Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Burgin.
Hi Amy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
You bet! I’m an author, and I hope my story inspires others to achieve their dream of becoming an author. I was an only child who moved every summer to follow my father’s work as an ironworker. I was happiest at a table with pen and paper. Math didn’t come easy, but teachers praised my writing. At age 11, I picked up the flute, which brought immense enjoyment. In high school, my favorite classes were English, art, and band. After high school, I quit playing the flute because I became focused on how to make a living. I didn’t think anyone wanted to pay me to play my flute.
In college, I was happiest in English and history classes, but I didn’t think anyone wanted to pay me to read, write, and learn. I had no idea what to do, so I just kept trying to do the next right thing in front of me to the best of my ability.
I had failed the math placement tests and so started with the most rudimentary math course the university offered. Fortunately, at this age, my brain was now primed for math, and I fell in love with it. Math was black and white. Math spoke truth, and I was drawn to that. No one could argue against the correct answer, as opinionated English teachers could when subjectively grading essays. After two years of getting my basics and discovering this newfound love for mathematics, I majored in it.
I remained unsure how to apply math to make a living, and so I minored in computer science and eventually earned a Master’s in Math with an emphasis in Computer Science.
After marriage and graduation, I worked as a computer scientist for 7 years and birthed three beautiful children. When my third child was 6 months old, I felt called to become a homemaker and quit my career. I worked as a homemaker for 13.5 years, and my love for pen and paper resurfaced during that time.
I started blogging and authored a weekly 7-day devotional for our church’s children’s ministry. After experiencing the 2017 total solar eclipse from the path of totality at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, I was inspired to write a book about it.
At this time, our family was entering what I call “the expensive season.” I wanted to provide our children with cars and college degrees, and so began to think about returning to work. While researching the total solar eclipse, I checked out a Nova documentary on the subject from our local library. While watching it, I felt compelled to search for a computer science job related to space science in San Antonio. I didn’t know any space science jobs in my town existed, but as soon as I looked, I found exactly one! I applied for that one job immediately and was hired right away.
Now, seven years later, I’m still working in the field and still writing. I find myself leading software development and commanding a spacecraft instrument that is flying in our solar system. I also find that one of my dreams has come true—I finished the book about the total solar eclipse and became an award-winning author! My first book, The Glory of the Total Solar Eclipse: Discovering God’s Extravagant Love in Its Path, made the Amazon #1 New Release and Top 10 Best Sellers Rank in the Science & Religion category. Yay!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have been many struggles along the way! When I started writing my book, I didn’t have a private office to work out of. I wrote at the kitchen table, the library, or a coffee shop. It was easy to think that I couldn’t get anything done because I didn’t have a dedicated place to write. But the truth is, writing does not depend on a dedicated place to write—writing depends on, well, writing!
It was also easy to believe that I didn’t have the time to write. I had a full-time job, a family, and co-hosted a podcast with my daughter, Joy. In December of 2021, I planned over a week of vacation so I could dedicate time to writing my book, but my dad had a major stroke the Friday before my vacation started! The planned time off was now spent navigating his care and recovery. I decided I couldn’t wait for life to slow down. I had to write in the now, no matter what was going on.
I think those of us who want to be authors have this idea that when life slows down, we can write our books. We’re waiting for some light at the end of the tunnel. But the problem is, life does not slow down for writing. We have to embrace writing in whatever situation we find ourselves in.
Also, writing is just hard. And writing your first book is especially hard because you wonder if you’re any good at it and you really don’t know! One day, I would read my work and think it was really worthwhile—it might even inspire me! The next day, I might read it and think it’s complete and utter trash! So there’s this inner struggle of wondering if it’s any good. And you just have to ignore the days when it feels like trash, and trust in the days when it feels right and wonderful and makes you feel right and wonderful.
Also, you just have to do it. I was inspired by this idea of just throwing my hat over the wall to force me to then figure out how to get over the wall to get it. And that’s something I did. I threw my hat over the wall by investing money in my book. I hired a writing coach and an editor. Spending money on my dream forced me to do the work and finish the book.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I continue to work in space science for my livelihood and blog on the side. I have several other book ideas up my sleeve, although I’m not actively working on any of them right now, other than writing and collecting little snippets here and there.
My writing is most known for being thoughtful about faith rather than being pushy. The science is very well researched, properly footnoted, and explained in ways that the layperson can easily understand. I also love to mix art with my writing. My daughter Joy illustrated the cover for my first book, along with many pictures throughout. It’s absolutely lovely, and I’m so proud of how it turned out!
I’m also proud to have partnered with Elsa and Charles Ezell and Danielle and Mario Lopez, who so graciously allowed me to share glimpses of their stories in my book.
100% of the profits from my book go directly to Meant to Soar, a nonprofit organization led by Elsa that “empowers children to overcome the generational trauma created by substance abuse and human trafficking so they can discover their God-given potential.”
Also, my daughter and I published a lovely podcast, The Christgazing Podcast. The episodes make space to meditate on an excerpt from scripture and anchors my mind to have a personal conversation with God. We paused in definitely in late 2024 due to my increased responsibilities as a caregiver, but the podcast is still available wherever you find podcasts with over 180 episodes at your fingertips!
But what am I most proud of? My God and my family. I am most proud of my God and my family. No work of mine has been completed without their guidance, help, and support.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Of course, Artificial Intelligence is coming into play. For now, I find works created by artificial intelligence lack the beauty and creativity that only a human can provide. But how long will that be the case? Will artificial intelligence replace coaches and editors? Can artificial intelligence encourage us to do the work?
I use artificial intelligence often to critique my work.
I ask it to tell me what it thinks about a poem or a short blog post.
It tends to be so kind that I tend not to trust it. But then again, I didn’t trust my editor when she praised my writing either.
What I like about artificial intelligence is that it never sleeps and it’s never annoyed by my questions. It’s always there, happy to read my work any time!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://amyburgin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyburginwriter/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-burgin/
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/show/0PHdTTKueH4j1OSBiyObhD
