About Ally

My name is Ally Sestito. I’m seventeen and spend most days riding vintage bicycles, capturing black and white moments with my handy camera, and writing.  Unfortunately for me, I found out that writing YA is a bit more messy and chaotic than I expected!

I started Novel Ideas over a year ago to vent my writing woes, but found that people were actually listening to my ramblings! So, I decided to make myself useful and become a writing advice blogger. Blogging has  been a real blast! I’ve learned so much from everyone in the blog sphere, surely more than I’ve taught them!

But of all the things I’ve learned so far, I’ve got to say that believing in yourself, and your work is the most important.Believing in the journey you are on, and the destination you know you’ll reach.

This blog chronicles m y journey from caterpillar writer to butterfly author. They’ll be a few bumps along the way, but we’ll get through it!

Thank you to those who continue to read my blog despite myself, and I truly hope you finish the journey you are on with success.

36 Responses to “About Ally”

  1. wovenstrands March 19, 2011 at 8:31 pm #

    Ally I love your new pix…you look like Taylor swift ❤

    Reply
    • nkeda14 March 19, 2011 at 9:26 pm #

      LOL Thanks, I get that a lot 😀

      Reply
      • cotpha August 24, 2011 at 11:04 pm #

        @woven: Yeah. I think so.LOL
        Love Taylor so much :)))))))))))))))))))))))))

      • nkeda14 August 25, 2011 at 5:05 pm #

        🙂 I love her too, and thanks!
        Hope you stop by again soon! Thank you for commenting.

  2. digitaloutcast April 5, 2011 at 1:25 am #

    as one teen writer to another, it’s real nice to see other young adults my age trying to get stuff published and books out there. great blog btw, keep it up.

    Reply
    • nkeda14 April 5, 2011 at 5:04 pm #

      Thanks! I’m glad you like the blog 😀

      I’m always happy to hear from other teen writers out there! Hope you come back for more soon.

      Reply
  3. gabriellan April 17, 2011 at 5:41 pm #

    Hi Ally! Your blog is pretty. It’s always awesome to meet other teens going through the same writing stuff as oneself 🙂

    Reply
    • nkeda14 April 17, 2011 at 9:44 pm #

      Thanks! 😀

      I love talking to other writers too! It’s great to see that your not the only one, you know?

      Reply
      • Caleb Jennings Breakey April 25, 2011 at 12:09 am #

        Cool blog here, Ally. It takes a ton of courage to be a young writer. I know (though I’m no longer a teen). =D

        Hey, as soon as I saw your blog, I wanted to tell you a little about calebbreakey.com, my website for Teen Writers. You might want to check it out. We’re going about 100 Teen Writers strong now, and the site is getting more active by the day.

        Hope you had a wonderful Easter!

        Caleb Jennings Breakey
        Refining Teen Writers into Rockstars
        http://www.CalebBreakey.com

  4. max April 28, 2011 at 5:49 pm #

    hey ally! i love the blog its great! i finally started on my first draft for my new story and its great to know other teens are also writing and going through the same stuff as me. keep up the good work!

    Reply
    • nkeda14 April 28, 2011 at 6:15 pm #

      Thanks 😀

      Good luck on your first draft!

      Reply
  5. Martin June 10, 2011 at 10:15 am #

    You look so amazing and you write amazing articles, these
    articles have helped me during my writing.

    Reply
    • nkeda14 June 10, 2011 at 1:12 pm #

      Thanks 🙂 I’m glad to here that you get something out of my rambling!

      Reply
    • thesnazzyhipster June 10, 2011 at 6:57 pm #

      I’m sorry, I truly am, but…really? REALLY?

      Reply
      • nkeda14 June 11, 2011 at 2:26 pm #

        LOL 😀

        …. really! haha

  6. uechiblackbelt June 30, 2011 at 2:55 pm #

    Nice blog. I’m a teen writer too, well slightly less of one in comparison to you, but your site and voice caught my attention at work because I am using my blog to do the same thing. Kudos and good luck. Check out my blog some time if you would like too.

    Reply
    • nkeda14 June 30, 2011 at 6:25 pm #

      Thanks 😀

      Glad you liked the site. I’ll be sure to check yours out asap!
      Come back soon, and thanks for commenting!

      Reply
  7. harmamae July 3, 2011 at 10:21 pm #

    Just wanted to let you know I added you to my blogroll. Hope you don’t mind!

    Reply
    • nkeda14 July 4, 2011 at 11:17 am #

      Mind? MIND! No way! Thank you so much!

      I’m so glad to here that you like my blog enough to do that!
      LOL Mind?

      Thanks 😉

      Reply
  8. Aloha August 25, 2011 at 1:51 am #

    Wow, what a coincidence! I found your blog off one of the WordPress theme posts… and it turns out you’re an ALAB addict AND a NaNoer as well??!

    I’m also a Zuko-obsessed teen writer who spends every November in a sort of pixie-stick-induced trance… Nice to meet you! I definitely look forward to reading more of your posts.

    (I’m not active on any of the NaNo sites right now, but my username for the YWP is AlohaAuthor7, on the main site I’m purpleperil, and for Camp NaNoWriMo (although I totally failed) I’m fullmetalgeek.)

    Reply
    • nkeda14 August 25, 2011 at 5:04 pm #

      Great to meet you!
      Glad you like the blog, hope to here more from you 🙂
      We should tag each other as friends when NaNo rolls around.

      Reply
  9. Michael Cunningham September 19, 2011 at 6:42 am #

    Haha, funny that you mention being a caterpillar hoping to turn into a butterfly that could end up being a moth… I wrote a short story a couple years ago about a caterpillar who couldn’t turn into a butterfly, only to find out he was destined to turn into a moth! P.S your blog is much easier to read now, good job!

    Reply
    • nkeda14 September 19, 2011 at 3:24 pm #

      Ha… great minds! And yes, I’m glad I changed up the theme. It is far less distracting from the content!

      Reply
  10. RaeAnn January 2, 2012 at 3:49 am #

    Great blog!
    I only started July last year too (2011), but unfortunately, I don’t happen to have your talent and stellar performance…I got only like 3 followers, and to think I had been estatic over that.
    I totally agree that one should believe in yourself first before you could reach great heights, but sadly, I haven’t been able to follow my advice…
    It’s tough when you feel like sometimes you’re just rambling to yourself…
    Oh well, congrats and kudos!

    Reply
    • nkeda14 January 2, 2012 at 8:45 am #

      Aw thank you RaeAnn! Though, I’m sure you are very talented!
      Don’t worry about the followers, just keep blogging and if you love what you’re doing then other people will see that and love it too!

      Comparing yourself to others never gets you anywhere (believe me I used to do it all the time). Bedsides, my 65 followers is basically nothing compared to other word-pressers The important thing, as I said, is just to believe in what you are doing, because that’s what really matters; that you love it and believe in it! Good Luck blogging! I’ll be sure to check out your site, and thank you for commenting!

      -Ally

      Reply
  11. Lisa Taylor January 2, 2012 at 3:01 pm #

    Hey, I love your blog! You have really great reviews and book recommendations here. SO I wanted to nominate you for the Liebster Blog Award! Here’s a link so you know what it is 🙂

    http://writersparty.com/2012/01/02/liebe-liebster-lisa/

    Keep up your beautiful blog!

    Reply
    • nkeda14 January 2, 2012 at 6:52 pm #

      What an honor! Thank you so much! I’ll be sure to go grab the badge, and post it to my blog as soon as I have time.

      Reply
  12. Patricia Awapara October 2, 2012 at 4:33 pm #

    Just nominated you for a Beautiful Blogger Award! http://awapara.wordpress.com/2012/10/02/beautiful-blogger-award/

    Reply
  13. Mari October 6, 2012 at 12:04 am #

    Hi, I found you through Patricia Awapara’s beautiful blogger award post and I am in awe of your free spirit and your selfless willingness to share your knowledge with the rest of the world!! (:

    Reply
    • nkeda14 October 14, 2012 at 5:06 pm #

      Oh thank you Mari! I really appreciate the comment and hope you continue to follow Novel Ideas 🙂

      Reply
  14. Anonymous January 3, 2013 at 9:58 pm #

    Do you have a fictionpress?

    Reply
  15. RamisaR August 3, 2013 at 7:11 am #

    Hello! 😀
    I have been nominated you for the Liebester Award. For more details, click here:
    http://ramisatheauthoress.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/liebester-award-2/

    Reply

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Writers Working the Tables « Woven Strands - March 19, 2011

    […] Ally Sestito is one of the first people I met on WordPress. Her blog Novel Ideas Life of a Teen Writer is filled with her inspiring journey, turning from a “caterpillar writer to a butterfly author”. […]
  2. I Finished California Girl! | Of a Writerly Sort - December 28, 2011

    […] false starts) wasn’t enough, I was awarded a blog badge from the awesome Ally over at Novel Ideas! Happiest week of my […]
  3. Beautiful Blogger Award « Patricia Awapara Blog - October 2, 2012

    […]  Mari at creative crafts & My blogging Addiction – Pete Armetta beautiful writing – Ally Novel ideas – Oceans up high upbeat and young – Book Peeps lovely blog – […]

Leave a comment