Happy Mother’s Day!
Thank you for helping me celebrate Writer Mama. I am giving away THREE copies to three folks who respond to today’s prompt. (And sure, if you already have a copy, I’m happy to send the copy to a friend so long as that works with Da Rules.) Here we go…
Christina Katz is the author of the forthcoming Writer’s Digest book, The Writer’s Workout, 366 Tips, Tasks & Techniques From Your Writing Career Coach. She also wrote Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids. A “gentle taskmaster” over the past decade to hundreds of writers, Christina’s students go from unpublished to published, build professional writing career skills, increase their creative confidence, and succeed over time. Christina hosts the Northwest Author Series in Wilsonville, Oregon, where she lives with her husband, daughter, and far too many pets.
About the book:
As a mom, you want to spend as much time with your children as possible. But you’d also like to make some money doing something you enjoy. How do you get the best of both worlds? Writer Mama by experienced freelancer Christina Katz tells you how. You can start a stay-at-home freelance writing career tailored to fit your family and lifestyle.
Writer Mama will answer all your questions about how to get started, in realistic, easy-to-follow steps. While conversational and easy-to-read, this book also does a lot of hard work for you. It gives you practical advice and exercises that help you get started in a matter of weeks. You’ll get tips on how to: begin with the easiest routes to publication for moms, network with other writer mamas, editors, and agents, write cover letters and queries, choose your own writing specialty, create a web presence, set up a home office, and make time for yourself, your kids, and your writing.
1. How has writing (either just the act of writing or writing this book or both) impacted your self-confidence?
I think most people who know my work either don’t know or forget that I am basically an introvert. So reaching out to the many moms who are featured in Writer Mama and hitting the road to make appearances at writing conferences where I didn’t know a soul did not come easily to me at first. These abilities are skills today because I made myself use them. So writing, and Writer Mama specifically, had a major impact on my self-confidence by encouraging me to stretch far beyond my comfort zone and start using necessary author skills.
2. What are three words that describe your creative book-writing process?
For Writer Mama, my creative book-writing process was panic-driven, excitement-fueled, and very late in the process confidence-building. Since I did not follow my outline (which is typical for me), I was driving in the dark for the majority of the process. Ultimately that made a better book, but a pretty nerve-wracking writing process.
3. What good has your book created in the world?
My book has helped thousands of moms learn more about writing nonfiction for publication and as part of a professional career. Because of the book, I have worked with hundreds of moms who go from wanting to write or wanting to write better or more to writing publishable articles. Many moms write to me to say that Writer Mama affirmed their desire to write, helped them get started, helped them get published, helped them feel like “I can do this,” or helped them get back in the game again. I’m so grateful that Writer Mama was my first book and that I got to work with all of the folks I got to work with to produce it.
• • •
What is your single proudest writing accomplishment in your career thus far? How might this writing success point you towards future success?
Answer in the comments in 50-200 words (no less and no more to qualify to win one of today’s books). Please read the complete rules at least once!
Thanks for participating in the Writer Mama Every-Day-In-May Book Giveaway! Please bring your writing group next time you come. 
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My proudest moment is when I finished National Novel Writing Month two years ago (write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November). It was an amazing and powerful feeling of accomplishment to set such a large goal and know that I could achieve it. This has made me realize that I can accomplish my writing (and other) goals if I set my mind to it. Two of my kids also participated, setting their own goals, and I loved sharing that with them.
It’s been a year and one month now that at 6 am Monday through Friday—one hour before my two- and three-year-olds rise and shine—that I wake to write. I hold an MFA and am multi-published in multi-genres, but it is that one hour commitment of which I am most proud. In the afternoons during naptime, I work on technical and non-fiction projects, but mornings are what I’ve set apart for my novel. And since it’s a commitment that I will continue to honor through these preschool years and through future pregnancies (well, except
morning sickness
, maybe…!), I will rewrite and edit and polish until it shines (preferably on bookshelves!). I just read a verse in Ephesians chapter six that I found encouraging and stuck to my computer: And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.
I was asked to write an article on Yoga for new moms for a national womens magazine launching this summer. Yoga has been a huge part of my life for almost two decades, and now that I’m a mom I’m learning to adjust my practice to make room for our munchkin. With some dedication, I intend to uncover more opportunities to write about subjects I hold dear…and hopefully spread the love!
I suppose my proudest personal moment was my first sale but that article wasn’t the piece of work I’m most proud of.
I feel good when I get a comment or an email from someone who was touched by or identified strongly with something I wrote or who thanks me for putting her thoughts into words or justifying her emotions.
My proudest moment so far is in 2010 a publisher of a regional parenting magazine contacted me and asked if I wanted to work with them on a few assignments. Uh…yes! I had sold four or five of my reprints to them earlier in the year and she said the editor liked working with me. They sent me their editorial calendar and I picked 10 different topics. I was hoping to get at least a few of them because I wasn’t local. I got 8 out of the 10 assignments for this year. And they’re on the other side of the US. 🙂
My single greatest writing accomplishment? Although I’ve had quite a few magazine articles published, I may be most proud of the novel I wrote that hasn’t been published (yet). I’m horrible at following through with long term projects, so I’m very happy to have finished it, revised it several times to point that I’m very pleased with it. I believe it will be published one day.
Thanks! Happy Mother’s Day!
My proudest moment happens over and over when I have the chance to come alongside another writer who is struggling, maybe doubting their writing ability, and I’m able to encourage them. I’ve had other writers help me see my writing dreams come true, so I believe in doing the same.
Not even sure if I have any right to answer this, but I did have my first proud moment the other night when a local publication contacted me to ask if I would be interested in submitting for them. Talk about doing the happy dance like a 16 year old who had just been asked out on a date! Not a biggie, but it was such a boost. To me it was validation that I there might be a shred of hope in my future.
My single proudest accomplishment as a writer is that I have inspired young writers that they can follow their dream. It’s possible to have a “day job” with financial benefits and be a writer too. Of course it helps if the career involves writing; it’s no coincidence that many successful published authors and novelists are journalists, editors or are involved in publishing. The young writers of which I am the proudest are my adult children and my employee. I can think of no better Mother’s Day present than that. They’re my legacy.
Ok, I am probably not the best person to answer this question, but my most proudest writing accomplishment came when I was in high school. My AP English teacher gave us an assignment around Christmas and I worked on it with the kind of fervor most people have when they are obsessed with something. Sharing it with others was nerve wracking, but I did it. My teacher thought it was good enough to enter in the school literary contest, and I took first place. I wish I had kept on going with the writing bug, but I carelessly let it slip away. Now, at 39 years old, I want desperately to recapture that zeal I had for writing. I have been reading my piece over and over again, and I have started writing again. I think that by believing in myself as much as I had with that piece, I have the ability to become successful in the future with my writing. I certainly look forward to trying!
I have to say that the writing I am currently most proud of are the scenes I’ve managed to write on my novel-in-progress. The thought of an entire book is rather overwhelming, thus my work on it is in fits and starts. But when I finally do plant my seat in the chair, tear myself away from Facebook, Twitter, and “How to Write” blogs, and actually pound out some scenes, I am almost always surprised and pleased with the results. So, Wannabe Novelist, why aren’t you writing?
Good for you! Haven’t attempted NaNoWriMo twice…. and not made the 50,000 words…. I can appreciate that accomplishment! (I did however could some good scenes written during that month!)
Although I’ve always been a writer, I just recently have gotten to a place in life where I’m able to begin building a career. This is actually an interesting question because I have a written a Master’s thesis, but I have no feelings attached to it. I don’t think I can honestly say that I’m proud of it. That career path made me miserable, which is how I ended up back at something I LOVE…writing! So my biggest “accomplishment” thus far is starting my blog because that’s when I really committed to giving my dream a go, and now I’m working on my first novel!
I’ve been writing business marketing things for years, but my proudest moments came when venturing into novel writing. First, I was a finalist in a dialog writing contest hosted by a “big agent”. There were 600 entries and the winner was chosen by the readers. That was my first pat on the back for fiction, and the first time I realized I might be good at writing dialog. The second one came when my first manuscript generated interest from an agent, who worked with me on some edits. The agent didn’t sign me, which was a huge disappointment. I’m proud of myself for not giving up, and for remembering the hard work it took to get to the point where an agent would even read my story, let alone spend many hours with me editing it.
My proudest moment was when I stepped out of the box and wrote the novel that I wanted to write instead of what I felt I “should” be writing. It went against rules, it didn’t fall neatly into any genre, but it was exciting and I loved the characters fiercely! I later found an agent who loved this novel as much as I did, and although it’s a difficult sell, he still believes in it. And yes, it was a NANOWRIMO novel! I love Nano, and think everybody should try it once. It’s just a fun, joyful thing.
When I was in the midst of treatment for breast cancer, I wrote a blog post detailing a day of chemo, from getting up in the morning for my pre-meds, to securing babysitting for my toddler, to the after effects at the end of the day. That post turned out to be one of the most visited on my blog, with hits from around the world every day. I regularly get emails and comments from people who were anxious about their upcoming chemo telling me the post eased their nerves, and people with friends or family with cancer telling me the post helped them understand what their loved ones went through. This post helped me understand that I want to direct my writing towards those battling cancer and their loved ones – specifically parents with cancer, trying to balance cancer treatment with raising their children.
My proudest writing accomplishment so far is being published in the recently released book Just Moms: Conveying Justice in an Unjust World. I’m one of 28 “writer mamas” in this anthology and am so grateful to be part of a justice themed mommy lit. book alongside such incredible women.
The joy of being published in Just Moms has caused me to consider making a greater commitment to writing. Reading Writer Mama is my next step. 🙂
My proudest accomplishment is not any particular article
that I’ve published, any award, or any market that I cracked. My proudest
accomplishment is not my blog, or the number of followers I have amassed on
social networking sites. It’s not even finishing a book. My proudest
accomplishment is that I have stuck in the game for four years. Since the
moment I sent out my first submission in May of 2007, I have not turned back. I
have not faltered or grown weary. I have maintained a consistent working
momentum, even when I had to work a part-time job outside the home for over a
year. Even with homeschooling my children and running our homestead I have hung
in there. I believe this is my proudest accomplishment because it tells me that
as the children grow, move on their way, and my life starts to slow down in
other areas, I will not give up on my writing.
I have to say, this question made me pause. My single
proudest writing accomplishment thus far? That is almost like asking me who my
favorite child is! I thought over all the works I had published. Should I go
with the first writing I ever published? The first one in a print anthology? My
first published poem? My first contest win? I thought of all these and more,
and then I had an “aha” moment and knew what I would write. My single proudest
writing accomplishment was when four years ago, I gathered the courage to walk
into a cancer survivors’ writing group, with no writing experience to speak of,
and read what I had just written to eight other women, who until that point,
were total strangers to me. It taught me once and for all, that to grow as a
person, we need to take measured risks sometimes.
Hi @cca54004798473126e7e733e3cf2983e:disqus , I just wanted to let you know that I had an article like this that I was sitting on for years. Today it is one of my most-often published pieces. 🙂