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

Un Blog de Writing Musings

Great Friends To Have in Your Writing Corner, #FightForward

1/12/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
I Happy Weebly!  I extended my contract five years, so barrioblues is mine!  Mine for five more years!  Back off you rapperos and other Chicano writers.

Yesterday, I was thinking about how blessed I am that Adam Gottlieb is giving the collection a once over, and I reflected on all the wonderful friends who have given me feedback, including my sister, Diana, who read the whole first draft and painted the cover design.  (Come on Sis and get with The Harvest, already; your feedback is priceless.)  I am keeping those friends and family close like a mother holds her baby in a storm, or a stoner hangs on to his pizza. 

I was talking to a friend of mine or someone, who I hope will become more than an activist and Facebook friend, and we were discussing editor rates.  Well, my editor, Adam is definitely doing me a huge solid.  Huge.  I can’t pay him three cents a word, not by any means, but I want to give him a cut of the sales until he gets paid something decent and give him a cut of my readings, too.  I know it’s hard to make money, but if I do, he is getting his share. 
The truth is I should be helping him with his young author’s group because that is probably more valuable to him, but every time he asks me to read, I have a Union meeting. 

On another editor quandary, I have been using standard grammar for my novel when I write it, including comma usage.  I hate when people remove the commas to separate full sentences using coordinating conjunctions; it’s a personal preference thing, but, if I ever go to print, someone will have to take all those commas out.  Someone will also have to fix the spacing because I am old school about my spaces after sentences.  Oh well.  I won’t be paying that individual. 

This week, I am also ordering my creative writing books for next semester’s class that I am teaching.  I really have to read up on this genre, and I have been rather lax, focusing on reading short stories and flash fiction and occasional poetry.  I ordered Bird by Bird, which was recommended by another author friend and teacher.  I liked what I read and can’t wait to read it all and learn from it.  I also ordered some best American short stories, poetry, and an international flash fiction book.  The selections should be really exciting!  In my English classes, we are also studying Roque Dalton.  He was introduced to me by an old friend, and I love Dalton’s poetry. 

We need more Daltons in the world today, for sure. 

On a social media note, I have been thinking about what to do with my other blog on Blogger, and I think I will focus on teaching creative writing and adding resources to it.  That way, there will be some type of connection to what I do here, and I won’t duplicate posts.  I plan on updating that once a week.  Maybe I will find a larger community to belong to.  After all, teachers love to share. 

That will be my writing goal, to redesign my other blog and to focus on the street urchin character in my novel.  I don’t think much writing will get done until we move (we have to be out by this Saturday). 

Here is to friends to hang on to, especially the ones that get your writing.
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

    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 used under Creative Commons from shixart1985, Phuketian.S, yourbestdigs, yourbestdigs, Brett Jordan
  • Home
  • Mi Biografía
  • Un Blog de Writing Musings
  • Author Interviews
    • Eric Allen Yankee
    • Mehreen Ahmed
    • Steve Carr
    • Martin Eastland
    • P.S. Malcolm
    • P.C. Darkcliff
  • The Harvested Draft
  • Books
  • Poetry
  • My Patreon Page
  • Useful Bits
  • Contact