I have been going through the Ashley story and cleaning up some of the writing

in my novel draft. This week, I am going to pester the editor of "La Bruja" who still hasn't given me any feedback.

Thus far, I have one reliable editor who returns shit right away, but I haven't looked at his feedback carefully for the non-serious part of my collection.  I think he asked more questions than anything, which can be very valuable.  He also said my stories were "fun" which made me want to punch him in the face.  Regardless, I need to start going through his comments to shepherd some of these changes.  I have the cover for that one publication thought out.  I guess this whole process is teaching me patience.  A whole lot of fucking patience.

This week, my students are working on character development.  They have excellent ideas, thus far.  I will be going through the character development exercises too, to get to know my characters better.  One idea the author of Bird by Bird stipulates The Harvest Novel Draftis to let side characters become main characters, and Paul is definitely becoming a main character in my novel The Harvest.  That's all I got.

Be more patient than you need to be with your writer friends.  They are busy busting their own balls to make a living.  #Resist

This morning, I ignored my cats for around an hour.  They think I'm their bitch, and they wake up up at 3a.m. or whenever they feel like it to eat an early breakfast.  (Yes, they ask for a second breakfast.)  That is so annoying because for the longest time I had them on a 6a.m. breakfast schedule, but today, I was victorious.  I didn't get up until 6a.m.  Besides, there is kibble in their respective bowls, 24 hours a day. 



The other annoying behavior is when #1 kitten sleeps right next to my head. 

That is not the problem; the problem is that she purrs so loudly that I can't sleep.  It is sweet at some level, but the other day, she kept waking me up, so now, I just close the door completely, even though the room gets hot with the heater. 

Still, I love my cats, and I enjoy watching their wacky behavior towards each other.  The older cat, Polly Girl, however, was on my shit list because she scratched, an ever so small puncture, outside the corner of my daughter's right eye, and then had the cajones to hiss at her like a beast.  I sprayed the cat's face and said, "No scratching the baby!"  I was very upset, but have had a number of conversations with my little daughter about boundaries because she hugs like a savage, and the cat doesn't like it.  Polly Girl has boundary issues, probably because her previous owners treated her like shit.  The kitten can take it, so I have directed that toddler love towards Ninja. 

After the incident, Simona kept saying, "Take the cat back to the store and get me a King Charles doggie!  For me.  For Antonio,  For you.  And For Daddy."  Oh,  how fickle toddler affection can be.  That happened a couple of days ago, and she hasn't asked for the dog since, but let me tell you, that for a while taking the cat to the pound or giving it away to another cat lover crossed my mind.  I know, I know, cats are cats, but that pissed me off. 

Enough family drama. 

I posted more of The Harvest draft.  I went over the old Ashley section and made some corrections.  Now, I'm too tired to write.  I am on the contract bargaining team, which is a real honor, but I had way too many meetings last week.  So, now that I've had coffee, it's back to bed.  Ha ha.  Or not, I feel a second wind coming on!

Keep on despite obligations and don't get rid of your cats.  #Resist

Yes, this week, hammering out the cover for "La Bruja del Barrio Loco".  I have been so caught up dealing with my kids getting flu around Christmas, then the road trip back to Chicago, and so many work meetings last week, that I haven't blogged.  Hell, I haven't written much.  Did I mention I had to rewrite a whole syllabus and revamp my Creative Writing syllabus?

Yesterday, I was finalizing both.  I am teaching a longer unit on plays in my Creative Writing class this semester.  I haven't written a play in AGES.  A screen play even far longer than that.  In fact, when I took the play writing course, I can safely say, it was the hardest damn course ever, and I don't think I finished it.  I was too young when I took the course too, and my work was shallow.   

We will see how that unit goes.  The elements of character and dialogue cross over to fiction, but every action the actors make, the lighting all of that matters to the meaning of the play.  I almost feel like you have to enter the characters and tune into their physical presence in a much deeper way when you write a play. 

Oh, duty calls via angry toddler.  More later.  (I will post some cover ideas this week.

May your writing challenges lead to gems.  #Resist