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Writer's Block

11/22/2014

Today, for like ten minutes, I had the first honest to goodness writer's block. It was terrifying, and it had nothing to do with my anthology (which has taken the back seat to my regular work, again). I was working on creating simple essay questions for my students. Normally, I can usually generate these in an instant, no problem. Not this time.

For those ten minutes, I felt like a struggling graduate student again with the self-doubt and the "I have lost my edge" fear. Shivers. I only got out of it because I told my husband, "Dude, I think I have an honest to goodness writer's block. I can't think of anything." The confession worked.

In the end, I came up with two questions, and I m looking forward to the essays. Ironically, the students have to write for an hour and twenty minutes, by hand, so they really cannot waste any of their time.

I don't have any pregnant writing advice. Mostly, I want to go into a sleep cocoon, but I have a nasty chest cold that is dragging me down. I have however, taken small steps, like downloading old comments by generous friends, comments I will incorporate, but realistically, I will have to wait until the break to work on this book and really polish it.

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When the Writing is Not Fun

11/2/2014

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I have been writing for a couple of days now. Unfortunately, the writing has nothing to do with my book, and I think, it is making me nauseous.

I have a post-tenure review, which means I get to be evaluated (add your own synonym) every four years. The portfolio is due tomorrow, and like a bad student, I waited until this weekend to put it together. The problem is that I have little energy right now, and frankly, don't feel like rattling off about all the wonders of my teaching. (I am on page six of my teaching techniques and will not write more than another paragraph.)

In some ways, this reminds me of having to develop a large ego for writing, at least some writers do. That is not my cup of tea by any means, and some of the best writers I have met and admired were not full of themselves. In fact, arrogant writers, even very good ones, annoy me. Conceited people in general, get on my last nerve.

So, here's to some preferred writing humility.

My writing advice for the day is to take a nap and watch something mindless, maybe the strong adjectives and verbs will follow.

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Dr. Jesú Estrada,
Chicago, IL

I grew up on the outskirts of Yuma, AZ, close to the Cocopah reservation. Because I was ever-bored, I became an avid reader of Spanish comic books and anything in English. Then I moved onto Steinbeck and Stephen King and now read international authors like Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Atwood, and Roque Dalton. I also read a lot of coming of age fiction.

I have been writing stories in both Spanish and English since I was six years old. My fiction and poetry focus on working class issues, primarily about laborers in the Southwest. I also write non-serious fiction, like zombie fiction (I was into it before it got popular with the Walking Dead series, which I love) and dabble in magical realism with a fusion of cuentos and folklore.

I have a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition from Washington State University, a Masters Degree in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelors of Arts from Northern Arizona University. I have also taught creative writing, and will do so, summer 2018. Currently, I live in Chicago and teach full-time at Harold Washington College to an amazing student population.

More about me. I am happily married, been so for almost ten years, and have a fabulous eight-year-old who makes my life phenomenal: He too is starting to write short stories. I had a second baby, Simona (3), which put a temporary set-back on the publication of my first book, but made my life infinitely more wonderful. My husband is also incredibly supportive, and I have enlisted him to market whatever I do that is worth marketing. He also books my readings.

That damned itch just won't let me be, so I'm back to my original love of words. Puro Amor!

Writer's Block

When the Writing is Not Fun

Dr. Jesú Estrada, Chicago, IL

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Dr. Jesú Estrada,
Chicago, IL