Me before kids!
My name’s Amanda Martin and I am finally happy to call myself an author. Yes, I think that sits okay with me now, although I like WriterMummy better.
I come from the slash slash generation. You know, we don’t have just one career anymore, we have a plethora of them. Marketing Manager/Artist/Photographer, or Consultant/ Teacher/Web Designer; I’ve been all those people.
Right now I’m trying on the role of Writer/Mummy: juggling writing novels, editing and proofreading for other amazing authors, and looking after my two energetic and creative children. It’s challenging, tiring, exhilarating, but above all it’s fun.
I want to share my experiences so that anyone who has ever made excuses as to why they can’t write down the book lurking within them can sit back and realise, hey, if she can do it, so can I.
So come on, join me.
Writer/Mummy
writermummy 
what a touching blog! and envy you do have a great and warm family with you. God bless you!
Thank you for your comment. I do indeed have a wonderful supportive family and am already blessed!
Amanda
right, we all are blessed, we are alive.
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Congratulations on such a fine performance!
You’ve just been nominated as a Very Inspiring Blogger. Please accept your award at:
http://freelittlewords.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/i-love-bloggers-awards-act-two/
Cue the applause…..
Love and hugs, Kelly.
Thank you Kelly, and thank you for following my daily ramble. I will willingly accept the award and am off to find my inspiring fifteen…
I just read your comment to Sarah at Sarah Solmonson: Writer and…mother?! and was so impressed that I had to come over and visit. Love your blog and looking forward to reading more!
Thank you so much for stopping by and I’m thrilled you love the blog: it’s always great to get feedback. and know that people are enjoying it.
My boy is 4. I absolutely understand how it feels to try and be a Mum AND write a book. To be honest writing is my crack and without it I get cold turkey. 😉
Cheers
MTM
Oh yes, writing is my escape (and reading the worlds other people have written). I long for the day when they sit reading too and it will be quiet. Maybe one day!
When they both go to school it will help I suspect. Mine started this year and though it took most of the Winter Term to unscramble my brain I am now cautiously optimistic that I’ll finish my third book. And my facebook posts about what McMini says get far, far more hits than anything I ever say about my writing or on my blog phnark!
Cheers
MTM
Yes, I wish I had the forethought / energy to write down what the kids say and put it on my FB page. They say the best things sometimes! First child starts school this Sept so that will take some adjusting to for all of us. Other one has 2 years to go yet, though he’d happily start with his sister!
I have two notebooks, one for writing and one for everything else because I have the memory of a goldfish and it’s the only way I can remember anything. It means I usually have something to hand to write the really funny ones down in!
As for school, well I was nervous before hand but McMini loves it. I sent him to the preschool first so he’d get a feel for it, I think that helped but he has a great time.
Cheers
MTM
Thanks for the tip and for the encouragement about school. We found out today that she got into the school her friends from nursery will go to, so hopefully she’ll be fine!
Hi Amanda,
Just popped over from Sally Jenkin’s blog. I was interested in your view with regards to KDP as I have just put my my first short story on Amazon. Some people say that it is not as powerful as it used to be in the past. I have never used Smashwords so wondered what the comparison would be?
Hi Victoria, thanks for stopping by. I don’t have a comparison because I couldn’t get my book through the Vetter on Smashwords when I loaded it to Kindle – that’s why I decided to go with the KDP Select. However I have reformatted it so will be trying Smashwords at the end of May when my KDP Select runs out.
Thank you for that Amanda, So many programmes to choose from with their own special rules and regs eh.
Oh yes, I’m happy to stick with Amazon and Smashwords, as I have learned how to use them (my free novel is on smashwords)
I know you’ve been nominated before, but I’ve (re-)nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. I love your blog, and you can read my post about it here: http://astridcook.com/2013/06/02/a-very-inspiring-blog-writer-mummy/
Thank you very much! It doesn’t matter how many times you get nominated for blogger awards (and I haven’t had many) it’s a huge honour. I love that someone is reading my blog and finds it in any way inspiring.
Great blog! Thanks for following mine and leading me to yours!
You look familiar, but for the life of me, I can’t remember where from. I was an avid yahoo-er for a while, that might be where from.
Anyway, isn’t it great to be a slash-slasher. I’m a Programmer/Writer/Daddy. As long as there is a little time left in our tank for ourselves, we’ve got the gas to chase our dreams. Makes me wonder if people of past generations did not have the opportunities we have today. But, then again, I know far too many people who are content to sit on their hands during their free time. And those are only the ones who aren’t completely missing the picture by being stoned or drunk all the time.
Life is wonderful, children are wonderful. I wouldn’t waste a minute.
I agree completely! Not that I don’t also watch too much TV and spend too much time on Facebook or ignoring my kids! As long as you’re trying, that’s the main thing! I like the chapters on your blog, it’s an intriguing story.
Well you can’t pursue your dreams and spend all your time with your kids. Balance is the key. My wife keeps me in check, “Get off that computer and…”
Thanks for reading.
Where do you want comments left on Two-Hundred Steps Home? You know, the snide remarks.
Just kidding, I really like it so far. But, I did find a little hiccup in five. “The Board want me…”
So far, you’ve taken stuff that I would probably normal find kind of boring and made it interesting. Claire’s family, no calling, no letters, reminds me of my mother. Her sister is pretty much telling her she is going to die of a brain tumor and she is off in la-la land. Witty dialog and realistic characters.
Happy to take comments wherever. You can email me (I’ll send you my address if you want to do that) or on the post the comment relates to. If it’s overall review type comments, each month’s installments is loaded as a free volume on Smashwords and I always need more reviews (good or bad: it shows people have read it!)
Thank you for the follow, looking forward to getting to know you better through your posts! 🙂
Thank you, and I you! 🙂
I just finished your book Baby Blues and Wedding Shoes and posted your first review on Amazon! Thanks for a great story and please write another book about my new friends.
Thank you for the review! I’m sorry the extra characters made it confusing (I did cut out about 10k of extra stuff, mostly about Dawn, Ben and Sharni but I loved them too much to silence them completely!)
I would love to write sequels about them, as they’re my favourite secondary characters. Maybe fill in the gap between the book and the epilogue four years later (although I guess I’ve already given the ending away!)
I’m currently working on another manuscript but will definitely add Baby Blues sequel to the list! 🙂
Thank you for following my blog. I’m in the middle of NaNo, but “I’ll be back!”
“Sue”
Have just found you via Guest post on Support a writer. I love your musings.
Thank you, and thank you for stopping by 😀
The “slash slash generation” – how right you are! This is the world we live in, and well done to you for celebrating the many dimensions of your life.
Thank you! Yes we definitely have to juggle multiple lives these days. I think survival depends on being about to reconcile all those different people (something I don’t always manage!)
Dear Amanda – I am a freelance permissions editor working for Cambridge University Press and they would like to reprint an extract from one of your books in a forthcoming educational course book. I am unable to find contact details for you online and would be grateful if you could get in touch with me to discuss this further. I hope to hear from you soon. Kind regards, Rebecca
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