What Kind of Writer Do You Want to Be? #barrioblues

What kind of writer do you want to be?  And by that I don't mean the writing you do or how you write.  I mean what kind of human being do you want to be?  I have been shaping the answer to this question, even though I wasn't fully aware of it.  I want to be a supportive writer that builds a writing family. 

In practice, I am already this person or try very hard to be, but I read this great book for Authors Publishing (which is free when you subscribe), How to Promote Your Book by Caitlin Jans, and in it she writes about how she builds community.  I was deeply inspired by how she makes herself available to people on her author Facebook page.  Then I thought, What else can I do to be supportive of other writers, especially young writers and writers of color and working class writers?  Recently, I have been reviewing other Facebook Author pages, but there is no reason I can't promote their books or throw in a review every now and then.  

I also revived the Harold Washington Creative Students and Friends Creative Writing Group.  The name sucks, but I want to make that group useful and supportive of the members.  My current students can't be in it, but past students can.  Besides, I wish I had had that kind of support after I finished my CW classes.  Nobody should write in isolation or a vacuum, unless that is what they prefer.

Writing should be a communal act. That's what I hope to make it every day. 

Oh, and on the real time front, I got my first poetry rejection!  I am so excited to be submitting my work on a weekly basis, even if it comes with rejections like these, and this one was pretty kind:

Dear Maria,

Thank you for sharing your work with us. While we enjoyed reviewing your poem, unfortunately, it is not a right fit for us at this time. We sincerely wish you the very best in placing your work elsewhere. Happy writing!

Warmly,
Team Sonic Boom

That's all I have for now.  I hope you are having a great Sunday and that you get a lot of great writing done!

Be your awesome writer selves, to the max! #barrioblues    

Photo by Ihor Malytskyi on Unsplash