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Insights into the writing life of an exhausted mom of four 8 and under. |
Hey! You! Yeah, you! Could you bring this momma some coffee?  I'll be sharing my struggles and triumphs as I try to pin down inspiration while juggling an 8 year old, 6 year old, 5 year old, and 5 month old (oh, and also navigating my chronic illness). There'll be lots of humor, probably more than a little complaining, and just all around good times. I hope you'll come along for the journey! (Don't forget the coffee; I'm serious about that!  ) AlyCatAuthor A Proud Member of 
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| Prompt: How about a little trivia fun-- What song was number one the year you were born or what book was number one on the New York bestsellers list the year you were born? Are you familiar with the song or the book? Would you recommend either to us? Oooh I get to put on my research hat!   So the number one song was "I Will Always Love You" (the Whitney Houston version, an absolute classic!). I would definitely recommend this song and, as a matter of fact, I find myself singing it quite often.  The number one book was "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt. I have never even heard of this book, much less read it, but a glimpse through the Googler at the synopsis seems like a very interesting read. It's apparently considered a dark academia classic, and I am a big fan of that vibe. AlyCatAuthor |
| Prompt: “Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.” Meister Eckhart What resistance or skepticism does this quote bring up in your mind? And why? I love this mindset so much. I love to learn new things, and I love the feeling of beginning something new. I actually don't have any resistance to this whatsoever. No matter how much we have learned about any given topic or skill, we can always learn more. How great would it be to approach everything with the hopeful enthusiasm of a beginner. AlyCatAuthor |
| Prompt: "I want to live my life, not record it." Jackie Kennedy Write about this quote in your Blog entry today. I want to do both! I am a scrapbooker as well as a writer. I love taking photos and writing the stories that mean a lot to me. Recording my life helps me to reflect on it and really soak in the lessons it has for me. It also helps me to memorialize certain fleeting seasons of my life that I know I will want to look back on it. That said, I don't want to do so much recording that I forget to pay attention to the present. It's always a constant battle for balance. AlyCatAuthor |
Prompt: Secrets What do you think about secrets and keeping secrets? If a secret would be against your morals or beliefs or if it was about hurting someone or a group of people, would you still keep it? That's a difficult question to answer, because there are so many possibilities of how this scenario might manifest in real life. What if it was your child telling you these things? What if the person they have hurt carries with it a heavy consequence? It would be difficult to tell the truth and turn in your own flesh and blood, but it would be the right thing to do. Much easier said than done, however. Long story short, if I thought revealing the secret would do more good than harm, I would likely reveal it. If the situation is complex and I don't have all the information, I would likely keep it until I got more information. Anything involving the safety of a minor, and I would not be keeping that secret (allegations or confessions of abuse and the like). AlyCatAuthor |
| Prompt: How can you find relief when you're feeling overwhelmed? Write about this in your Blog entry today. I like to try and get outside when I'm feeling overwhelmed. Just standing outside on my deck and listening to the birds singing, someone mowing the lawn a few yards over, and feeling the wind and sunshine immediately calms my emotions. If it's raining, sometimes that's even better. I'll open my back door kitchen window and listen to the rain. Sometimes the cause of my overwhelm is my curious children and their loud, repetitive questions. I get sensory overwhelmed very easily, so sometimes I ask them to whisper their questions, or raise hands and speak one at a time. If I'm extremely overwhelmed and on the verge of snapping (usually because my children are arguing or fighting with each other), I will often send them outside to play. It resets their nervous system as well as mine. Usually turning down the volume on external stimuli and doing my best to create a calm environment around me helps me recreate calm within myself. AlyCatAuthor |
| Prompt: "Cats are distant, direct, impeccably clean and able to stay silent. What more could be needed to be good company?" Write about this in your Blog entry today. I chuckled when I read this prompt. Many cats I've known in my life had their "distant" moments, but my current kitty is no such thing. Anytime I'm at my desk, sitting in my rocking chair (or sitting anywhere, for that matter), he is there, looking up with his big eyes to see if he can jump up in my lap. The other three adjectives describe him nicely, though. At this very moment, while I'm writing, he's giving himself a thorough bath, and has been for the past ten minutes.  Impeccably clean. He meows when it's time to feed him, when he wants pets or treats. Direct. He doesn't meow at any other time, not even the way some cats do at night when they're roaming the house and can't find you (despite you being in the same bedroom for years). Ability to stay silent.And I would agree that makes for very good company. AlyCatAuthor |
| Prompt: Empathy "The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy." Meryl Streep What are your thoughts on empathy? Empathy is the ability to feel what others are feeling. To walk a mile with them, in other words. It's an incredibly vulnerable thing to do, but often rewarding. Sometimes suffering alongside others is necessary-what I mean is, when we love people, we naturally suffer with them whether or not we consciously "want" to. That is a gift we can offer our fellow man, a superpower we possess as humans. When we have empathy for the ones we love, and even extend that empathy out to those outside our immediate circle of loved ones and friends, it can go a long way toward fostering a better world. As a person with chronic illness, but also a person who's deeply sensitive, it can be difficult to juggle my own energy needs with the needs of those around me, especially my children and my husband, so I must be very careful in how I expend my emotional energy. For that reason, I don't watch a lot of news or current events. Instead, I offer prayers for the needs of the world while taking care to save my energy for those that need it most--my "neighbor", my family members, and often, myself. Some might say that makes me selfish. As I've grown older, I find myself caring less about what people say and more about how I treat people. When I have no energy left, I retreat into myself. I have nothing to give. I must first take care of myself if I am to be of service to my neighbor and to the world. AlyCatAuthor |
This is my first time joining the "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise"  prompts!Prompt: Learning Wisdom "By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest." Confucius What do you think of this quote and what is your method of learning wisdom? My usual method of learning wisdom is the third: experience. I am someone who has to learn things the hard way most of the time. On a few instances I've imitated (followed the advice of others) and gotten good results, but most often I have to experience the pros and cons for myself for it to stick. Lately, as I've gotten older, I've reflected more on my life, what I want from it, and what actually makes me happy. I think that's a great way to learn what works for you. I think the quote is spot on.  AlyCatAuthor |
| Hey guys! Aly here. Just a little bit of an update here as spring begins to bloom all around. :) PERSONAL LIFE Things are slowly settling down. As many of you may know already, our family suffered a tremendous loss at the end of 2022. It's been a slow process to try and regain a sense of normalcy, especially as probate drags on and estate decisions are put into our hands. However, we are trying to look ahead to the future with hope, for our own sake as well as for our young kids. We were able to pay off all of our debt due to the legacy of our dear loved one who left us too soon. While we'd rather have her here, we know we can't change reality, and we're choosing to make the most of what's in front of us for the betterment of ours and our children's future--just like their Gammie would want. We've decided to sell the home which will be inherited by my husband and save the proceeds for a home closer to our church. This has been a dream of ours for a long time--to move closer to our church family and enroll our kids in the school there. The home desperately needs some updates before it can be sold, however, so those logistics are the brunt of what we're dealing with now on the practical side of things. On the grief side, some days are better than others, and some moments find you buried under a mountain of sadness you had no idea was lurking around the corner. The oddest things trigger memories and little tearful moments, but in a strange way, I'm glad for them. It reminds me that love lives on even when the person we long to share it with is no longer here with us. And it's a sad, strange, and beautiful thing. WRITING I've been really digging into my writing as a creative way to cope with my intense emotions lately, so I've gotten more done, not less. A brand new idea has come to the forefront of my mind, one that's well under way and may start trickling out either alongside the third and final installment of the "Kingdoms of Saelyn" series in June, or perhaps after. I haven't quite decided yet. I'm still steadily ghostwriting and have almost finished my first series. It's been a really fun ride so far, and I'm thinking ahead to the future about what I want to do moving forward. Do I want to leave more time for my own books and series, or do I want to keep making a steady income until we're settled closer to church? I'm not sure at the moment, and I'll be sure to update you guys when I come to a decision on this. NEW IDEA The new idea I mentioned above is a young adult urban fantasy romance series I'm tentatively titling "Hanna Skye and the Sons of Thunder." The premise is that a 16-year-old girl finds out she has ice manipulation powers and is enrolled as a trainee with a mysterious organization called "The Sons of Thunder." She then falls in love with the youngest of four brothers who train weather magicians like herself. This premise came to me in a dream and was so full of potential I immediately started jotting down ideas for how to expand it. It's since taken off, and I've almost got the entire first book written. Did I mention I had this dream only a few months ago? It's crazy how this idea has simply latched onto my subconscious and DEMANDED to be written. The two main characters and their stories came to me so readily, along with names, descriptions, and their relational dynamic. All I've had to do is let my fingers fly over the keyboard. I love it when that happens. All that to say, you'll want to keep an eye out for this series if any of the following tropes or concepts are your cup of tea: enemies to lovers romance, high school marching band shenanigans, I-would-die-for-you friendships, found family, secret identities/disguises, weather magic, forced proximity, touch-her-and-I'll-unalive-you, hidden powers, corrupt organizations, and love squares with alter egos. Also keep in mind that though this particular story is a little more heavy on the relational subplot, there's TONS of high-stakes adventure, fun high school drama, mystery, and an overarching redemption vibe that I think elevates this beyond your basic fantasy romance. FANFICTION I'm taking a hiatus on fanfiction right now while my original stories take over the pilot's seat. Expect lots of new story news in the next few months!! KINGDOMS OF SAELYN The third book is in the drafting stage, and the second book is going to final edits and formatting. My tentative release date for the Amazon Kindle edition is June 14 (my birthday!) so keep an eye out for official announcements on my social media and through email (if you're on my newsletter list). I'm getting so close to the end of this series, and I can't wait to finally have it finished and in your hands/on your e-readers! I think that's about all I have for updates. I know it's been a while--February and March were hard months as far as getting back on the horse with all the admin work of being a writer. Hopefully I can stick with it from here on out and be more consistent with my updates. Thanks for reading and for putting faith in me and my stories. I appreciate it more than you'll ever know.  Until next time, Aly |
| Aly here with another monthly author update! LIFE NEWS It's been an eventful start to the new year, to say the least. We lost my beloved mother-in-law at the tail end of December, and this month has been a whirlwind of grieving and estate logistics. My husband will be inheriting his mother's house, and we intend to move in during the probate process to do upkeep and reap the benefits of her paid-off mortgage (which means no rent or house payment, and more savings!). I'm sure the moving and estate process will mess with my creative flow, but I'm also determined to live this season in a state of giving myself, my kids and my husband tons of grace. We need it more than we need to be productive. I refuse to pile my plate high with responsibilities when I know I can't reasonably expect myself to perform them in this season. One thing I am working on doing is getting myself healthy. Being strung out on sugar or constantly in pain because of eating inflammatory foods is no way to go through something this life-changing. The healthier I can be, the better I'll come out on the other side of this, and the more creativity I'll have when I'm ready to get back on the horse more completely. BOOK/SERIES NEWS SERIALS I still plan on releasing new chapters each week of my two main projects, "Rattle The Stars" (Disney Fanfiction) and "Kingdom of Destruction" (second in my Kingdoms of Saelyn series). The books are already done, for the most part, minus some minor edits and incorporating beta feedback. My hope is to have Kingdom of Destruction available for purchase on Amazon in either Q2 or 3 of this year. Look for another update when it's live on Amazon!NEW PUBLISHING STRATEGY? I'm also thinking of moving my books to Kindle Unlimited, since I don't publish anywhere but Amazon (and my website) currently. Still puzzling out the terms to make sure I can keep up my current model of publishing to my website and other places around the web for free. Whatever I find out, I'll let you guys know for sure. KINGDOMS OF SAELYN Kingdom of Revelation, the third book of the series, is currently in the drafting process and is coming along painfully slowly, but I'm allowing it to. There are other priorities on my time and energy right now, and that's okay. Not every season is one for insane productivity, like 2022 was for me. DAY JOB WRITING I'm almost finished with my ghostwritten series, and I'm invested in giving it the epic ending it deserves. Hopefully, I'll be able to start a new project with the same company. They've been wonderful to me thus far, and the process of writing quickly has actually made me realize I've prepared for this role my whole life haha. I CAN write on a deadline, and produce something mostly readable, which is an encouraging thought as someone who's been an author and has studied stories for 15 years. GOALS FOR 2023 I've had to rethink some of my goals for this year. My word of the year is "healthy", and that can incorporate a lot of things. Most obviously, healthy means taking care of myself. I have a chronic illness that controls what, when, and how I eat most days, and I ignore it to my own peril. In the past, I've been stubborn about eating what I want, when I want, but always paid the price. Now, I'm trying to lean into grace more, trying to get outside and breathe fresh air more, and keep myself hydrated. I think much more clearly when I do all three of these things, and inflammation isn't making my brain hurt. Healthy also means putting boundaries around my time. I've accomplished a lot in 2022, but it came at a price. I overstepped time I should have given to my family in order to move forward on my goals, and that's not something I want to do moving forward. It may mean scaling back goals and allowing a lot more breathing room in my schedule. As an overachiever, I don't like the thought of not accomplishing more, but I know it will benefit me and my family in the long run. As far as publishing books and advancing my career, I still want to take some steps forward. I'll be doing lots of research, revamping my author strategy, and evaluating what I can reasonably expect myself to keep up with. For the time being, though, my ghostwriting "day job" takes top priority. It brings in income our family needs to reach our financial goals, is training me to trust my story instincts, treat my writing time as a discipline, and helping me produce stories I never thought I was capable of producing. I'm certainly NOT giving up on my stories. They just may grow and come into existence at a slower pace, and I'm okay with that. It's consistent effort that makes the most difference. I'll be glad I kept going 2, 5, and 10 years from now. I've already seen a huge difference in my own consistency over the last several quarters, thanks in no small part to Sarra Cannon's wonderful HB90 goal setting system. FREE E-BOOK! If you sign up for my author newsletter, you can claim your very own FREE copy of Kingdom of Illusion, just for being a subscriber. It's my welcome gift to you for hopping on board. Just visit this link: http://subscribepage.io/aXHkk5 If you'd rather just read the series here on WDC, that's totally cool, too! Here's the link: "The Kingdoms of Saelyn Series" .Not in the mood for fantasy? How about fanfiction? Come check out "God Help The Outcasts: COMPLETE" , a Disney crossover fic featuring Cinderella, Pocahontas, and the Hunchback of Notre Dame, or "Rattle The Stars" , another crossover featuring Alice in Wonderland and Treasure Planet!Thanks for coming along for the ride, dear readers. May God bless you and your brand new year!  |
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