Who doesn't like a good explosion in the middle of a fascist regime? One of my favorite scenes in The Handmaid's Tale is the description of May Day. But, the bombs have to be sparse, unless there is an all out battle. I inserted one into the Alan story, just as he is walking home with 147-Paul. It's not quite a fiery bomb, and the reader won't know if it is rebel activity or something else. When people are living in constant fear, they tend to blame whatever side they hate most. I also had Alan take a glimpse of Ashley as she goes off on her mission. I should perhaps slow that recognition down a bit to make it more dramatic. I may in the near future. Anyway, that's all I got. Enjoy the rolling draft of The Harvest. And just to leave on a high note, yesterday, I did write around three pages of the novel, after battling a cold all day. I didn't write at my usually pre-rooster-o'clock time, but I got some work done, which felt damn good. I really want to hit this project (and all projects) hard and get the full draft completed, so I can start revising it. Add your favorite thing to your writing today. #Resist
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I'm starting to feel like the villain because the characters, Ashley and Alan, in my novel The Harvest, are already starting to be ripped out of their comfort zones; you can read the rolling draft in The Harvest Draft link.
How messed up is that, to take characters out of safety and real relationships? But, the characters need to travel new paths (wok wok) to grow. Besides, in the perpetually-surveillanced society they live in, Alan couldn't stay with his new mom forever. Ashley, however, will have to graduate to join the military or take on some important post where she will be pitted against the rebels, after she has been out in Junk Town for her short mission. I am debating when the two should reunite again, though. They shouldn't be apart for the whole first book. Also, I do want to raise the tension with Jackie, as eventually she will catch on that Ashley is not into her, and Lister will play a dangerous role out of jealousy because all the candidates will think Ashley is getting special privileges, but Ashley is not. Of course, maps are just maps. The characters may choose to take a different route. They take a life of their own sometimes, despite our well-crafted plans. That's all I've got because I am still recovering from this nasty bug. It's good books, sleep, and international zombie movies. And food. This cold is making me really hungry. :( Craft a map, but don't get caught up in the route your characters take. #Resist I can be such a baby when I get sick because I rarely get sick. This annoyance usually happens after Antonio or Simona have been really sick, and I am on vacation. Last time I got ill was around Christmas. This weekend, we were genuinely relaxing, and BAM! Sadly, evening tequila did not cure my ills. :( But enough WAH. I am on such a roll to write every day, that this morning, I forced myself to work on my novel The Harvest. I did minor copy-edits, but I did something. Plus, I read over old parts, which I enjoyed reviewing, and I looked over the last section I wrote. I will have to try to write something later, maybe. Keep on writing, even if you are sick. #Resist I've been hitting my writing hard, which is a beautiful, beautiful dream coming true. The act of writing is so energizing and liberating. I really love it and fall in love with it over and over on a regular basis. But, it's reminding me of other shit I used to love as a kid. The act of writing is compelling me to remember other dreams I had and feel like I can do, or at least try to do. One of them was physically climbing a mountain. It wouldn't have to be Mt. Everest, though wouldn't that be a near-super-hero feat? I have other smaller dreams like knitting a sweater or doing calligraphy. The latter I have started doing again to beautify the Atrium where I will be assisting with Sunday school next year. The point is that one dream feeds another dream. See, this also begs the question. Do we really, honestly, need money to motivate us to be productive or relevant? I don't fucking think so. No one pays me to write, but I do it, and I do it the best I can. Does anybody demand that I knit a sweater? Fuck no. Maybe it's knit in my bones and soul to serve others too, but I think most people are genetically coded to help others and do what they love. However, this semester has been rough, street rough. Thus, I am so blessed and overjoyed that my husband is taking my family and I out on vacation this weekend. I am taking my laptop to write, but I am also going to sleep. I need it! I've been taking as many car naps as I used to when I was pregnant almost on a daily basis and without any control. The car is also becoming the quietest place where I can nap, between the kids and the cats. Both are equally noisy, this kinetic blur that goes all over the house. Well, that's all I've got a 1a.m. I'm off to work on my novel, The Harvest, some more: You can read the running draft here. I need to nestle in with my characters a bit and map out more of the plot line and escalating conflicts. Maybe that will be my weekend goal. Dream big and do it. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. #Resist This afternoon, I met with my editor, Elizabeth Marino, who is taking a look-see at the fourth version of "La Bruja del Barrio Loco"; you can read the second draft at that link above. (And I totally forgot to call my sociologist friend and that was one of my writing goals for the day. Too many meetings.) Anyway, while we were breaking bread, Elizabeth asked me why I was writing. This question really made me pause and ponder. To be sure, my motives for writing have changed. Yeah, I went through that phase where I was obsessed with being published and wanted to get famous, but that was and is bullshit. Here is what I told her below. She asked, "Why do you write? Why do you write? What do you hope to get out of it?" Short Answer: Pure Love. (That was the answer I gave at the end.) Long Answer: I love to write. This is not how I make my bread. I am not going to have to peddle books to make a living or pay rent. (Though, I will for the sheer pleasure of meeting people.) Besides, I teach creative writing, and I can teach better if I write. For students who are writing a novel, I have a basis of explanation for them. Something based in real life. And, I hit it hard every day. That has not been easy for me with my small kids and busy schedule, but I get up early to do it every day. I get up at 1a.m., 2a.m., 3a.m. and just write. I want my work to go out there. (I point to the world.) This is not a career move for me. I love where I work and am already tenured. It’s Pure Love for me. *** She also asked if it was a career move or a venue to teach other classes, and it's not, because I am vetted to teach all the composition courses at my college. We don't have that departmental competition, some higher-ed institutions do where there are hoarders of courses, usually men or senior faculty. In fact, I am really looking forward to teaching Creative Writing this summer. I didn't have to fight anybody for that choice. So, that's me. Why do you write? Keep writing, regardless of your motives. #Resist Yesterday, I was meeting and hanging out with my good friend Laura Garcia, who gave me some sage advice regarding my book cover, "Make it pretty," she said,"Then, mothers will buy it for their kids." I was like, "Holy hot damn, that is great advise!" I also found out that she has been reading my fourth revision of The Harvest and said she loved it! That was such an honor. The fact that she makes time out of her busy schedule to read it, phew. The other thing we talked about, side bar, was Spanish. I never realized that Spanish doesn't use apostrophes to show possession. Try saying, "Jesu's novel is the best" in Spanish, and what you will say is something like, "The novel that belongs to Jesu is the best." Cool, right? So, this morning, I am going over "La Bruja del Barrio Loco" (you can sample the second version through that link as soon as the pinche WiFi uploads it) again and still finding areas that need a smoother transition and more detail. I think I smoothed out most of the flashbacks, so they are happening in real time. Here are some tidbits from La Bruja below. The first one offers another dimension to La Bruja to make her a partially likeable character. At least that was the goal. The second says a little more about Elisa, the protagonist. Maybe she is a little too angry for a hero, but what Chicana academic isn't at some level? Am I right? In the story, the bits are right next to each other in this order, and I wonder if that will confuse the reader, but I say think the best of your readers. It's like students, you don't have to dumb shit down for them. You just don't. [First bit] Ø Ø Ø Exactly four Sundays ago, Elisa had seen the old woman giving homeless people leftovers, and food to the strays on the block. Once, the old bitch had taken a nestling and put it back in its nest with the utmost delicate touch. Within seconds, the mom had flown onto the branch and warmed her baby bird. Any other bird might have pecked it to death for smelling like a stranger. Out of nowhere, the old woman had produced a worm, which she fed carefully to the mother-bird. [Second bit] Ø Ø Ø The weeks following his disappearance, she had researched everything about Brujas. After all she was a graduate student and had immersed herself in Medieval and American colonial history at St. Mary’s University in Chicago. She was the best student in her program because she was so O.C.D. about her research. She had read every book in library and inter-library loan and even convinced Dr. Olsen, the archivist, to let her into the basement. One thing was clear, witches coveted the fat of unbaptized children, so they could fly. She knew that sounded insane, but that Bruja was evil absolute. She wasn’t a harmless lechuza like her grandmother had taught her, like those mythical harmless women, Mexicans told tales about, women that turned into large owls and played mischief on passing cars. After she read that in book after book and even some wacko blogs, she cursed herself over and over for not listening to her mom. “Baptize my grandson, so he can be in the grace of God,” her mother had begged almost daily. But, Elisa wanted to get married to her boyfriend first. It was his fault, too, not marrying her when he should have and for not taking her seriously about La Bruja. Now, he was gone too. *** OK, so on a writer note, I am getting sick of reviewing and changing this story. That is my ultimate litmus test that I have done enough revising, and can move on to finishing my novel. Plus, I have a parade of stories that need revising, including some other very long short stories that I am going to self-publish. Revise until you want to puke, rest, and move onto the next bit. #Resist! I think this one is the best amateur cover I can produce. My friend Sonia likes this option best because it is colorful, and she is an avid Kindle reader. I also toned down the bit at the top, where I quote my friend Laura Garcia, writer and editor of Teatro Chicana: A Collective Memoir and Selected Plays. (I recommend this read, and if you teach literature or ethnic studies or plain ol' English, your students will love it.) I also found out from my Auntie in Mexico that "del" is the contraction for "de el". I taught myself how to read and write Spanish, so these grammar nuances are fascinating to me. I am hoping she will take a look at my Spanish, and doesn't get scandalized by the more violent/vulgar scenes in this story. There is like one sex scene that reads like bad married sex. Oh wait, there are two, but they are not meant to be erotic, which I know sounds quite counter-intuitive and took mad skills not to make sexy. Trust me, it was not on purpose. This morning, I am adding more detail to "La Bruja del Barrio Loco"; you can read the second revision in Antonjitos. I want to add more negative descriptions of what something is not. Plus, the magical realism sections are calling to me today, and there is something about bees I want to enhance, but I am not quite sure what. I have fond memories of bees, and La Bruja has misappropriated nature for her own ends, that vile bitch. In real time, I have a couple of appointments, one with my editor this Friday, one with my sociologist friend and colleague on the phone. I also am going to hit the library to do some genuine research on European witchcraft. I hope the local librarians don't freak out. Watch weird shit start happening in the barrio. Also, I am posting poetry on a regular. I got a little bit dedicated to Roque Dalton. If you haven't read his work, I highly recommend it. Enhance what is calling out to you this morning. #Resist I am dicking around with the cover. That last image was cool, but I think Eric Allen Yankee was right. The original image is too dark. But, would a non-Spanish speaker get it? I don't want to translate the title. Also, "Chicana Literature at Its Best" is rather arrogant. "Perhaps magical realism at its best" or some shit. Seriously, open to suggestions. Stay inspired and crafty. #Resist The final fight scene of this story was bothering me, so I added more to it. You can read the second revision of this story in the Antojitos section. You can read other fiction samples too, some of which I published. I gave the boy Alex more layers to the power he has or La Bruja thinks he has. Thinking about my craft ahead, the next story is going to be about Cindy going south to Mexico, Amado Corazon, Durango. She will have her own adventure with Ana's coven, and I don't think Ana will be in the second story because she needs to recover from the ass beating Flor and the Crone gave her in the current story I am finishing. Then, I may write a story about Elisa and the boy and end with a fourth story about Ana and her origins. However, that last story is going to require research. Well, so will Cindy's story. Ah hell, they all do. Good thing there are books in the library and blogs and shit. On that note, I am thinking of what questions to ask my friend who knows more about how historians operate. Plus, he just got his PhD recently, so he may have a different view than I do. OK, that's all I've got for today. I hope you are having a productive morning. Do your research! Your readers deserve it. #Resist |
Jesú Estrada
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