Author María J. Estrada
  • Home
  • Mi Biografía
  • My Patreon Page
  • Un Blog de Writing Musings
  • Author Interviews
    • Grayson Bell
    • Eric Allen Yankee
    • Mehreen Ahmed
    • Steve Carr
    • Martin Eastland
    • P.S. Malcolm
    • P.C. Darkcliff
  • The Harvested Draft
  • Books
  • Poetry
  • Useful Bits
  • Contact

Un Blog de Writing Musings

Student/New Writing Struggles and Weekly Writing Goal

1/3/2017

0 Comments

 
I have been writing regularly, but I haven't had time to blog because I have been evaluating my students' short stories.  My students have a lot of talent and unusual humility, but they are still learning how to stick to a schedule and a page limit.  Some of them are having a hard time ending their stories.  That happens, but I hope in their revisions, they are able to resolve the major conflict.  I also recommended that they not put their characters in impossible situations.  I killed a story line that way once; actually, I find teaching a lot from my mistakes when they struggle and hope my advice helps.

The funny thing is that in their stories, I am hyper aware of when they over narrate.  Ha ha ha.  These are parts in my writing that I have to cut out.  Evaluating their stories has been pretty amazing.

Now back to the daily writing: I posted more of "La Bruja del Barrio Loco" which is almost done.  I am shooting for five more pages.  It is a far longer story than I had planned to write and will post it on Amazon as a practice run, after I get sick of revising it.  Actually, that will most likely be my new goal, to post a new one every couple of weeks or more.  The problem isn't the writing; the problem is designing new book covers.  (I love gleaning through ugly book covers and finding ones I like.)  I don't have fantasies of making it rich from what I produce.    

However, I talked to my Union lawyer, who let me know that as long as I teach full time, it doesn't matter how much money I earn from publications.  That is awesome.  I only write a few hours a week, and hope to make some Christmas or emergency money.  

My writing goal this week is to finish "La Bruja" and move onto my novel again.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Become a Patron!
    Picture

    Jesú Estrada
    Pen Name: 
    María J. Estrada
    Chicago, IL

    You follow me everywhere @drmariajestrada, except Twitter.
    Subscribe to my YouTube channel, Radical Books and Activists.

    *********************
    MARIA J. ESTRADA is an English college professor of Composition, Literature, and her favorite, Creative Writing. She grew up in the desert outside of Yuma, Arizona in the real Barrio de Los Locos, a barrio comprised of new Mexican immigrants and first-generation Chicanos. Drawing from this setting and experiences, she writes like a loca every minute she can—all while magically balancing her work and family obligations. She lives in Chicago’s south side with her wonderfully supportive husband, two remarkable children, and a menagerie of animals.

    Archives

    July 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    November 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014

    Categories

    All

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos from shixart1985, Phuketian.S, yourbestdigs, yourbestdigs, Brett Jordan, Lars Plougmann, trevormarron, Monkey Mash Button, classroomcamera, volkspider, Jonathan Rolande
  • Home
  • Mi Biografía
  • My Patreon Page
  • Un Blog de Writing Musings
  • Author Interviews
    • Grayson Bell
    • Eric Allen Yankee
    • Mehreen Ahmed
    • Steve Carr
    • Martin Eastland
    • P.S. Malcolm
    • P.C. Darkcliff
  • The Harvested Draft
  • Books
  • Poetry
  • Useful Bits
  • Contact