What is CILE 2016 and its role in my Writer Journey

The International Congress of the Spanish Language is one of the most important or maybe the most important Spanish literary event that occurs annually. CILE (as it’s more commonly known) is the first book conference I’ve gone to in my life and to this point, the only one. To me, it was an opportunity to get to know more about the Spanish literary world, one I’m way too disconnected for to not do something about.

(PICTURE: Me and Twist!!)

I’ve been writing incrementally for the last decade and change and two things have become rather clear:

1. I write WAY more in English than I do in Spanish.

&

2. I read WAY more in English than I do in Spanish.

So when this event came about, I truly felt as if I HAD to go, if only to answer several questions I have about myself as a reader AND a writer. The first day had plenty of bombast since the Kings of Spain were in attendance. As the day progressed and I saw the media coverage, I quickly grew to understand that a lot of people not only don't know anything about CILE (me included), but that they only cared that the King and Queen were there (me NOT included). The first day was all protocol and not much substance, yet even so, I saw glimpses of the best Puerto Rico has to offer and the not so great.

(Paseo del Libro - The Book Path)

One particular protester decided to get up on the camera platform and proceeded to yell for about a minute before leaving. It was about a Puerto Rican political prisoner. It was in poor taste and showed that security there was a lot laxer than I would have liked. A bit further into the ceremony, the topic was brought up again in a classy way by Puerto Rican author, Luis Rafael Sánchez. I mentioned this in the Spanish version of my take on CILE and I mention it here again for the same reason, to show that in the span of minutes, my Island could show the best and worst of us on the same topic.

(Twist soaking up the view at CILE 2016)

As mentioned above, that first day had a whole lot of protocol although it also held a lovely moment for me, having the Real Academia Española recognize puertorriqueñidad (Puerto Ricanness) in the official dictionary of the Spanish language. It was a symbolic token of appreciation to a little Island that insists on letting itself be known and a moment where I felt proud to be a Puerto Rican.

Throughout the event though, I noticed several repeating topics.

1. Academics needing to sound like academics. I went to a BUNCH of panels and the ones I enjoyed the most were the ones where authors acted more like people and less like authors. I sat through quite a few panels of authors who miraculously weren’t wearing ascots or large hats. When people engaged the audience and really had fun with it, it was so refreshing and definitely a lot closer to what I’d like to do if ever I was in a panel. Álvaro Pombo spoke out on this and actually saved one of the largest panels by inserting some much needed humanity and humor and passion. But he was the exception rather than the norm.

(Álvaro Pombo, one of the highlights of the entire event)

2. Very little youth. Students went to this event because they were basically forced to and that’s sad. This was an opportunity for future writers to get in touch with the literary world, yet youth was largely absent on two of the four days I went. People gravitated towards big names and unfortunately for them, they probably missed out on some of the best experiences. The cozier, friendlier, and more intimate panels were some of my favorite moments. Of particular note were the one with Sandra Lorenzano, Mayra Santos Febres, and Carmen Riera, and the final poetry section that had some fantastic contributions. Goes to show that in a largely male dominated set of panels, the one had between three women was one of the most fun and refreshing.

3. Insistence of Don Quixote and classics. Although I see the value in classics, force feeding literature to people will only make them resistant. I heard such insistence that it was borderline alarming because it was almost as if not liking Don Quixote was cause for dismissal. More on this in a future post.

4. Lack of YA and limited variety. One of the reasons I went to the event was in part to try and figure out why I don’t read that much in Spanish. It didn’t take me long to see all the gaps in Spanish literature when it comes to my interests. I’m a big fan of fantasy, sci-fi, and YA and although some books exist in these genres, there’s an overabundance of translations and much less works written in Spanish in these genres. It’s not to say there aren’t, but it is to say that I felt compelled to dedicate most of what I will write in Spanish to YA and poetry and that I need help finding books in these genres because I got very little help in 5 of the stores.

5. Poor organization. There was a lack of information of when things were and how to get there and more than once I ended up helping people to get to the panels and seminars they were interested in. For an event of this magnitude, that's a lost opportunity especially with some of the great offerings available. 

All in all, I went with open arms to see what I could find out about myself as a writer in this event and I got plenty of answers. What genres I want to write in and why: poetry because it’s important to me and YA because it’s important to write for younger audiences that care less about reading. I found out that when you say you’re an indie author, some people are curious and PLENTY write you off or treat you with pity or even beneath them. I also found out that some people were really interested and that's a potential opportunity if I keep putting in the effort.

That’s why for 2016 I will be bringing forth several Spanish works. I’ll be sitting down with my notebooks, jotting down ideas but it will be something I do because of my love for writing and to connect with audiences that are being ignored… people who love YA, who love fantasy, who see the value in strong dramatic works but wouldn’t mind something lighter to read… people like me. All in all, it was an eye opening experience that shows some reason of why I don’t get much support in PR outside of the Puerto Rico Comic Con, and that’s fine with me, because I write what I love and I’ll always do that in the hopes that a future literary conference has at least one of my books and young people interested in reading.

Til then,

Peace, love, and maki rolls


Ps.: Of course I was dressed to impress :)

Un vistazo al Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Española (CILE)

Aunque en Puerto Rico muchas personas se enfocaron en la presencia de los Reyes de España en el Congreso Internacional de la Lengua Española CILE, para alguien como yo, el hecho de que un evento de tal importancia en el mundo literario y creativo escogiera a mi Isla de sede fue motivo de orgullo y felicidad… un sentimiento que de la misma manera fue complementado por curiosidad, confusión y claridad.

La realidad es que tener un evento de esta magnitud es un honor no importa dónde sea. Para mí, siendo autor independiente fue una oportunidad que doy mil gracias de poder compartir. El mismo tuvo un sinnúmero de actividades y de la misma manera también cosas buenas y cosas que se pudiesen mejorar.

Aunque fue un evento que duró 10 días con una variedad de actividades, como muchos, me enfoqué en los cuatro días que estuvieron en el Centro de Convenciones. El primer día fue el más breve en donde el enfoque era en el protocolo, los reyes y la introducción en general al evento. Fue mucha introducción con ponencias de parte del gobernador de Puerto Rico y los Reyes de España, Darío Villanueva (director de la Real Academia) y Luis Rafael Sánchez.

Fue el día en donde hubo mayor cobertura de los medios y además en donde también hubo una demostración de una seguridad laxa cuando un individuo tuvo el deseo de treparse en la plataforma donde estaban las cámaras de los medios para dar un discurso a gritos sobre la necesidad de liberar a Oscar Rivera López (preso político de Puerto Rico), un tema que entiendo no era el mejor foro, pero en donde se expresó frente al Rey de España y toda la audiencia mientras que yo entre muchos nos preguntamos “¿qué pasó con la seguridad?”

Hay quien preguntaría por qué incluí tal detalle irrelevante al evento y la razón es simple. Tuvimos la oportunidad de demostrar lo mejor de nosotros y lo hicimos, ahora hubo la necesidad de incluir un “pero” en nuestro desempeño. Por su parte, Luis Rafael Sánchez también tuvo palabras para compartir sobre el mismo tema, excepto que lo hizo con tacto y clase para recordarnos que la manera en que se dicen las cosas dice mucho de qué tal nos toman la palabra. También hago mención de esto, porque en 4 días que fui al evento, escuché ese evento mencionado al menos en quince ocasiones y no soy reportero ni me creo uno. Fue disruptivo, al igual que en este escrito y lo incluyo con el fin de sacar lo más negativo lo antes posible para ir compartiendo lo que sí me encantó y las oportunidades que tenemos para este tipo de evento. 

De lo mejor para Puerto Rico sobre este evento fue el hecho de que se reconociera el término “puertorriqueñidad” en la Real Academia Española. Aún ahora mismo si escribes este término en un documento en tu computadora, aparece como un error y una palabra que no es reconocida por el diccionario. Pero lo es, lo somos y está en nosotros vestir nuestra puertorriqueñidad de la mejor manera posible. Como puertorriqueño fue uno de dos momentos durante el año en donde sentí mucho orgullo de ser boricua. El otro siendo durante las olimpiadas. En ambos momentos sentí algo mover dentro de mí, parándose en la sala de mi alma y diciendo presente cuando se pregunta quién es de Puerto Rico. Fue un momento muy bonito y que como escritor me motiva a demostrar diferentes tipos de “puertorriqueñidad”.

Un dato curioso es que apunté ciertas citas durante el evento pero decidí omitir quién las dijo. Viendo las fotos, videos y el programa, me está curioso que no me acuerdo quién las dijo, pero merecen compartirse para poner en contexto mi experiencia.

“No hay actividad más democrática que el soñar.”

Ser autor es el sueño de muchos de nosotros, ser autor independiente no es la opción de la mayoría. Esto es así porque soñar no cuesta nada, pero traer a la vida esos sueños conlleva mucho esfuerzo. Yo fui a este evento en son de ver cómo puedo aportar al mundo literario en mi lengua nativa. Por eso mi sorpresa al ver tan poca juventud en este evento. Hubo en algunos días, pero una actividad como esta era digna de estar abarrotada de gente y aparte de ver los reyes, muchas personas no estaban interesadas en mucho más.

Pero con un sueño fui con el deseo a conocer quién me llamara la atención y tuve la oportunidad de conocer a varios autores de un sinnúmero de países, sea para darle las gracias por su participación, para hacerles preguntas, o para decir hola. La gran mayoría de los participantes estaban con ganas de interactuar con las personas. Por mi parte tuve la oportunidad de compartir breves palabras con Mayra Santos Febres, Eduardo Lalo, Giannina Braschi, Sandra Lorenzano, Carme Riera, Luis Negrón, Alexis Día Pimienta y el simpatiquísimo Álvaro Pombo. Con mucho gusto dialogamos. A veces más, otras veces algo breve, pero estaban ahí listos para hablar con otros soñadores que escogen tejer con palabras. Sin embargo, se sintió a menudo como si no éramos muchos los soñadores y más las personas que fueron por decir que fueron a CILE 2016 y los que los obligaron a ir por alguna actividad de la escuela.

“No tienen que caernos a tiros para leer.”

Aunque no recuerdo  bien cuándo ni de quién fue que escuché esta cita, en el momento sentí la necesidad de apuntarla y es porque aunque vi juventud algunos días, otros días no. Hubo un sinnúmero de paneles que disfruté y que entiendo que serían de gran interés para lectores y escritores de todas las edades. Pero de la misma manera fui a paneles cuyo foco era sonar inteligente y académico en vez de conectar con la audiencia. Más que en son de queja, es una observación, porque hubo de ambos y aunque en la variedad a menudo está la magia, había que ver la reacción floja de unos grupos con aplausos protocolarios más que nada diciendo que gracias a Dios no les dieron más tiempo, mientras en conversatorios como “En la Piel de la Novela” entre Mayra Santos Febres, Sandra Lorenzano y Carme Riera, todos estábamos fascinados con la dinámica entre tres escritoras de calibre. Había chispa, había pasión, hubo risas y hubo interacción. Todo esto porque había química y no siempre fue así. Hubo otros paneles que aunque interesantes, no me imagino un joven prestando atención en vez de abriendo su Snap Chat.

Y ahí veo el reto o más bien la invitación a este tipo de evento. Bien dijeron que no hay que caernos a tiros para leer… pero a veces así se siente, porque imponen más de lo mismo, porque se enfocan en lo académico, porque prefieren ser respetados y admirados que queridos.

En mis cuatro días de visita, fui a un sinnúmero de paneles:

Sesión Plenaria 3 – Hispanoamérica y la esencia de la lengua. Homenaje a la Poesía; Libro, Mercado y creatividad; Filosofía, lenguaje y creación literaria; Las creaciones narrativas; En la Piel de la Novela; Poesía, música y letra; Las fronteras de la escritura; Poetas de España y América; El diálogo de las lenguas y la creatividad cultural del Caribe y cerré con Cinco Minutos de Poesía.

Fue un mundo de información en cuatro días, algunos paneles buenos, otros no tan buenos, pero ante todo, vi que los paneles de poesía me llamaban y por eso tanta alegría terminar con esos Cinco Minutos de Poesía y un poema improvisado de parte de Alexis Díaz Pimienta. Empecé el evento con mucho protocolo y terminé con una improvisación y en la transición de temas, me di cuenta que mientras menos formal somos más se vive. Mientras menos queramos aparentar, más se siente y más se disfruta. Y que mientras más genuinos somos como escritores y abogados de la magia escrita, más la gente responderá, más leeremos y más soñadores darán alas a su imaginación. 

The beauty of 3 star reviews

As an indie writer, there are many challenges I face, but two stand out the most: getting sales and getting reviews. In comparison to reviews though, getting sales is a piece of cake. I’m not saying it’s easy, mind you. Getting sales is quite the challenge. But compared to getting reviews, it’s a cinch.

The path of any author, indie or traditional, has many a challenge and many a frustration. Self-doubt shall forever be something we need to face and overcome and much of that comes from not knowing what people think of your work. Is it good? Is it shit? Does it matter? The internal dialogue can get pretty intense and not in a nice way.

In reality, any review is better than no reviews because that means that even if it sucks, it sucked enough for someone to write about it. I say this because some people would be frustrated by a four-star review… so imagine if they got a three-star review. Imagine if they got three of them in a row with a potential fourth and fifth 3 star review.

That’s what’s happening to me, and I couldn’t be happier.

Everyone loves a good review. It’s either an ego stroke or it validates that what you did was worth it. But the fact remains that we will not always get a 5-star or 4-star review. For me, I always want to know the truth behind the reader. What did they think? How did they feel? How was my work interpreted? How can it be better?

In my case, a reading group from Wisconsin was kind enough to allow me to send them copies of the Daydreams onthe Sherbet Shore in return for some honest reviews. And that’s what I’ve gotten. Writing was praised as was the atmosphere, but all of them coincided with being a bit lost from one story to the next. They were reading it as one narrative rather than individual standalone stories, and even if they’d got that, the characters weren’t allowed enough time to resonate with them. All of them thought the poems at the end was a brilliant touch and wondered why I didn’t include them at the beginning of every chapter instead of as an afterthought. This is a gem of an insight and something I’ll be integrating a bit in Volume 2 and FULLY in Volume 3.

I could have reacted in many ways, but I’ve chosen to accept the reality that the first instalment of the Daydreams of the Sherbet Shore is a good book, but not a great book. It’s a fun read that shows potential, but it’s lacking in structure if not in memorability. It explains why people enjoy it on the blog but don’t know how to cope with it in book form, which I think is fascinating. Is it frustrating that it’s not a 5-star book? If I allowed my ego to get in the way, then of course. But that’s the thing, my ego would get in the way of becoming a better writer.

The insights shared by the Young Women’s Book club opened my eyes to quite a few things and that is invaluable. That will not change the fact that I am very fond of this project, that I think it’s worthwhile and that the purpose of this collection of stories is to inspire you to smile in the span of one story. Maybe it does need a better narrative from one story to the next, or maybe something that threads it all, or maybe it just needs to be explained better at the beginning of every episode to further clarify the nature of this project. What it does is bring me hope that as this series grows, I think people will eventually kind of get what I’m trying to do, but I can’t just stand idle. I have to push. I have to improve. I have to make sure that the reading experience is understood as well as enjoyed. And that’s just what I will do.

That’s because I’ve gotten 5 star reviews that although great for my rating, don’t tell me much about my work and on one occasion, I’m sure I was given the rating due to how I am as a human and not how I am as a writer… and although well meaning, I’d rather the 3-star review. I’d rather know how to improve than have people afraid to tell me the truth.

They say the truth can set you free, but it can also set you on your path. I am of the school of thought that to be great, you have to work hard. So here’s to those 3 star reviews I’ve earned and to improving so I can keep reaching for those stars.

Peace, love, and maki rolls

Ps.: Have you read the Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore? If so, what did you think? Can you think of any 3 star books you'd like to recommend? If you're an indie author, how has your experience been with the different reviews? What have you learned from them. 

2017 Estrada Odyssey

Although I see the pros and cons of resolutions, I find it’s a good motivator for at least half the year and seeing my results for last year, it kind of worked for me to put myself in the spot to deliver on what I promised. I may not have tackled all of my projects, but I tackled many and pushed as hard as I’ve pushed with plenty of challenges in the way.

There is the temptation to say I didn’t do X because of Y, but that’s an excuse and that serves no purpose. I did a lot last year and some things didn’t get done. No harm. No foul. No reason to be ashamed. I still did great and did it on my terms and going at it solo for the most part although I had the support of the people that matter the most, without which I couldn't have. 

That semi soppy intro to the side, we’re in 2017 so what’s on my to-do list?

1. Publish 2 new poetry collections before February is done. I’ve finished them and now need to format, fine tune, draft acknowledgements, and forewords.

2. Transcribe, edit, finish, and publish my first YA novel before the end of March. This project was very fun to write and I think a lot of people will enjoy, or so I hope.

3. Finish, transcribe, edit, and publish Sci-fi novella before the end of April. I have progressed in this project. It is the first project I do in first person and my first full blown sci-fi work. I wanted to try something different and I find different aspects to myself the more I work on it.

4. Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore, Volume 2. I am ready to finish volume 2 now and will do so for Mother’s Day to keep up my tradition of publishing something for mother's day.

5. Noir novel. I shall write, transcribe, edit, and publish for the Puerto Rico Comic Con.

6. Non-fiction book about my relationship to water. One of 4 non-fiction projects I shall release this year.

7. Non-fiction work about my philosophy on life. 36 years old is neither young nor old. You can feel either way but I do try to live according to certain life rules and who knows, maybe by putting it down on paper, it will make life clearer and the path to my happiness easier as well.

8. Philosophy project. An email will be sent within this week and an ETA will be given before the month is over.  

9. Blog collection. Still working on the proper format for this book to not just copy and paste it. I believe the words within need some fine tuning and am looking fwd to tackling it in the second half of the year.

10. Haiku book. Finished the text but still tinkering with the design. When it’s ready, I shall release it.

11. Greek mythology project. I shall write this during NaNoWrimo this year (November). More news when the date is nearer.

12. Social Media. Will continue writing and creating for Twitter, G+, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and the blog. If you like something, share it and comment. Pretty please, with maki rolls on top.

13. More songs. I shall be doing more lyrics for songs and buy equipment to better record video AND audio. Anything that comes from this will be a surprise so let's hope it's a good one.

14. More interviews. Already have an interview slated for recording this week and posting in March. If you’d like me on your blog, podcast, or your youtube channel, I’d love to collaborate.

15. Book Events. I shall aim for 3 book events though have no expectations since being stateside makes things a bit more challenging while still a lot easier (woohoo for contradictions). If you work in a bookstore, a school, or a library, I’d love to visit to spend some time with you and yours.

16. Puerto Rico Comic Con. 2017 will be my 4^th year going to the PRCC. The number 4 has special meaning to me and in March will mark the 4^th year since I began my Writer Journey. If you wanted a reason why I’m pushing so hard, look no further. And this year’s Comic Con will have a TON of surprises. Stay Tuned.

17. Love poetry collection, Heartbreak collection and more. I shall continue working on these two collections… while I continue work on two other collections I’ve already started. Expect different approaches and themes.

OTHER Goals

- Get more reviews. Suggestions and volunteers are welcome.

- Might finally change my blog to wordpress or something else. Blogger has issues and people who want to read me aren’t getting notified. Would love to rectify this.

- Be on the best of year list of at least 10 people.

- Get nominated for something lol.

- Grow further on social media but focus on one platform at a time to make sure I reach those goals. I’ll keep working on all of them, of course, but growth will be tackled one at a time.

- I would love to be part of any school/college project. Two students asked if I could for last year and that was a very special thing for me to do. My thanks to Mariexis and Mónica for trusting in me and I do hope their grades reflected that.

- Finish writing to all the people from my Comic Con yearbook. More news on this as soon as I finish this goal.

- Smile more, travel more, be happy more often, share that with as many people as I can while focusing on messages of positivity.

My thanks for reading, for caring, and for being part of this journey.

Peace, love, and deep thanks.

JD 

2016 Report Card

In a year that was full of challenges, where we lost so many people who formed part of our lives, where fear was often rampant, as well as intolerance, it was still a year I want to consider a good year. For me, it was a year of many lessons, where I asked many questions of myself and was luckily able to come up with answers I can consider to be good. Where I took so many risks, where I said let’s do this and did it for the most part.

At the beginning of last year, I did a post of what I would do in the year… and this is my report card. It is where I give weight to what I wrote and adopt a sense of accountability for what I said I would do. I chose this forum not to make a fuss about it but to put my money where my mouth is although this year wasn’t about money, it was about risk and reward. About going for it. About accepting my fear and still going for it. I made a huge list, and here it is –reprinted from last year with what my results.

1. Publish Book 2 of the Human Cycle. Shadowof a Human was published in May of last year and it is a book I’m proud because as a literary and narrative work, I do think I was able to raise the bar and to further the story along intensely. the Human Cycle is a deeply personal work and this second installment is a much tighter and darker read. Now let's do book 3. 

2. Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore, Volume 2. This goal I did NOT do and it was more of a question of doubting the project or how it was perceived or understood (misunderstood?). It is a project I’m still very fond of but I had some questions and I got some answers. I was happy to convince a lovely book club to read me and give me their honest thoughts and it did offer much food for thought I’ll be integrating into the last two stories of Volume 2 and the entire format of Volume 3.

3. Ensueños de Mermelada. The Spanish version of the daydreams were put on hold as well as most Spanish projects in favor of other projects and to study what I want to do and apply the lessons learned in the Daydreams. I'll also be reading much more in Spanish which will no doubt feed my desire to write in my native tongue.

4. Philosophy project. I need to rendezvous with my dear friend and collaborator to bring this project to life this year. Last year was a year of changes, of shift, of learning, this year the goal is clearer and I am in a more stable environment so this will be one of three collaborations I shall continue and possibly finish within the year.

5. Spanish poetry collection. I was able to publish Pensando en Metáforas and although I’m happy with how it came out, I honestly have no idea what people think. No ratings, no reviews, no reactions. All this could dissuade other people, but to me it makes me want to get answers and to push my writing harder, so that’s what I will do.

6. Bilingual Collection. Another completed work published which I am very proud of. Although not much of a reaction yet, I have heard great things from a couple of people. I can hope and wish for reviews and further feedback, but this is something I shall continue to pursue. I am very proud of Twenty Veinte and it is a milestone I know I’ll look back on.

7. Love poetry collection & 8. Heartbreak collection. I decided to postpone these projects in favor of others. I shall be releasing either these two simultaneously or with a third work. They have grown and shall continue to grow, but until they’re ready, I’ll keep working on them.

9. Bukowski inspired collection. I was able to finish this collection and it shall be released within the first two months of 2017. I pushed hard for a different lyrical approach and I really enjoyed pushing into new territory. I hope you do too.

10. Haiku book. Finished the text but still tinkering with the design. When it’s ready, I shall release it. Not one moment before.

11. Sci-fi novella. I promised I’d finish this work last year and I didn’t, but I did work on it and I shall continue to work on it until I finish. Expect this ready for the 2017 Puerto Rico Comic Con.

12. Young adult novel. I was going to submit this to competition and thought better of it. I chose instead to work on it for me and to take my time with it. I finished the manuscript in December and will be releasing it early in the year.

13. Blog collection. Still working on the proper format for this book to not just copy and paste it. I believe the words within need some fine tuning and am looking fwd to tackling it in the second half of the year.

14. Method to Madness. I decided to push this project back until I have more content for it. I could push for it to be done this year, but I’d rather take my time with it rather than force it.

15. Noir novel. I need to finish this project before the 2016 PRCC, so expect me to push hard. Didn’t touch it last year but for good reason. My notes are still on the Island.

16. Greek mythology project. The notes are still in PR as well and it was going to be the project I worked on for NaNoWrimo but will instead be doing that THIS year.

17. Sólo Humano. This is a hell of a project and I will desist from giving any sort of ETA. It’s an intense work and I want to focus on doing the best Spanish adaptation instead of meeting any deadline.

18. 5 Non-fiction projects. I began work on 3 of 4 titles I want to work on. Scrapped one of the Non-fictions because while studying and analyzing, wasn’t loving where it was going and I shall never force anything.

19. Teactionary. I shall continue working on my Teactionary posts but only when I feel there’s sufficient substance will I pursue a book adaptation.

20. Visual Typos. I had a lot of fun with this project last year and shall continue to do so. Stay tuned for my social media platforms to see what else this brain can come up with :)

21. More videos. I ended the year with well over 100 videos and you can expect 100 more this year. I also more than double my existing subscribers but still at only 146. Let's see what new things we can come up with for the channel but if you haven't subscribed or checked it out, by all means, click here. 

22. More songs. I posted many songs and FINALLY got around to writing lyrics for them. I shall continue this in the New Year and who knows if anything else. I was thrilled to be able to record in a studio and if another opportunity presents itself or if I can create one, I will.

23. More interviews. I did plenty of interviews last year and shall continue to do so in the pursuit of picking at the brains of more indie authors and creative minded people exploring their passions.

24. Collaboration Nation. I did a couple of these and you can expect more during the year.

25. Book events. Did 2 new book events last year and although I enjoyed them, I will be revising the way I do business with stores in general. 

26. Puerto Rico Comic Con. The 2016 Puerto Rico Comic Con was a complete success for me. I did great in book numbers, sold out of 2 of the Blanc Comics (8 total titles), sold out of copies of Only Human and all of my books did well. It was a lovely experience to see that all my books did well and that different people enjoyed different things.

27. Estrada goes abroad. I am still researching places to do events but expect stateside events since I am now stateside. If you work in a bookstore or a library and would like me over, contact me to see what we can do.

28. Social Media. I was extremely active on social media and all my numbers went up. Thank you for everyone who has subscribed, shared, commented, and supported. It means the world and if there’s anything you’d like to see, by all means, let me know.

29. For Writing Out Loud. Didn’t get to 150 but did crack 100. I think my top number can be 120 so let’s see how I do.

30. Twist. Twist did some appearances but not as much as I think he could have because I pursued other projects.

All in all, I think I did pretty well and would score myself at B+ or A-. Regardless, I feel the need to give thanks to everyone for all the support. It was a year with challenges but plenty of reasons to be thankful and I am very thankful for new readers, new frands, and new projects. Let's make 2017 even better. 

Peace, love, and maki rolls.

Ps.: How about you? how did you do in the year? Will you be putting up any goals for the year? Does that work for you?