the morning. But it was more laziness than exhaustion so I'll try again tomorrow. |
| If I was going to write a children's story, what would it be about? I was doing some thinking. One of my new-ish friends (abt 6 mos new) is a very talented artist, so I proposed the idea (via email, since when it comes to writing I am dreadfully shy) of children's books to her. I have always wanted to write children's books, but lack the ability to draw a straight line with a ruler. So we will see what she says. I sent her three of my better stories - well links to them - as well as a link to my port. At least that way she could browse my writing before she answers. She will probably say no, but wouldn't it be cool if she said yes? The three stories I sent her were from the "Novel Shorts" page. As I considered, I realized they probably could - with some serious editing - be made into a longer picture book. As good other stories of that type. So, we will see what happens. She may not be interested. But wouldn't be great if she was? I'm afraid to brainstorm about story ideas until I know whether or not she'd consider it. On a side note, I was just reading the bio of one of my favorite children's books - the 'Level 1, 2, or 3' type early readers - and she said she writes those in 12-14 hours, and she has over a hundred written. My jaw dropped. I don't know if I want to go that simplistic, but it certainly is interesting to consider. I have already been pondering whether or not to suggest a book for the "Childhood of Famous Americans" series. I think they left off someone who is notable, although as I think of it, she is not famous, per se. Still, it is an early woman inventor, and I think it would make for an interesting book. We'll see how that goes, as well. Those early readers are very interesting, as well. Twelve to fourteen hours, hmph. Still a little too simplistic for my taste, I think. Maybe. They would make for nice fillers. |
| I am trying to get things sorted out and juggled through, as usual. I am attempting to figure out where my priorities lie, and how to best organize them. Around August, as we "officially" started the school year, I decided that my #1 priority in things to do was my children's education, since, after all, I am homeschooling them. So I've been playing around with various schedules, trying to nail down what works best for us. After four years of studying and pondering homeschooling, you would think I would have a good idea of my applying my intentions, but no such luck. I stumbled across a new curriculum-type - more of a methodology than a curriculum - the Thomas Jefferson Education, which I really like. I already had most of my intentions laid out, and I knew that I wasn't overly excited about a formalized, set in stone, prepackaged curriculum, so this really sort of laid out for me how to apply my unschooling tendencies. The basic premise is that you unschool - you let the children learn to work and to play - up until about the age of 8. That sounds very slack in our educate-the-18-mos-old culture, but I do strongly feel that for young children, the best education is play and experimentation. This works out very well for me with my children - at least my two oldest - because both were reading before they were four. (My almost-four year old is on his way with CVC words like 'cat' and 'ball'.) This means that they - especially my oldest - is a voracious reader who loves not only fiction but also nonfiction, so despite having no sit-down-and-study curriculum, she knows a great deal about the things she is interested in, such as horses, penguins, and presidents of the United States. From there, you move into a more formalized schooling, but one that teaches the children to love learning. You also take the work ethic developed in those early years and apply it to their education, although not as heavily as you do in later years. One quote I read that really struck me, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, said, "If you are interested in something, you will focus on it, and if you focus attention on anything, it is likely that you will become interested in it. Many of the things we find interesting are not so by nature, but because we took the trouble of paying attention to them." I think that is really true. The ultimate goal is to teach them to think and to love learning, which are both what I posted earlier as my primary goals as a homeschooling mom. By the time they are about 12, they reach the "scholar phase", where they apply themselves strenuously to their studies, and because they have that love of learning, they want to. BUT, and this is the problem, one of the primary things I am struggling with is the simple fact that we as parents teach by examples. So our children will come to love learning when they see us, their parents, learning. The very first step, then, is to focus on YOUR education instead of on theirs. Especially while my children are so young, while they are in that "play" period, I am supposed to be modeling behavior by reading the classics. Not just reading but studying. So I am reading AND taking notes. So far, since the beginning of November, I have worked my way through Pride & Prejudice, The Chosen, and I am now reading Walden. I took notes for P&P, but for The Chosen I actually wrote a paper (very rough, since I am almost eight years out of college, but actually enjoyable. I like taking notes, because I'll write down something that struck me, and then I'll derail as I ponder it. This means, incidentally, that it takes me forever to get through a book. I like writing the paper (I am such a nerd) because it gives me a chance to organize my thoughts systematically. Unlike high school or college, the topic isn't assigned by anyone but myself, so I get to pick out what I want to organize and explain. So anyway, I am putting all of my "scholarly" (that is very tongue in cheek) papers in this folder if you want to read them:
I am also working on my music. My 7 year old daughter has recently started taking piano lessons, so I am working my way through them, as well. I took one year, so I have a very basic understanding of reading music, but I am trying to improve it. So I am trying to spend about 30 minutes each day working on that; I don't succeed, but I am trying. (I have to fit in the baby's nap time and try to occupy her while she is awake so she doesn't climb on my lap; meanwhile, my seven year old gets the "best" practice time.) And now, since the women are supposed to do a special musical presentation at church, I am practicing my singing. Mind you, I have never gotten a lot of practice, but this week I've been really working on it a lot. My husband says I am significantly improved, especially over the course of today. I found a place online where I can play just my part of the song ("Away in a Manger"), so I have a better shot at hitting the correct notes. (if you want to know more about a Thomas Jefferson education, there is a website at www.tjed.org) ***** Okay, so that is just education, right? The other priority is the end of our get-out-of-debt plan. That stupid motorhome, which, as you'll recall, we lived in and intended to sell, is a pain in my neck and side. We intended to put in on the market last spring, you know, when gas went up to around $4/gallon and for some reason, no one wanted to buy a motorhome. So I sat down with my husband and we decided if we both put our nose to the grindstone - him working Monday-Saturday three weeks a month and trying to pull in an extra $1000/month doing so, me getting up at four o'clock in the morning, every morning, to list books - we can have it paid off enough to sell by March, or all the way by July. Originally, I was thinking about doing a paper route, but then I thought, hey, if I'm going to get up at 4 and do a paper route, why not save the wear 'n tear on my car and list the books I have sitting here? So that is my plan. I let the book biz slide and slowed down the listing drastically when I geared up for school, but I am going to pick it up heavy again, I think. So, somewhere in there, I have to slip in eating and sleeping. I'm not sure how I'll do that. I need to get to bed earlier (not at the 10:17 it is now), and get some rest. So I guess I'll go now. |
| I know, I am a sporadic writer, but I am processing now, so I may be back more often. We left for our long-heralded vacation to DisneyWorld October 30th and returned home November 9th. We had so much fun! While on vacation, we stopped to visit Michael's aunt and uncle. His aunt has recently decided to homeschool. I really wish we lived closer to them, because our kids got along fabulously - they have four that are all within a few months of our kids - and I really enjoyed getting to know them (they are military and spent the first half of my marriage to dh in Japan and the second half dodging his family). Perhaps I will consider dh's desire to move to Florida more fully, when we get around to transferring. <sigh> ANYWAY, while there, his aunt loaned me a copy of "A Thomas Jefferson Education", which I had heard about but never fully understood. It is essentially a classics-based method of homeschooling, with a huge portion of influence being "inspire, not require". The idea is that we, as teachers (and moms) ought to be leading by example. Yes, I know, that seems like a duh thing - but when you are HSing your kids, it is so easy to avoid any form of studying on your own. In fact, once you leave college, it is so easy to avoid any form of study. So, since vacation, I have started applying myself to the classics, and per DeMille's suggestions, I am doing so with pen and paper. That means that I am making a ton of notes, that I am stopping and pondering while I am reading - which, despite the fact that I am an English major, is something I have really never done. When in college, I always read over and then pondered afterwards. Of course, you can see the entire picture that way, but you also tend to forget the little things that stood out to you. I read Pride & Prejudice over vacation - I was already planning to, having read a fantastic novel by Shannon Hale entitled Austenland; I love Shannon Hale and highly recommend her, particularly for teen and pre-teen girls. Anyway, that was my third time through, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Of course, I had an idea how the story was going to end, so I could ponder more "in full" along the way. Right now, I am reading The Chosen by Chaim Potok. I wish I had read it a few months ago; I held a bookclub meeting last week and I would have selected this for the book to discuss. I would love to discuss it with ANYONE. I posted a few topics over in Goodreads and will respond on the TJEd boards. There is so much in here about parenting, about logic, about education. It is an excellent book. That is all.  |
| Okay, this is totally random, but seriously, that was, I think, the funniest episode of Supernatural yet! I don't know if it was the hysterical cat-scream from the fearless Dean or the "Eye of the Tiger" at the end, but I was rolling through the whole thing. I think I rewound the Tivo or paused it due to insane laughter even more than I did with Hysterical Episode #2, with the rabbit's foot. If you don't know what I am talking about, well, everyone should watch Supernatural on the CW! Way better than those other loser sitcoms. The actors have awesome chemistry and pull off the most amazing comedy in the middle of dark situations./end commerical Now I have to go to bed so I can get up in 7 hours to teach Seminary, LOL. |
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