REVIEW and EXCERPT
The Busy Moms Guide to Writing
by Angela Castillo and Jamie Foley
The Busy Moms Guide to Writing is the first book in the Busy Moms Guides by Angela Castillo and Jamie Foley. Also available: The Busy Moms Guide to Indie Publishing, The Busy Moms Guide to Novel Marketing, and The Busy Moms Guide to Writing Box Set.
The Busy Moms Guide to Writing is currently on tour with Reading Addiction Book Tours. The tour stops here today for my review, an excerpt, and a freebie. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
Are you a busy mom who loves to write, but doesn't know where to start? This easy-to-read guide by two bestselling, award-winning authors will help you make your writing dreams a reality.
From finding time to write, to showing you how to get your kids involved, Jamie Foley and Angela Castillo (who happen to be busy moms themselves) will give you the resources - and the encouragement - you need.
This book will:
- Help you plan out your writing goals, time management, and financial budget
- Encourage you to enlist aid from the right people - critique partners, editors, cover designers, and more
- Guide you to making the best decision for you regarding independent and traditional publishing
- Give you questions to ask yourself at the end of each chapter to help you move closer to your writing dreams
- Steer you away from common mistakes
Excerpt
Supper should have been started half an hour ago, and a pile of laundry waits for you on the couch (well, it used to--now the kids have flung the clothes across the room in a free-for-all sock fight). Your baby is crying, and your oldest kid is yelling something about a science fair project being due tomorrow.
But what are you thinking about? A roving mercenary princess in your own made up land--the land of Flynn. You’ve dreamed about this land, pretended to live in it yourself. And more than anything, you want to write about it.
Your little girl grabs hold of your leg with sticky fingers. “Mommy, when are we going to have supper? I’m hungry, Mommy!”
If you’re feeling tempted to check your home for a hidden camera, the reason we know these things is because we are there. We have nights like this on a continual basis. Yet between both of us, we have fifteen published books (and three collections). These books help to generate an income to help with grocery money and even, sometimes, the mortgage payment. Writing and Momming can happen! At the same time!
What this book will do:
- Help you plan out your writing goals and time management
- Give you tools to do your personal best when it comes to writing
- Steer you away from mistakes we’ve made
- Encourage you to enlist aid from the right people--critique partners, editors, cover designers, and more
- Help you create a time budget, as well as a financial budget, so you don’t go overboard
- Guide you to making the best decision for you regarding independent and traditional publishing
- Give you questions to ask yourself (and hopefully answer!) at the end of each chapter to help you move closer to your writing dreams
What this book won’t do:
- Teach you how to write a New York Times bestseller (if you find a book that can do this, let us know)
- Tell you to neglect your family in order to write
- Expect you to have a ten-thousand-dollar budget for your first book
- Tell you how to come up with writing ideas. There are countless other writing prompt books available out there. We figure if you picked up this book, you probably have ideas buzzing around in your head already and are looking for a way to let them out.
- Give you a magic formula to make millions of dollars with your books (we don’t believe such a thing exists, but maybe. Of course, unicorns might exist too…)
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
“… a professionally written and designed book that over delivers on value. This book is so aesthetically pleasing, so beautifully illustrated and flawlessly formatted that, for a brief moment, I thought I might be dreaming. What a pleasure to read!” ~ R. Smith
“I'm not a busy mom, but I AM a busy writer, so this book was still helpful. I already knew a lot of this, but there are ALWAYS new perspectives and ideas to be picked up. Insightful, well-written, and sometimes funny, it has lots of great tips and advice.” ~ Deborah O’Carroll
“The chapters are well polished and organized. I found it particularly interesting that although the co-authors write in different genres (historical romance vs fantasy/sci-fi) and styles (pantser vs plotter) the overall tone was extremely cohesive and conversational - like close, long-time friends chatting about their writing process.” ~ Katia Hart
“I was pleased to see that motherhood was not a requirement for reading this book. Within the authors give Suggestions for finding extra time in which to write. They also provide a run down of basic writing craft and a basic publishing primer. The prose was both informative and enjoyable. With this book you will not become a published author overnight, but it may help you decide if it's a journey you want to start.” ~ Cathrine Bonham
“This book is perfect for ALL busy people trying to find a way to make time for writing and prioritize what little time they have. Jamie and Angela help writers do things right from the start but cutting through the clutter and laying out the alternatives, no-nos, and how-tos from the very beginning! I highly recommend this book to all people who enjoy writing words, no matter how busy or experienced.” ~ Albert L. Ellison
My Review
By Lynda Dickson
Here’s a book that tells you that “Writing and Momming can happen! At the same time!” But the best thing is that this book isn’t just for moms. While the authors present tips on planning and writing a book while juggling a home and family, the advice they give is applicable to any writer.
Topics covered include: setting realistic goals, finding time to write, plotting your story, the length of books in different genres, writing a series, creating loveable characters, pitfalls to avoid, getting people to read your book before it goes to the editor, editing, and publishing.
This is a beautifully presented book, with a writer’s quote at the beginning of each chapter, cute notes in between, and questions for your consideration at the end of each chapter. The authors maintain a friendly, conversational tone throughout. A pleasure to read.
About the Authors
Angela Castillo loves living in the small town of Bastrop, Texas, and draws much of her writing inspiration from life there. She loves to walk in the woods and shop in the local stores. Castillo studied Practical Theology and Music at Christ for the Nations in Dallas, Texas. She was home-schooled all through high school and is the oldest of seven kids. Castillo's greatest joys are her little girl and two boys. Castillo has been published in The First Line, Aardvark's Ark, Heartwarmers, Thema, and several other publications, and also has works available on Amazon.
Jamie Foley loves strategy games, home-grown berries, and Texas winters. She's terrified of plot holes and red wasps.
Her husband is her manly cowboy astronaut muse. They live between Austin, Texas, and their family cattle ranch, where their hyperactive spawnling and wolfpack can run free.
Freebie
Sign up for the Busy Moms newsletter to receive your FREE copy of 50 Websites Every Author Should Know About by Angela Castillo and Jamie Foley.
Links
