tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17598387111409206722024-03-13T06:04:04.298-04:00For writing out loudWriting frees my mind. Feel free to share the ride. JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.comBlogger669125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-13999518211737125202024-02-04T09:12:00.009-04:002024-02-04T09:12:00.130-04:00A Case Against “For”<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4HxChyr9gBgtKG4anFpOVt17z8HPJlEcDwt_yLzaR1lWmNo_tlAAg33jaKSSHLQU6lOlstHD13UIaYeErHtaKwxuVNk2agpzeWOxdd4ThcAD725Ss3pFJvaI93XNYbWM_dDDE8yMit5x9lKBWXshwtF2W0o1oHGtrrLyI854o27kLzjsqR8Bsj1Ti6hyphenhyphen/s1080/Blog%20posts-3.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4HxChyr9gBgtKG4anFpOVt17z8HPJlEcDwt_yLzaR1lWmNo_tlAAg33jaKSSHLQU6lOlstHD13UIaYeErHtaKwxuVNk2agpzeWOxdd4ThcAD725Ss3pFJvaI93XNYbWM_dDDE8yMit5x9lKBWXshwtF2W0o1oHGtrrLyI854o27kLzjsqR8Bsj1Ti6hyphenhyphen/w640-h640/Blog%20posts-3.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />While giving a compliment can
make someone’s day, giving a back-handed compliment can do the opposite…and it
happens way too often. </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“That person looks good…for their:
age, weight, nationality, height, body type, skin color, sense of style, hair
length, hair color” and beyond.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The person should have stopped
when they said “good.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">That person looks good.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Period.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">No need for caveats, buts,
exceptions, loaded words, or thinly veiled judgment. There is a spectrum of
beauty. Something people easily forget. For both men and women, it’s a
minefield of expectations they have to sort through along with feelings of
inadequacy that are all too common. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">For women, beauty is an endless
topic of contention. It’s a dangerous obsession and the media often promotes
unhealthy standards of beauty that switch arbitrarily, often just in time to
have people need to hit new goals once they arrive at what was supposedly a
standard of beauty.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Too fat. Too skinny. Arms too
big. Love handles. Ass too big. Ass too small. Square hips. Too much hips. Tits
too big. Tits too small. Chin not fine enough. Lips too big. Eyes too dark.
Eyes too clear. Too short. Too tall. Huge feet. Jaw too square. Tiny hands.
Long neck. Short torso. Too muscular. Knobby knees. Thicc thighs. Hair too
thick. Hair too thin. Hair too long. Hair not long enough. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">And age? It’s as if women aren’t
allowed to be attractive past a certain age. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">And</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">That</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Is</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Bullshit</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Fortunately, things have shifted
a bit and women are taking back their sensuality but they’re doing it
boisterously because there are still circles that want to cast beautiful women
as grandmas and nothing else. Very often you hear actresses have to defend what
they wear or don’t wear. That they use makeup, that they don’t use makeup, that
they dye their hair, that they embrace their grays. And whatever the answer,
for some people and certain circles, it’ll never be enough.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But correct me if I’m wrong, last
I checked Halle Berry (57), </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Elizabeth Hurley (58), </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Michelle Yeoh (61), Salma Hayek (57), Charlize
Theron (48), Sade Adu (64), Susan Sarandon (77), Jamie Lee Curtis (65), Iman
(68), Dolly Parton (77), Kate Beckinsale (50), (Jennifer Lopez (54), Susanna Hoffs (62), Lynda Carter
(72), and Shakira (46), don’t just look good for their age. They look good.
Period. And lord, Rita Moreno is 92 and beautiful.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But we still hear people insist
on including “for” in any compliments given. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">How about we nix that word and
focus on the compliment we want to give?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">And although to a drastically
reduced level, men also get a bit of that “for” goodness. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">He looks good for his weight,
height, body type, nationality, skin color, and age. And sometimes you get some
“evens” thrown in. He looks good, even without hair, even with a patchy beard,
even, even, even…</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It’s baffling to see the use of
these words. Seriously, what’s the need for that “for”? Why insist on bringing
down someone a notch or several notches after bringing them up? Why put an
asterisk on someone rather than recognize that they are not only enough but
amazing?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Do away with for. Stop before
for. Do not give in to for. For if you do, then for shame, for you miss out on
an opportunity to recognize beauty for what it is. Whatever the race, the age,
the weight, the hair color, the gender, the orientation, or the style, there’s
more beauty than there is lack of it. Instead, embrace and celebrate the true
spectrum of beauty, for it will benefit everyone to do away with for, once and
for all.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Peace, love, and maki rolls. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</font></style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-68688302174353825062024-01-28T08:42:00.004-04:002024-01-28T08:42:00.130-04:00La marcha de los escritores 2024<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3jMVIHVfBXGnPI9ksVBj0jvcB0U5xa6m6ek1TK2L0M4T6H9D7zWivh4LOZMGPJh7sW5-lOumcdwV0m5K0OSwRqUBZrmuCGffeKu00_cvvi8Qk_Xt1L1DQWBQLtIj9GkxDJ0i0pQrZVBDoFC9ZYzmNchVgkMSxSVbG0gAdXQsz_juTWWO9QNFhOeiEUYF/s1080/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG3jMVIHVfBXGnPI9ksVBj0jvcB0U5xa6m6ek1TK2L0M4T6H9D7zWivh4LOZMGPJh7sW5-lOumcdwV0m5K0OSwRqUBZrmuCGffeKu00_cvvi8Qk_Xt1L1DQWBQLtIj9GkxDJ0i0pQrZVBDoFC9ZYzmNchVgkMSxSVbG0gAdXQsz_juTWWO9QNFhOeiEUYF/w640-h640/2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">¡Volvemos a
marchar! Me di la tarea de sacar los temas para cada día del mes de marzo MUCHO
más temprano de lo usual por si te quieres preparar o hacer algo especial que
conlleve un poco más de tiempo. Si no sabes lo que es la Marcha de los escritores, pues pronto vienen más entradas del blog y videos en YouTube pero una definición corta es que es un evento que dura el mes de marzo, hay temas para cada día y la idea es de que tus lectores y otros autores conozcan tu versión de la vida de un autor. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Espera videos de esto en YouTube y como
siempre, lo más importante es pasarla bien y trabajar los temas como quieras.
NO tienes que participar todos los días y la idea es que te lo disfrutes, que
conectes con otros autores y que tus lectores te conozcan un poco mejor. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Eso sí, cuando
hagas un post, recuerda hacerme un tag y usar los siguientes hashtags:</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">#MarchaDeLosEscritores</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">#MOTW</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">#MOTW2024</span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Vamos a lo que
vinimos, ¡los temas! </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Saludos,
compañeros humanos</span></b><span lang="ES">. Escribes.
Posiblemente ya has publicado, estás en el proceso de publicar o tienes deseos
de publicar en algún momento del futuro. A lo mejor llevas años en esto. No
importa donde estés en tu camino de autor, cuéntanos. ¿Quién eres? ¿Qué
escribes? ¿Dónde te podemos leer? Para esta introducción, puedes hacer un
video, una entrada en tu blog o usar tus redes sociales favoritas. Lo
importante es que uses el hashtag de #MarchaDeLosEscritores para comenzar a
contectar. <span> </span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>2.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Y
se hizo la luz</span></b><span lang="ES">. ¿Cuándo
supiste que querías dedicarte a escribir? ¿Cuándo encendió esa chispa? ¿Hubo
algo específico que dio comienzo a todo?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>3.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Bajo
la influencia</span></b><span lang="ES">. ¿Qué
autores, bandas o artistas han servido de inspiración e influencia?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>4.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Debates
para la eternidad parte 1</span></b><span lang="ES">: ¿Sabes la diferencia entre los tipos de escritores: Plotter, pantser y
plantser? <b>Plotter</b> es aquel que diagrama todo y es súper organizado. <b>Pantser</b>
es el que se lo va inventando TODO mientras va escribiendo. <b>Plantser</b> es
el punto medio, o sea un híbrido entre los otros dos tipos de escritores. ¿Cuál
eres tú y a qué nivel?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;"> </b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>5.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Me
hace sentido</span></b><span lang="ES">. ¿Cuáles son
algunos sentidos que te encantan explorar en lo que escribes? ¿Cómo haces para
escribir el sabor, los sonidos, los olores, el tacto y la vista?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;"> </b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>6.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Obi-TÚ-ario</span></b><span lang="ES">. Escribe tu propio obituario y por lo que
quieres que te recuerden. <span><br /></span></span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>7.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Mi
bella genio de la escritura</span></b><span lang="ES">. Si existieran genios de la escritura y tuvieses tres deseos, qué serían? </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>8.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Más
allá de las páginas</span></b><span lang="ES">. ¿Qué
otras habilidades tienes? ¿Bailas, haces algún tipo de arte, cantas? Sea lo que
sea, comparte esa habilidad.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>9.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">¿Cómo
capturas ideas?</span></b><span lang="ES"> Un
consejo que doy a menudo porque lo aprendí a las malas es de tener múltiples herramientas
para apuntar y “capturar" una idea. ¿Cuáles son algunas de tus
herramientas o métodos? ¿Cuánto tiempo tienen algunas de las ideas que más
tiempo llevan en captura y que aún están pendientes para ser desarrolladas? </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>10.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">La
madre de IA.</span></b><span lang="ES"> El tema de
la inteligencia artificial está en boga y sigue creciendo a nivel que ahora
compañías tienen que incluir cláusulas en sus contratos de que el material
desarrollado no ha utilizado IA para el mismo. ¿Qué te parece el tema sobre las
implicaciones en las artes y la escritura?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>11.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">¡Estafalerta!</span></b><span lang="ES"> Algo que me encanta de nuestra comunidad
es que nos cuidamos unos a otros lo mejor que podemos y cuando alguien está
realizando una estafa, se lo avisas a la gente. ¿Cuáles son algunas de las
estafas más comunes que se le hacen a las que los autores nuevos y veteranos a
los que debes tener un ojo avisor?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>12.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Para
los gustos los colores</span></b><span lang="ES">. Cuando
estás comprando un libro para TI como un gustito, ¿qué influye en tu decisión
al momento de elegir un libro en vez de otro?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> <br /></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>13.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">La
gira de tus sueños</span></b><span lang="ES">. ¿A dónde
te llevará la gira para tu primera obra exitosa? </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>14.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Debates
para la eternidad parte 2: ¿Café o té?</span></b><span lang="ES"> Nosotros, los escritores, tenemos una intensa
obsesión con lo que usamos para darle sabor a nuestras sesiones de escritura. Pues
cuéntanos, ¿cuál es tu veneno preferido?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>15.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Consejo
mañanero</span></b><span lang="ES">. Todos
aprendemos cosas diferentes. De todo lo que has vivido, ¿qué consejo le darías
a la gente sobre la escritura, el negocio de la escritura o la vida en general?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>16.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Territorio
inexplorado</span></b><span lang="ES">. A menudo
hablamos de lo que hemos escrito y de cuál es nuestro género por excelencia...
pero ¿qué géneros no has explorado todavía que le tienes muchas ganas de
conocer?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>17.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Los
writer sprints, ¿sí o no?</span></b><span lang="ES"> Un writer sprint es cuando te das un tiempo predeterminado en donde
escribes sin parar. Pueden ser 10-15-20 minutos o incrementos mayores. A menudo
hay grupos que se reúnen para hacerlos en comunidad. ¿Participas de writer
sprints? Si es así, ¿hay alguno que quieras compartir para ver si nos unimos a
uno?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>18.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Áreas
de oportunidad</span></b><span lang="ES">. ¿Cuáles
son algunas de las cosas que necesitas trabajar en ti mismo como persona y como
escritor?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>19.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Autoespaldarazo</span></b><span lang="ES">. A veces nos puede dar un poco de trabajo
hablar de nuestros éxitos o hablar de nosotros en una luz positiva. Así que
cambiemos eso. Cuéntanos algunas de las cosas increíbles que has hecho. Claro que
puede ser un poco incómodo, pero vale la pena porque TÚ vales la pena. </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>20.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Debates
para la eternidad parte 3: ¿Noctámbulo, madrugador o algo más? </span></b><span lang="ES">Cuando escribimos a veces depende del
tiempo que tenemos disponible, claro, pero algunas personas son mucho más
productivas en algunas horas mucho más que en otras. Entonces, ¿qué momento del
día saca lo mejor de ti?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>21.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Eventualidades</span></b><span lang="ES">. ¿Qué eventos de libro has tenido para
tus obras o que tendrás en el futuro? </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>22.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">¡Nos
vamos de fiesta!</span></b><span lang="ES"> Terminaste
un manuscrito, publicaste un libro, pasaste una prueba o terminaste un proyecto
grande en tu trabajo. ¿Cómo celebras a misma y mismo?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>23.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">¿Luz
u oscuridad?</span></b><span lang="ES"> ¿Cuál prefieres,
villanos o héroes? ¿Cuál piensas que escribes mejor?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>24.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Música
para tranquilizar, activar o inspirar</span></b><span lang="ES">. Hay un pléilist de música para escribir y siempre le estoy añadiendo
canciones. ¿Cuáles son algunas canciones que debería incluir? ¿Tienes listas de
canciones para escribir? ¡Pues a compartir!</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;"><span lang="ES"> </span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>25.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Debates
para la eternidad parte 4: Prólogos: ¿sí o no? </span></b><span lang="ES">Algunas personas y muchos agentes literarios
insisten que los prólogos no son necesarios. Que se pueden cortar o convertirse
en capítulo uno. ¿Qué piensas al respecto?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>26.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Las
aguas profundas de la investigación</span></b><span lang="ES">. La investigación es un aspecto fascinante de nuestros cuentos y a veces
descubrimos cosas intensas y hasta alarmantes. ¿Cuáles son algunas cosas increíbles
que descubriste a través de la investigación y que incluiste en tus cuentos?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>27.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">TODO
personal. </span></b><span lang="ES">¿Hay elementos
en tus relatos o lo que escribes que es sumamente personal? De ser así, cuéntanos
algunos de ellos y ¿qué te llevó a incluirlos?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>28.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Palabras
de apoyo</span></b><span lang="ES">. Para hoy, nada
de juegos de palabras ni doble sentido. Hoy es para inspirarte a compartir
palabras de apoyo con otros escritores. Hay días en donde la cosa está difícil,
donde nada fluye, donde todo frustra. A menudo dicen que escribir es un acto
solitario pero esta comunidad NO es solitaria. Así que comparte un consejo, un
escrito, una canción, un video o lo que sea para capturar un mensaje de apoyo para
alguien que está teniendo un día difícil. Alguien que está dudando de sus
habilidades y se cuestionan todo necesitan escuchar algo…¿Qué es ese algo?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES"><span>29.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span></b><b><span lang="ES">¿Quién está en tu esquina?</span></b><span lang="ES"> Encontrar tu tribu es parte del camino como escritor. ¿Cuáles son algunas
personas que están de tu lado y que quieras reconocer?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>30.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">Enlazados</span></b><span lang="ES">. Parte de la Marcha de los escritores es
para dejarle saber a la gente dónde pueden conectar contigo y cómo mantenerse
en contacto. Comparte esos enlaces y haz esas conexiones, porque la vida y el
escribir es mejor cuando hay buena compañía. </span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><span>31.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span lang="ES">PRONTO</span></b><span lang="ES">: ¿Qué te espera este año y los años que
vienen?</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">¡Y tan tan! Ahí tienes los temas. ¿Tienes preguntas? Pues deja
un comentario y en confianza, comparte con tus amigos escritores que piensas
que disfrutarían participar de la marcha. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Un abrazo,</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">JD</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">HASHTAGS A USAR:</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">#MarchaDeLosEscritores</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">#MOTW</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">#MOTW2024</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
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{margin-bottom:0in;}</span></font></style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-47881827546818096482024-01-28T08:33:00.001-04:002024-01-28T08:33:00.133-04:00March of the Writers 2024!
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVnsNdnewMxE-XzOQzhfwiz7_nOuHP6PWNFt2wpSSHyC2F1G-t8G328Lb_4SnuN3o1YHxf3U9x6Ac_E131A1BcBXkRNWpWAGkytPByqYa0dxLPOARuqf2nrifY6ahVsvS88f-FvnlepqhWudUYMUNGEic5vUWFgitxazQ3nJBjbMatSuzhYtaPokUrfcc/s1080/1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVnsNdnewMxE-XzOQzhfwiz7_nOuHP6PWNFt2wpSSHyC2F1G-t8G328Lb_4SnuN3o1YHxf3U9x6Ac_E131A1BcBXkRNWpWAGkytPByqYa0dxLPOARuqf2nrifY6ahVsvS88f-FvnlepqhWudUYMUNGEic5vUWFgitxazQ3nJBjbMatSuzhYtaPokUrfcc/w640-h640/1.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />By popular demand, here are the prompts for March of the
Writers WAY early in case you want to get prepared or do something special that
requires a bit more time. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">If you don't know what March of the Writers is, don't worry. I'll have posts and videos coming soon going in depth, but to offer a short definition, it's a month long event where you have daily prompts to show a bit of what your version of the writer life looks like. Expect videos on YouTube and as always, remember the following:<br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">A. You
can approach prompts however you want<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">B. You don’t need to participate every day</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">C. The idea is for you to enjoy and connect with fellow authors while also
connecting with your readers and letting get to know you a bit better.<br /></span></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Also, remember make sure to use the following
hashtags </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">when you post </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">#MarchOfTheWriters</span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">#MOTW</span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">#MOTW2024</span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">So without further ado, here are the prompts! </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><b>Greetings, fellow humans</b>. You’re a
writer. You may or may not be published. You may be in the process of
publishing. You may be a veteran author. Regardless of where you are at, tell
us. Who are you? What do you write? Where can we read you? Feel free to do this
in video, blog, or social media post form. Just remember to use the
#MarchOftheWriters hashtags!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><b>Aha Moment</b>. When did you know you wanted
to be a writer? When did that spark light? Was there any specific thing that
lit the fire? </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><b>Under the influence</b>. What authors,
musicians, or artists have influenced your work?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><b>Never-ending writer debate Part 1</b>:
Plotter, Pantser, Plantser. What’s your jam?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><b>Making sense of it all</b>. What are some
senses you love exploring with your writing? How do you approach writing taste,
sound, smell, touch, and sight. </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><b>You-logy</b>. Write your own eulogy and what
you want to be remembered for. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><b>Dear writer Genie</b>. If there was such a
thing as a writer genie, and you had 3 wishes, what would they be?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><b>Beyond the pages</b>. What other skills do
you have? Do you dance, make art, sing? Whatever it is, show us your skill. </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><b>Capture tools of the trade</b>. A very
valuable tip I once learned was to have capture tools to trap ideas. What are
some of your capture tools? What are some of the oldest ideas you’ve yet to
develop?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Yay-I
or Nay-I</b>. Everyone’s talking about AI. It’s everywhere…so what are your
thoughts on what it will bring for writing and art in general?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Scam-alert</b>.
Something I love about our community is that we watch out for each other as
best as we can and when someone is running a scam, you let people know. What
are some of the most common scams authors old and new need to keep an eye out
for?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>This
instead of that</b>. When you are treating your shelf, what influences you into
getting a book? <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>Dream book tour</b>. Where are we going to
see you when you make it big?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Never-ending
writer debate Part 2: Coffee or tea?</b> Us writers have an intense obsession
with what we use to lubricate our writing sessions. So what’s your poison of
choice?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Tip
of the morning to</b> <b>ya</b>. We all learn different things. From everything
you’ve experienced, what advice would you share with people about writing, the
business of writing, or life in general?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Uncharted
territory</b>. We often talk about what we’ve written and what our wheelhouse
is…but what genres have you not explored yet and have an itch you want to
scratch?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">17.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>To
sprint or not to sprint?</b> Do you do writer sprints? Any you’d like to give a
shoutout to?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">18.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Areas
of opportunity</b>. What are some things you need to work on yourself as a
person and as a writer? </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Pat
on the back</b>. We SO rarely give ourselves kudos and props. So tell us, what
are a few awesome things about you? Sure, it can be a bit uncomfortable, but
it’s worth it because you’re worth it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Never-ending
writer debate Part 3: Night Owl, Early Bird, Something else? </b>When we write
depends on availability, sure, but some people thrive at some hours way more
than others. So what’s your time to shine?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">21.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Eventful
moments</b>. What book events have you had for your work or will have?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Celebrate
Good Times</b>. You finished a manuscript, published a book, passed a test, or
finished a big project at work. How do you celebrate YOU?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">23.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Naughty
or Nice?</b> What do you prefer, villains or heroes? Which do you think you
write better?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">24.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Grooves
to Soothe</b>. It has been reported that savage beasts can in fact receive
relief and mental peace thanks to music…or something like that. In short,
there’s a March of the Writers playlist. What are some tunes you think I should
definitely add to the list and do you have writing playlists of your own?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">25.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Never-ending
writer debate Part 4: Prologues, yay or nay? </b>Some people (and many literary agents)
say that prologues aren’t necessary. That you can either cut them out or make
them into chapter one. What do you think?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">26.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>How
deep do those rabbits go?</b> Research is a fascinating thing and our stories
take us into some pretty wild territories. What are some things you’ve found
out that have made it into your stories that are just amazing?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">27.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Making
it personal</b>. Are there parts of your writing that hit REAL close to home?
If so, what are they and what compelled you to include that?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">28.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Words
of encouragement</b>. No clever title. No pun. This prompt is because writing
has some pretty rough moments, and I’m not talking about when you’re editing or
your fingers and your brain don’t coordinate long enough to avoid writing typos
every 4 words. Oftentimes people say writing is lonely and it can be. It can
also be frustrating. Debilitatingly so. This prompt is for you to write, sing,
or record a message of support to someone who is not having the best day.
Someone who is suffering from impostor syndrome, whose writing isn’t clicking
or gelling, and is wondering why they should even bother. We all know it’s
worth it, but we’ve all had sucktastic days. So you’re up. Someone needs words
of encouragement. Whachu got?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">29.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Who’s
in your corner? </b>When it comes to the writing community, finding your tribe
is something that happens organically. Who are some of the people in your tribe
you’d like to highlight? </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">30.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Linkety
Split</b>. Part of March of the Writers is to let people know where you are and
how to keep in touch. Share those links and make those connections, because
life’s better when you have friends. </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0.25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">31.<span style="font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><b>Coming
soon</b>: What’s next for you in the year or the coming few years?</span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And there you have them, folks. Have any questions? By all
means, ask away. Also, feel free to share with any writer friends you think
would enjoy these prompts. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Peace, love, and march on!!!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">HASHTAG REMINDER:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">#MarchOfTheWriters</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">#MOTW</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">#MOTW2024</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
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{margin-bottom:0in;}</span></style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-57285250764927866522024-01-21T09:12:00.005-04:002024-01-22T19:19:01.370-04:00Me, Myself, and Mine<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwifuGnby42BC9T1c24Qse12VLnrOfJ1rawKMnyuaJzablYA3-8iPVOwGIUrreEoy_aVmvG-2FgKenOhofPYoykmAUkP72ZX5FOL6-8KTOmzW-4jBHOMNrBYAHHWi_kMqodTDLdsbYIb1P3dTXyJEk0r56mE_yth3zDi5doTqrZIRQTticdT7rVrj7NfUS/s1080/Blog%20posts-2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwifuGnby42BC9T1c24Qse12VLnrOfJ1rawKMnyuaJzablYA3-8iPVOwGIUrreEoy_aVmvG-2FgKenOhofPYoykmAUkP72ZX5FOL6-8KTOmzW-4jBHOMNrBYAHHWi_kMqodTDLdsbYIb1P3dTXyJEk0r56mE_yth3zDi5doTqrZIRQTticdT7rVrj7NfUS/w640-h640/Blog%20posts-2.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />Wanting success is normal. Sure, some people may sabotage
themselves in various ways, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to succeed. It
might mean that they’re afraid of success, but deep down, they want to make it.
</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">However, defining success in your terms is a bit trickier.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It’s always curious to see people who say they want to have
as much success as another author or they want to be the next [insert name of
wildly successful author]. It reminds me a bit of how we sometimes have to
pitch our books:<br /></span>
<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />
<i>“It’s like a more accessible American Gods with elements of Tolkien, Chronicles
of Narnia, and tons of Easter eggs.”</i><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />
That’s how I sell <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Only-Human-J-D-Estrada/dp/1489573356/">Only Human</a>, because it gives a frame of reference that makes
it easy for many people to understand. But I can’t say I want to have the same
success as Neil Gaiman. Sure, one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received
is to be compared in some way to him. Still, I want my books to be mine, even
if I use his works as a frame of reference to sell a copy, and I want my
success to be completely, unequivocally, and absolutely mine.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">For starters, it’s impossible to have the same success as
another person in the same way that it’s impossible for two people to be
exactly identical in every way, shape, and form. But beyond that, it’s very
possible that people are afraid to craft their own definition of success
because it puts all accountability on them. If you didn’t have the same success
as King, Gaiman, Rowling, Allende, or Tolkien, that’s fine, because you’re not
them. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">But think about it: is it easier to say you want to be as
successful as Stephen King or is it easier to create your dream scenario, with
real goals and pipe dreams that put you in the driver's seat? And I make a
point to dream real AND dream big. Dream about being able to pay your monthly
bills and also dream about an art installation inspired by your books. Dream
about getting your books in libraries and dream about being part of a
curriculum in a state or country. Dream about receiving fan art and dream about
film, TV, and video game adaptations of your works.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Some would say:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">“It's impossible!”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">To which we could counter with a simple: </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b><i>Why</i></b> is it so impossible?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Here's JD’s definition of success: Having a seven-figure
income that comes from multiple streams and gives me the means to carry out all
the projects I feel passionate about while also supporting causes I believe in.
That I’m able to fully commit my energy to writing, giving workshops, playing
music, and collaborating with artists across disciplines to promote the value
and power of creativity. That my work helps inspire future writers and creators
and that I’m offered opportunities to collaborate with people of all ages as
well. That I can craft merch that is fun, sustainable, and supports good
causes. That I can have meaningful projects that create jobs for people. That
my works get adapted into live-action and animated films and series and that I
am able to contribute as a producer to pay crews fair wages across the board.
That I can help create memorable video games that stick with people for the
rest of their lives. That I can encourage Spanish-speaking people to read in
English and English-speaking people to read in Spanish. That my work helps
shine a positive light on Puerto Rico and gets people interested in getting to
know the Island and our culture better. That my work offers opportunity for
organic diversity and responsible representation. That my efforts can support
other countries and islands in the Caribbean because although I’m Puerto Rican,
I’ll always want the best for my neighbors. That I can have enough recognition
as a musician to be invited to collaborate with other musicians. That I can make
some money off my food reviews to encourage people to try new things so we can
all discover new things to enjoy. That I am able to develop writing workshops
combined with physical activity to promote wellness and knowledge. That my work
in some way inspires people to pick up a bodyboard. That I have enough success
and recognition to get invited across the world to meet all my writer friends. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I’m sure that if I keep thinking, I can come up with more
things to add to my definition, but that’s a pretty robust, long, and ballsy
list. I didn’t shy away from saying the money I’d like to make though I wasn’t
specific. I do have a number in my mind but with inflation and the world doing
what it does, I just want the means to do more of what I love and that instead
of juggling work with writing and other passions, that I can live off and
thrive from those creative efforts exclusively. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">By putting it out there, I run the risk of being ridiculed
or people telling me to bring it down a couple of notches…and they can keep
those opinions. This is <b>my</b> definition of success. Will I edit it? Will I
add to it or take anything off? Who knows? All I know is that I read that
paragraph and every single one of those goals resonates. And that’s good enough
for me. Do I need to get organized and do a ton of things? Of course, but
that’s just part of the adventure.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Now let’s switch roles. How about <b>you</b> define your
success? Take your time with it and know that the definition can change but let
yourself dream. You don’t have to share your definition, but you can, if you
want to. Leave it as a comment if you like, or put it in a notebook, on your
vision board, or whatever. The decision of what you do with that definition is
up to you, as well as what you include in it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Here’s to conquering the world and smiling while we’re at
it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Peace, love, and maki rolls.</span></p>
<p><style><font size="4" style="font-family: georgia;">@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</font></style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-81320733265532711772024-01-17T14:19:00.001-04:002024-01-17T14:19:35.341-04:00Steps to smile<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoi77NcduYaCnB1ctuxE71fSLe2zqh3pHiOQqnylnnGECpjJi9sgfeRLcXn77ER9GnPX8Fr7Ktr6FHWlCmXkSkFFDh1EjGlV2pkTqANhfjju9A9PZFkQr6sQuON5BxjjwqUz3tadxyM7Y5mbXZmuuOPDnaGRRPaDPgzIEHXm4H8KaESawnd2Rj2EzRw9CO/s1080/Blog%20posts-6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoi77NcduYaCnB1ctuxE71fSLe2zqh3pHiOQqnylnnGECpjJi9sgfeRLcXn77ER9GnPX8Fr7Ktr6FHWlCmXkSkFFDh1EjGlV2pkTqANhfjju9A9PZFkQr6sQuON5BxjjwqUz3tadxyM7Y5mbXZmuuOPDnaGRRPaDPgzIEHXm4H8KaESawnd2Rj2EzRw9CO/w640-h640/Blog%20posts-6.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Life does not come with an instruction manual. Sure, you
might come across advice, tips, tricks, and even lessons, but the reality is
that you’re learning as you go and more often than not, it’s educated guesswork
and hoping for the best. Still, there’s a rhythm to life and many steps we learn
along the way get embedded deep into our DNA.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I was fortunate to learn how to love freely and openly from
early on in my life thanks to my first love, Mom. People often say that I’m
very affectionate and the fact of the matter is that I’ve received love from
even before I was born. Mom talked to me often while I was in the belly and I’ve
often mentioned people wouldn’t come into her hospital room because they
thought she had someone visiting, when in reality it was just little ole me she
was chatting away to. But it wasn’t limited to her. I’ve always received a lot
of love from my family and I’m very conscious that having that is a huge gift
and something I try and pay forward as much as I can. In my life, there has been
no shortage of love, hugs, kisses, and affection. The contrary actually. There’s
been an overabundance of it and life has also blessed me with a good memory to
remember all the love I’ve received and continue to receive. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It's taught me to hug freely, to reach out when I think
about or dream of someone, to write personalized birthday messages privately,
to do my best to not judge, and to find as many smiles as possible in myself
and others. I’ve read in many places that people won’t necessarily remember you,
but they will sure as hell remember how you made them feel. At almost 5 years
after her passing, people still have beautiful things to say and share about
Mom and kind words on her birthday, on Mother’s Day, and on the anniversary of
her passing. That speaks volumes of how she made people feel and it fills me
with even more love and pride knowing she was that way with so many people.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I do my best to do her proud, to love freely and openly, to
make time for the people I love, to always pick up the phone or call back as
soon as I can to people who matter, to be in touch, to put my attention when
someone is speaking to me, and to remember small tidbits that others overlook.
Mom had a knack for remembering small details of people and I do my best to do
the same while giving it my spin.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">As a life dance partner, Mom taught me so much that I put
into practice every day, though the biggest lesson she taught me was to embrace
who and how I was and to follow my path. She never imposed what I should study
or what I should do professionally and I did the same for her. I gave her
advice, but more than that, I gave her support, because she taught me that the
power of saying “it’ll be OK” can make all the difference and that an “I told
you so” not only leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, but they’re also not worth
much.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I’ve learned from virtues, flaws, mistakes, and victories,
hers and my own. I’ve filed away the long winding conversations we shared which
shall live rent-free in my heart. And I remember and celebrate her with every
step I take on the dancefloor of life.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I also remember my other angels and although I miss them all
intensely, I hold them dearly and raise a glass while dancing in this life. Sure,
you can trip or miss a step, but you can either focus on the mistake, or you
can laugh it off or make a recovery to continue enjoying the dance.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwCwz816PiVA62_FZQsNDUYee-0a8pkw9_46z2p2NeFfdRuprxsuBjHblwXQwet62unjcjj4RMFujIHnZspoe5oLMO6LWJ4LiKp5kFz1S2P_rxO5_fnADIHatQwVpYhPO8Jk-fFOCGQqOdohBc6P6YKwqERYCrRM1RvnWleqDmWnBkgEdAhM-0-Jgia_C/s2625/IMG_8848.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2598" data-original-width="2625" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwCwz816PiVA62_FZQsNDUYee-0a8pkw9_46z2p2NeFfdRuprxsuBjHblwXQwet62unjcjj4RMFujIHnZspoe5oLMO6LWJ4LiKp5kFz1S2P_rxO5_fnADIHatQwVpYhPO8Jk-fFOCGQqOdohBc6P6YKwqERYCrRM1RvnWleqDmWnBkgEdAhM-0-Jgia_C/w640-h634/IMG_8848.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our beautiful Tata (Emma) and Mama Estrada being their beautiful selves. <br /></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In the past months, a lot of people I care about have lost
someone they love and some have had a rough go of it. To them, I wish I could give
them a big hug and to cry with them to share that moment because I’ve noticed
something about some of the most loving hugs I’ve had in my life. Unconsciously,
we press tight and take a step, and then another, and then another. It almost
seems like we slow dance in that embrace…and it makes total sense to me. Life
has its music and our hearts carry a rhythm that takes us from one day to the
next. Some people think it ends once we pass away, but when I think of Mom and
the angels I love dearest in my life, I have to disagree with that thought. I
still feel the beat of her heart within mine. Sure, I miss her and I always
will, but beyond DNA, we shared life and love, and that stays with you until it
reunites in the big dance of the universe. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">So, if you’ve lost someone, cry if you have to. It’s good to
do so. To release and recognize that loss. But also listen within. Their music
is still there, still beating, still inviting you to share and to dance with
others. If you need a moment to recover, that’s OK. If you need to sit a song
out, that’s OK too. Just remember that life is a dance floor and there’s always
another song to dance to, another new step to learn, and another smile to share.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Peace, love, and maki rolls.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqM8rFXcMsrPX-YirH2vOtRAKBON1J1IeoObafPwj5a1nuc4irt9MqmzsH27Jm7gqluOXbmTW__tCT2ZxZJ2P0hNwf8jcZbt7f9suz0O2lNOzTHtnywhlSACs0XGw3kPp56XVGT5cy-aKE-KzOo5CTJ0GYsYT147aPu1V45bBgXIDJe9km-n9hrAmRIcI/s2500/IMG_8851.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2095" data-original-width="2500" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqM8rFXcMsrPX-YirH2vOtRAKBON1J1IeoObafPwj5a1nuc4irt9MqmzsH27Jm7gqluOXbmTW__tCT2ZxZJ2P0hNwf8jcZbt7f9suz0O2lNOzTHtnywhlSACs0XGw3kPp56XVGT5cy-aKE-KzOo5CTJ0GYsYT147aPu1V45bBgXIDJe9km-n9hrAmRIcI/w640-h536/IMG_8851.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful picture of the Estrada Family way back when<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </span></p>
<p><style><span style="font-family: georgia;">@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</span></style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-84256679891163432652024-01-17T12:13:00.005-04:002024-01-17T12:13:51.172-04:00Redefiniendo el tiempo<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmy67SmO5TNikUa2PMAU-i2Lm4sz536RgjhXStl6CDwAy0I7ccDIuMgHvPIPSTVogVtAbnf7MBEf1X8ecBL6M2RfaHEPxNYSMXE52DLo5faG038v2M6xRtaPjtTtY4CK-E24CYjXJJJZoXdUZQQ7w4jWEU6KLQy8Rogxscnhr_oP6WTt1_FinheTX6UxiE/s1080/Blog%20posts-5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmy67SmO5TNikUa2PMAU-i2Lm4sz536RgjhXStl6CDwAy0I7ccDIuMgHvPIPSTVogVtAbnf7MBEf1X8ecBL6M2RfaHEPxNYSMXE52DLo5faG038v2M6xRtaPjtTtY4CK-E24CYjXJJJZoXdUZQQ7w4jWEU6KLQy8Rogxscnhr_oP6WTt1_FinheTX6UxiE/w640-h640/Blog%20posts-5.png" width="640" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Hoy sería el cumpleaños #75 de Mama. A casi 5 años de su partida, me sigue
sorprendiendo lo reciente que se siente. Aunque tengo más canas y las entradas
están más desarrolladas, sigo siendo el hijo de Marietta y parte de mí siempre
lo será. </span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Uno de los ajustes más intensos que tuve que hacer a su partida fue ver cómo
me organizaba. De camino al trabajo hablaba con ella. De vuelta del trabajo
hablaba con ella. A veces durante la hora de almuerzo la llamaba. Le daba forma
a mi día gracias a ella y siempre había algo para compartir y contar. Aún en
los días que no pasaba nada, siempre había algo que contar entre nosotros. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Sigo hablándole todos los días y cuando escribo a la noche en mi diario,
recapitulo lo que pasó en el día, de qué estoy agradecido, le doy gracias a
Dios por las bendiciones, le escribo a Mama y le cuento un poquito de lo que
está pasando poniéndola al día con acontecimientos y cierro hablándome a mí
mismo con palabras de reflexión y apoyo. Cuando voy a caminar, siempre hago un
alto a mitad de mi ruta y le hablo a Mama ya sea en un banquito, bajo la sombra
de un árbol o frente al río que tanto asocio con ella por alguna razón.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">En mis cuentos, la capturé como Mrs. Fawn y si has leído mis libros, pues
podemos hablar más de por qué su personaje es quien es y por qué sus
habilidades. En el último libro, tiene un rol muy importante y capturo mucho de
lo que experimenté con ella esos últimos meses y días. Y es que ella siempre le
dará forma a mi realidad de alguna manera u otra. Mucho compartimos y aunque me
hace una falta descomunal y fácilmente se me aguan los ojos al pensar de ella,
también se me hace igual de fácil sonreír por todo lo que vivimos juntos.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Hay personas que me han preguntado cómo se maneja el dolor al perder a
alguien que quieres y siempre digo que es algo que cada persona tiene que
definir y que tienes que buscar lo que te funciona. A mí me llena brindar por
ella, incluirla en mi diario, escribir sobre ella en mis cuentos, contarle a la
gente cosas y ocurrencias de ella, recordar buenos tiempos e internalizar todo
el amor que compartimos. El dolor está, ahora el dolor es energía y la podemos
poner a trabajar en favor de algo bonito. Un poema, una canción, un cuento, un
dibujo, un favor a alguien, un acto de solidaridad, una llamada a un amigo que
extrañas, una sonrisa a alguien que te dijo buenos días. Puede ser algo grande
o algo chiquitititititito pero la opción está ahí. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">No es de no llorar. No es de no sentir. Es de buscar balance y recordar que
si duele es porque tocó tu vida, porque sigue siendo importante y porque tu
vida es mejor al haber tenido a esa persona contigo. Yo sigo celebrando a Mama
con un Cheers Mama Estrada con cada copa que me doy. Y cuando me regalo un
momento, sigo impresionado por el tiempo que ha pasado y lo rápido que pasa. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Y esa es la única realidad que te puedo decir con certeza. El tiempo vuela
y nos toca aprovecharlo a lo máximo. Si lo puedes hacer hoy, hazlo hoy. Si algo
interfiere, ponte un recordatorio. Recuerda que hay que ser terco para la
bueno. También busca el balance siempre y vela por no enfocarte en cosas que no
valen la pena. Un año suena como mucho, pero todavía se divide en días, horas,
minutos y segundos. Ama libremente. Busca todas las sonrisas que puedas. Si hay
pocas sonrisas, cosecha sonrisas como puedas. Date la dona. Tómate el vino.
Llama a tu amiga. Date una cerveza con tu pana. Complace antojos todas las
semanas. Mantente en contacto con tus seres queridos de la manera que puedas y
vive. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">La vida dolerá, ahora cada día es una invitación a vivir y disfrutar. No es
que no haya preocupaciones, dolores, pérdidas y frustraciones. La vida es vida
y seguirá el rumbo que tenga que seguir. Ahora, no le quita que cada día es una
oportunidad para disfrutar, brindar, celebrar y hablar con tus seres queridos,
aún los que ya no están en este plano. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Gracias a todo el mundo que me ha enviado felicidades a Mama por su cumpleaños.
Sigo sorprendido por lo rápido que pasa el tiempo al igual que sigo sorprendido
por todo el amor que ella sigue inspirando. Gracias por dejarme compartir ese
amor y te guardo un abrazo para cuando nos veamos en agradecimiento por leerme,
quererme a mí y a los míos y por compartir un pedacito de vida conmigo. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Dos abrazos y un adiós.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">JD</span></span></p>
<p><style><font size="4"><span style="font-family: georgia;">@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</span></font></style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-91238290074635343662024-01-16T08:33:00.003-04:002024-01-16T11:09:32.927-04:00Reconectando con mi alma mater<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1B2C_H2gH77o0cZGZVNpAu9wn6MNZRX4Akkl5FgmJ_JH76kE8GFB0rSYf-Mrg7KP9Zgv90KBy6Svw6XFbYMFHzhEYljCB6fTT4daKnOJ__zyK820_tX3mtYUYthFjl16-mDAXkk1NZvBjGB16qz99QCMscn3klHJVgeVrl97zpVcldWb9jZRG4Q_1Fw8/s4032/IMG_6361.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1B2C_H2gH77o0cZGZVNpAu9wn6MNZRX4Akkl5FgmJ_JH76kE8GFB0rSYf-Mrg7KP9Zgv90KBy6Svw6XFbYMFHzhEYljCB6fTT4daKnOJ__zyK820_tX3mtYUYthFjl16-mDAXkk1NZvBjGB16qz99QCMscn3klHJVgeVrl97zpVcldWb9jZRG4Q_1Fw8/w480-h640/IMG_6361.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Para el 2023 tuve
dos cosas muy importantes como parte de mi trayectoria como autor puertorriqueño.
Lo primero fue publicar mi primera colección de cuentos cortos en español,
<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Penumbra-Cuentos-Oscuros-JD-Estrada/dp/1960732005/ ">Penumbra</a></b>. Disfruté muchísimo de ese proyecto y de compartir un lado nuevo que
muchos sólo han visto un poquito en lo que escribo en mi serie de fantasía
urbana, The Human Cycle. Aunque en <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Only-Human-J-D-Estrada/dp/1489573356/">Only Human</a></b> y <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Human-Cycle-2/dp/1533028907/">Shadow of a Human</a></b> escribí cosas
oscuras y hasta un poco macabras, en Penumbra lo llevamos a otro nivel. Era
algo que quería hacer hace años y gracias a esa publicación, pues vendrán más. </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Por otra parte, tuve
la oportunidad de visitar a mi alma mater, la Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. Confieso
que no visitaba la universidad en casi dos décadas y por suerte, tuve la dicha
de conectar con Marimer Torres, la Gerente Senior de Exalumnos. De Marimer,
puedo decir que fue un encanto conocerla y que mi visita, aunque ya tenía mucha
ilusión, superó todas las expectativas gracias al tour que me dio.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Pero me adelanté
un poco. Demos para atrás.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">El año pasado me
escribió mi querida amiga Jennifer Soler Rodríguez, jefa y compañera en el LAD
(Language Across the Disciplines) de cuando yo era estudiante y participaba
como mentor en inglés. Me comparte un reel de que en Sagrado hay una colección
de Exalumnos y yo como que wow, cómo puedo participar de eso. Me puse a
investigar y escribí preguntando. Ahí fue que conecté con Marimer, me contó de
la colección y coordinamos para enviar mis libros a la universidad para que
fuesen parte de esa colección.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Nos adelantamos varios meses, llego a la universidad,
conozco a Marimer, me encuentro a una muy buena amiga que también ayuda en la universidad
y me dieron el tour VIP a tal nivel que me olvidé de mi propósito original de
la visita. La intención era tomarme fotos con los libros (que lo hice!!!) y de
firmarlos (que se me olvidó por completo).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdt2ZidVa-GjZP54xuzmpqE1y9oEvAwR0gpLqFSx11Cym2oD2-ynBiZ1IWmf746Eu7R8gfxMLq6mEIFK4eKetikbM6_P7AM5xc-usNttkNOaFIghaj7JSN2UIIKIl6tBAy6AX5YADnXApGqw7WQnRw7pku4eYTZGcA8qpkIMaH4xC7ux5a44dQ1dX29x6/s1302/IMG_6362.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1171" data-original-width="1302" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVdt2ZidVa-GjZP54xuzmpqE1y9oEvAwR0gpLqFSx11Cym2oD2-ynBiZ1IWmf746Eu7R8gfxMLq6mEIFK4eKetikbM6_P7AM5xc-usNttkNOaFIghaj7JSN2UIIKIl6tBAy6AX5YADnXApGqw7WQnRw7pku4eYTZGcA8qpkIMaH4xC7ux5a44dQ1dX29x6/s320/IMG_6362.heic" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Un anaquel para mis libros! :D <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Es la primera vez
que veo a todos mis libros en un lugar fuera de mi casa y confieso que me dio
un sentimiento brutal. Fue bien bonito ver mis libros juntos a los de muchos
compañeros escritores que también son egresados de la universidad. De ahí,
Marimer me dio el tour compartiendo los avances que han hecho en la biblioteca
que hasta tiene su propio café, los salones remodelados, los centros de desarrollo
de ideas de negocios, la sección de moda, en fin, decenas de cosas que dieron
gusto y hasta envidia de la buena porque yo no tenía eso cuando estudiaba en
USC así que espero que lo aprovechen.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJ2csO5epwmZmSune3g4fgtJjy0I8LzR_jomgjVm5AwhhK60-wCNoqdwAfxSC7Pjej67XlnW4F-RMS4-HGC2XyOKPjZ_3yGOsfluRFCR1sIY4Kpe3TR3dM26fqdsOO627QiTkuzXjPsC-1EmYJGl8s1VLec4jugIVlB38Hou5ikkjZ1kLIKkmNlTtBv1E/s4032/IMG_6374.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJ2csO5epwmZmSune3g4fgtJjy0I8LzR_jomgjVm5AwhhK60-wCNoqdwAfxSC7Pjej67XlnW4F-RMS4-HGC2XyOKPjZ_3yGOsfluRFCR1sIY4Kpe3TR3dM26fqdsOO627QiTkuzXjPsC-1EmYJGl8s1VLec4jugIVlB38Hou5ikkjZ1kLIKkmNlTtBv1E/s320/IMG_6374.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donde estaba el Banquito :)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /> </span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mEu8d2voRJMyABFBYDrCfOC_KJAuHNn0jXWvp1s9C9SqLC8sLwauW4SW1cjr25Q57jluZBvwb09AkA-hQ-EtGSwRlckwFctzBdn9G2G5VWcKhyphenhyphen-V9ubvI1KjUEeVvwCSIUgg1NPN5Uq8xJd3ENRPCoPAXRfIdD_eNxmgw9kn0F42av2U5LdsTAkNpALh/s3088/IMG_6372.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mEu8d2voRJMyABFBYDrCfOC_KJAuHNn0jXWvp1s9C9SqLC8sLwauW4SW1cjr25Q57jluZBvwb09AkA-hQ-EtGSwRlckwFctzBdn9G2G5VWcKhyphenhyphen-V9ubvI1KjUEeVvwCSIUgg1NPN5Uq8xJd3ENRPCoPAXRfIdD_eNxmgw9kn0F42av2U5LdsTAkNpALh/s320/IMG_6372.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Me llevó a lo que
era mi querido LAD, que ha cambiado por completo y vi cuatro localizaciones que
significan un mundo para mí. Uno, el salón donde conocí a mi esposa lo vi de
lejos y la próxima vez voy para tomarme una foto para recordar los buenos
tiempos. Segundo, el espacio en donde estaba el banquito y donde pasé tantas horas
compartiendo con buenos amigos. Tercero, un banquito debajo de un árbol de maga
que inspiró un poema que incluí en mi colección bilingüe Twenty Veinte. Y
cuarto, una mesita donde fueron los inicios de Only Human. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEJKyvRFcXKzNc1KYw4gX17y8a48Uj3PLhz5VQOXA6BI1vBURXUSWWyoN-DP17ZKKPcHKndTaL0xk-oi5GSE33PGKb7FwhQ4gtxabMX6bJ5526FRpzCy7dePNpDHZLSknDYI8OmTEkyaDPY7EO7uapyWyNftnqAAySUB1fhCwc8HcH-Efg8pf0CVjp0Tb/s4032/IMG_6367.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEJKyvRFcXKzNc1KYw4gX17y8a48Uj3PLhz5VQOXA6BI1vBURXUSWWyoN-DP17ZKKPcHKndTaL0xk-oi5GSE33PGKb7FwhQ4gtxabMX6bJ5526FRpzCy7dePNpDHZLSknDYI8OmTEkyaDPY7EO7uapyWyNftnqAAySUB1fhCwc8HcH-Efg8pf0CVjp0Tb/s320/IMG_6367.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Árboles que inspiraron un poema de Twenty Veinte<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Tantos recuerdos
bonitos. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Por mi parte, es
todo un orgullo poder tener mis libros en la Colección de Ex Alumnos de Sagrado
y pues, si eres estudiante y me has querido leer, ahí tienes una buena
oportunidad para hacerlo auspiciado por la Universidad. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIo1X5ynlmdMzZMG56wf3NvCtaWcQMlUh9PRbzBsjzxhaA92zHbqQMy4iYxTFDn_XelyhtvcEsdR3D2s3HZF2uhN15_fObwhyphenhyphenK3p0HQkRQDu4GY_-aC0KPRBNIk1AFE8d76SW1ksTaZhkTkafWm8iKbJPUnF0wyHkgDCRuxRi5zl1PQclQ2Y1iezbIJLVr/s2301/IMG_6370.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2301" data-original-width="2044" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIo1X5ynlmdMzZMG56wf3NvCtaWcQMlUh9PRbzBsjzxhaA92zHbqQMy4iYxTFDn_XelyhtvcEsdR3D2s3HZF2uhN15_fObwhyphenhyphenK3p0HQkRQDu4GY_-aC0KPRBNIk1AFE8d76SW1ksTaZhkTkafWm8iKbJPUnF0wyHkgDCRuxRi5zl1PQclQ2Y1iezbIJLVr/s320/IMG_6370.heic" width="284" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Donde escribí mis primeras ideas de Only Human<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYBXGXlS_c3dR6DuUOm3Pz2DSrjEttnX674WX5hytGDtCzwfdKKr0HDuaf4VK9IK-tRaIl7pnGXTjQkkoJk0VweGeqtDYDICMc9j4KavAzmw1g9BDtJfP8wY5XCtbQ6UjHx-EwSwXbEXGFZU2Na2qmXaTeF95juBmXutDviAQZktC5BUNNYeK8RWdKH2p/s3532/IMG_6368.heic" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3532" data-original-width="2984" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYBXGXlS_c3dR6DuUOm3Pz2DSrjEttnX674WX5hytGDtCzwfdKKr0HDuaf4VK9IK-tRaIl7pnGXTjQkkoJk0VweGeqtDYDICMc9j4KavAzmw1g9BDtJfP8wY5XCtbQ6UjHx-EwSwXbEXGFZU2Na2qmXaTeF95juBmXutDviAQZktC5BUNNYeK8RWdKH2p/s320/IMG_6368.heic" width="270" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Como graduado, sólo
tengo cosas positivas a decir de mi experiencia en la universidad. Me abrieron
las puertas cuando se me complicó todo en la UPR. Me ayudaron de todas las
maneras habidas y por haber y lo único que me pidieron fue dar lo máximo, y eso
mismo fue lo que recibieron. Me gradué con honores, viajé dos veces a competir
como integrante del equipo representando a Sagrado frente a otros capítulos del
American Advertising Federation (AAF), obtuve algunos de mis amigos más
cercanos hasta hoy día, aprendí destrezas que pongo en práctica aún hoy día y
me casé con mi mejor amiga. La vida me puso en el camino de Sagrado y siempre
haré lo posible por apoyar, incluyendo enviar copia de cada libro que publique.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Mi más sincero
agradecimiento a la decana en aquel momento Lydia Espinet por su apoyo incondicional,
a mi querida Jennifer Soler por todo su apoyo y años de amistad genuina, a mi
familia del LAD que seguimos en contacto, a Marimer que es toda una embajadora
de Sagrado y a todo el mundo que me ha apoyado en mi trayectoria como
profesional en publicidad y como escritor. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xaaLnNO1-nmNIoIG0cL5peSaFDD6LjS57HVc0rBlKKc4__j1R-TyL2r098-WHecjVtdl7acHhl2xEymKtD0Lqj_nQu4rYWJ71cieyMSqK8VeWDjawBGRu7E0GL7d6AHUQuEMKFl8GkQURGvSWy1xxhAzNi8WYAwkNq2RhyphenhyphenXYFLDPzTr1mFAfeYfPDtMS/s4032/IMG_6364.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xaaLnNO1-nmNIoIG0cL5peSaFDD6LjS57HVc0rBlKKc4__j1R-TyL2r098-WHecjVtdl7acHhl2xEymKtD0Lqj_nQu4rYWJ71cieyMSqK8VeWDjawBGRu7E0GL7d6AHUQuEMKFl8GkQURGvSWy1xxhAzNi8WYAwkNq2RhyphenhyphenXYFLDPzTr1mFAfeYfPDtMS/w480-h640/IMG_6364.HEIC" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Con sonrisa lista
y las ganas a millón, vamos por más. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">Un abrazo,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;">JD</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p><style><span style="font-family: georgia;">@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</span></style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-72376292503603515752024-01-15T17:35:00.005-04:002024-01-15T17:35:51.167-04:002023 Report Card<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMmQu1iCPvROrgbWAQIAdDrOY16_o2Wr8EL_ygDbqCURKVZKvPgRG8Vie60BOsG6EielEWdHwA1q8uwNI4dAyn5qQB7SYBKNPmrMVLwn5XSSDKsqcjV-8uKUcbclSk48qdh5IlKKgogo8IdQ2aqbX8IT16ChwVg8ZB06KVfybMmF6ZQJ090-KRnkTuoU7/s4032/IMG_6883.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMmQu1iCPvROrgbWAQIAdDrOY16_o2Wr8EL_ygDbqCURKVZKvPgRG8Vie60BOsG6EielEWdHwA1q8uwNI4dAyn5qQB7SYBKNPmrMVLwn5XSSDKsqcjV-8uKUcbclSk48qdh5IlKKgogo8IdQ2aqbX8IT16ChwVg8ZB06KVfybMmF6ZQJ090-KRnkTuoU7/w480-h640/IMG_6883.HEIC" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />It’s been a hot minute since I did a report card. Four years
to be exact. That said, it’s funny because between this post and the last one,
a pandemic has happened and a LOT of the goals I wrote in a blog post didn’t
get done, even if several did.</span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Stuff I did get done:<br />
The second volume of my <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Daydreams-Sherbet-Shore-JD-Estrada/dp/1960732021/"><b>Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore</b></a>... and that’s it. Lol.
If you want to see my report card for 2019 and the goals I had for 2020 that
got absolutely derailed, check the post <a href="https://jdestradawriter.blogspot.com/2020/01/2019-report-card.html">here</a>. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">If like me, you’d rather focus on the here and now, then keep
reading. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">So 2023 was a year with LOTS of ups and downs. The highs
were wonderful with my first prose book in Spanish thanks to my dark short
story collection: <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Penumbra-Cuentos-Oscuros-JD-Estrada/dp/1960732005/">Penumbra</a></b>. I also published Daydreams 2 and finished the first
draft of Beyond Human. I went to the Puerto Rico Comic Con and had the best
show in terms of sales I’ve ever had plus had the company of my brother from another
mother, Mr. Joe Compton, representing Go Indie Now and allowing me the pleasure
of showing him a bit of the Island though there’s still SO much to see. I did
some live shows but then I hit a rough ole patch, lost momentum, and had
to push through to get past <u>several</u> obstacles.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Part of getting past those obstacles was learning to say no to
several events and even cancel some because I was in no shape to participate.
In that sense, there were a lot of heavy moments, some of which I’ll talk about
later, but rest assured I had to adjust a lot of things. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In October I went to Chicago for the first time on a trip
with my oldest brother and I had an absolutely wonderful time and really
enjoyed my time in Chicago, everything I shared with the bro, the Peter Gabriel
concert, the food, and the sights. The only thing I didn’t enjoy was getting
COVID, which truly ruined a bunch of plans I had for October, including
properly celebrating my anniversary. To boot, I coughed so much that I got a
nasty back spasm that put me out of commission further for several days and
took me several weeks to get back to normal. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But I ended the year going to Puerto Rico and spending time
with the family. The trip also came with its own sets of challenges, but rather
than talking about that, I’ll focus on the last full week, how I was able to
spend a lot of time with the family and go surf five times in one week. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I didn’t meet my Goodreads goal but I still read 32 books,
which is respectable. I also used my time out of commission in October to
recalibrate and refocus myself and have been able to do some writing every
single day since mid-October. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">As you can see, it was up-down-up-down-up-down and so on and
so forth. Still, it was a good year. Had some decent sales on Amazon, was able
to coordinate with a book distributor to have my books in PR, was able to
coordinate to have ALL my books in the ex-alum collection at my alma mater, and
saw a lot of friends. Two huge highlights are thanks to two friends and want to
make a specific shoutout to <b>Judyliz Díaz</b>, whom I know from my college days.
Thanks to her, a classroom in the states purchased and discussed my bilingual
collection <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Veinte-JD-Estrada/dp/1533098484/">Twenty Veinte</a></b>. Secondly, I want to give a shout also to my wonderful
horror brother from another mother, Mr. <b>Ángel Isian</b> for being so kind as to
invite me to give a poetry workshop to his students. These are two beautiful
highlights that I didn’t talk about much because I got distracted by life, but
I’ll be talking about these experiences and more soon.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Did I have failures? Yes. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Are there areas of opportunity? What can I say? I’m Only
Human. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Will there be goals I’ll bring to this year? You can bet
your top, middle, or bottom dollar. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Is this good or bad? Neither. It’s life. And life brings
surprises. Some are great and some are rough as hell. But you keep moving
forward. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I had every intention of participating in more collections,
but things didn’t pan out. That said, I still submitted one story which I still
hope will be picked up for a Spanish horror short story collection. And it’s up
to me, whether I focus on the one I was able to submit to or the three others I
was not able to. It’s a tendency to focus on the negative or let that drag us
down. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But I refuse to only focus on the negative.</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Some great things happened last year. That’s not me looking
at silver linings. That’s not me being an optimist. That’s a fact. And I choose
to celebrate the good more than the bad, because I can, and so can you. </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">As for a grade, being objective, I’d give myself and A- or
B+. Hovering between those two, which still puts me in good shape for this new
semester. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDWOmr55nJYm86nmL7K6-ECIvUgArTN4KmZKfZkp1o1xm3S3BWBxmLcMHs_UyzhTt4NMojgjSPPQ6gkmpK8pFOZs-lRF1qc9qJTBzcS-cVUYZPTvcZPrYm7GmKYusS7fdV_Kq36iAzU_o4l_hO-dVxCzRbbHtw4Ss-S5dD7-xKBkLP7xsssBsEEBEthjv/s4032/IMG_6884.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDWOmr55nJYm86nmL7K6-ECIvUgArTN4KmZKfZkp1o1xm3S3BWBxmLcMHs_UyzhTt4NMojgjSPPQ6gkmpK8pFOZs-lRF1qc9qJTBzcS-cVUYZPTvcZPrYm7GmKYusS7fdV_Kq36iAzU_o4l_hO-dVxCzRbbHtw4Ss-S5dD7-xKBkLP7xsssBsEEBEthjv/w480-h640/IMG_6884.HEIC" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Peace, love, and maki rolls</span></span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</span></font></style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-43238750328146439472023-11-26T09:13:00.002-04:002023-11-26T23:13:37.255-04:00Behind the Cover – Get to know artist and author Melissa Lettis <p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Among my many projects, one of my favorites is the <b><i>Daydreams
on the Sherbet Shore</i></b>. These whimsical short stories take place in the
world of Draem and how this project started and what it’s become is why it’s so
special. </span></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pE7ytA3vMcUo9B9Iiq7TzSMrBwVARR_NSBxfg_XCDzhoghA9HaxLnOhS6k6U-5e_VqGoZaxZOyPN7HNBS6R3jqjlpEQ-j48jS-th0L2HGnHVkVjkNmS65MLwIq8zroqDmlbuv2VEaFNrNNnf14u6ZN2Ofp_vFQp7LmiptFSs-I3NC4Z6LUOZfoQKTKyj/s1080/Behind%20the%20cover%20Melissa%20Lettis.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: georgia; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pE7ytA3vMcUo9B9Iiq7TzSMrBwVARR_NSBxfg_XCDzhoghA9HaxLnOhS6k6U-5e_VqGoZaxZOyPN7HNBS6R3jqjlpEQ-j48jS-th0L2HGnHVkVjkNmS65MLwIq8zroqDmlbuv2VEaFNrNNnf14u6ZN2Ofp_vFQp7LmiptFSs-I3NC4Z6LUOZfoQKTKyj/w400-h400/Behind%20the%20cover%20Melissa%20Lettis.png" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The idea for the Daydreams came from a random chat and I
wrote two or three of them before a friend of mine actually had to undergo
surgery. When that happened, I wrote a Daydream as a get-well card and started
inviting people I know from around the world to visit Draem. For the first volume
of the Daydreams, I knew pretty much what I wanted for the cover but for the
second installment, I was stuck. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Enter Melissa Lettis. Talented, diligent, sharp as anything
you can imagine, patient, and kind. These are just some keywords I can use to
describe her and my experience working with her. Which is why I wanted to
invite her to the blog, so you can get to know her, her work, and possibly help
you connect with her if you need an artist for your cover.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i> JD: So welcome to the blog, Melissa. So lovely to have you
here. Care to tell people who you are, where you’re from, and all that jazz?</i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i> </i><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;">I like jazz! I’m an illustrator and
author living in Pennsylvania. I grew up in Alaska and Seattle, studied music
and English, and now I freelance with illustration and design. I also drink
tea. Lots of tea!</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;"> </b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>JD: Blessed be the tea and jazz then! Talking a bit about
your career, how long have you been designing and what would you say are some
of your most notable works? (You know, besides a certain short story collection
about daydreams.) </i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i> </i><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;">I’ve been doing art for most of my life,
but I only started working as a full-time freelance artist in 2021. I’ve worked
on several picture books with self-published authors, but I don’t know how to
choose which is most notable! You may have to check out my projects on my website,
www.MelissaLettisArt.com , and decide for yourself! (Yes, shameless marketing -
it’s part of the freelance life).</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;"> </b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigH_fJacbvR2mF-GOMynw0c43Ntqt7jfPEgXg1vn-l3sOQrpJHs0U25Jj-3TSp7oQfsx1CHccm_na7qk_Xe6JtntUVboLLXeb434bS0QqJvhyjnxqDQs3OMxqu5iqGpU1ppkbzUax7DySCc8_kEy_fxcaPHuU8-gIN8G4TnQqapFE1oppmWMQ-YBRIM3yb/s720/mermay%20Buterfly%20Bubbles%20mock%20middle%20grade%20book%20cover%20-%20website.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="479" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigH_fJacbvR2mF-GOMynw0c43Ntqt7jfPEgXg1vn-l3sOQrpJHs0U25Jj-3TSp7oQfsx1CHccm_na7qk_Xe6JtntUVboLLXeb434bS0QqJvhyjnxqDQs3OMxqu5iqGpU1ppkbzUax7DySCc8_kEy_fxcaPHuU8-gIN8G4TnQqapFE1oppmWMQ-YBRIM3yb/s320/mermay%20Buterfly%20Bubbles%20mock%20middle%20grade%20book%20cover%20-%20website.jpg" width="213" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>JD: We encourage the shameless marketing! :) Here’s a tricky
question, what would you say is the specialty that sets you apart from other
designers?</i><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;">That is tricky, as there’re so many
amazing artists and designers out there! One thing I like to focus on is how
everything comes together. From the very beginning of the project, I’m already
thinking about how all the pieces will fit into place. It’s not just the
illustration. It’s not just the title and the font. It’s not just the text.
It’s not even just the page for the interior of a book. It’s how they all
relate to each other, and I think keeping that in mind from the start can
really help shape the project and help everything click together in a really
natural way.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">JD: Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore 2 was a project that was
challenging for me. Can you walk us through the process on your side of this
creative equation?</span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviO9wN_rLltmtj9LMVzvsD0amG-Y4TvfEXECAeJodhJortlHaIfy2gnfod5qairQuvhgvaSvCrX0YuE6SLV0Imh442_aYliHe4EMa-HOAxxd01IRcHVy4a7Nsk6lAZnYr1Sx37Q8VfrykCGmOsswp41vUJrTmr5ISBMrqT3wNPoTC7PWeBSfWKr1iGGFN/s1416/PXL_20230911_192923305.MP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1416" data-original-width="1132" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviO9wN_rLltmtj9LMVzvsD0amG-Y4TvfEXECAeJodhJortlHaIfy2gnfod5qairQuvhgvaSvCrX0YuE6SLV0Imh442_aYliHe4EMa-HOAxxd01IRcHVy4a7Nsk6lAZnYr1Sx37Q8VfrykCGmOsswp41vUJrTmr5ISBMrqT3wNPoTC7PWeBSfWKr1iGGFN/s320/PXL_20230911_192923305.MP.jpg" width="256" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;">Sure! I started by reading the text
(which is always a pleasure!) and jotting down some of the more dynamic visuals
that I thought might work for the cover - and there were a lot! Daydreams is
such a visually rich world. Once we chose which direction to go, I did a few
thumbnail sketches for the layout and planned out where to place all of the
elements on the cover. I knew we wanted a similar color palette to the first
book’s cover (and I love that peachy-coral color so much), but we still went
through a number of color options. As the different stages of the artwork were
approved, I kept refining and adding details, and then finally we settled on
the title fonts and laid in the text. </b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">JD: I can attest to the exploration process and although
each artist is unique in their approach., I really enjoyed how you went about
it. How about the biggest challenge for the Daydreams?</span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;">Haha, probably the
dragon scales! I never know how much detail to add to textures like that, so it
definitely went through a few different versions there. I’m quite happy with
how they turned out though. I can’t say I ever expected to draw a dragon-train-teapot!</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">JD: Well the Falkori will invite you to imagine and draw
some pretty interesting things. I also really loved the detail in the scales
and all the tidbits hidden. Going back to your process, what are some things
people who work with you could do to help the process?</span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;">So much of it is
about communication (isn’t everything?). It will always be easier to make
changes in the early stages of a project than once the art is close to
finished. So, if you really like the direction something is going, or if
there’s something that isn’t working out as well, definitely say something!</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;"> </b></span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0XxiB9d9InsjqzDWVDHfmK-11A1Y6g9PYXqyT0G4L4lr41VaY9QQn7VSD0fL-TT58XcaZihfGs8mBmXVq9fQQcP0cXYENjmGIEJ-tAS3HzCYf9WRoAASQ38kCjCnXf6bzF9ursaWX9I0rwuHV3GfygBX1V8ZV5O8wprRohXovoiVxlvFJ7Tr4sROPgZlN/s720/portrait%20fae%20queen%20Mock%20Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0XxiB9d9InsjqzDWVDHfmK-11A1Y6g9PYXqyT0G4L4lr41VaY9QQn7VSD0fL-TT58XcaZihfGs8mBmXVq9fQQcP0cXYENjmGIEJ-tAS3HzCYf9WRoAASQ38kCjCnXf6bzF9ursaWX9I0rwuHV3GfygBX1V8ZV5O8wprRohXovoiVxlvFJ7Tr4sROPgZlN/s320/portrait%20fae%20queen%20Mock%20Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>JD: Communication was definitely key in our process and I’m
so thankful for you and your patience. You really were pivotal in helping me
find my way and helping identify the soul of the book to get it the covered it
needed. Now to throw you a random question, if someone designed a font in your
honor, what would it be called and how would you describe it? </i><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;">Enchanted Tea Time - magical, legible,
and swirly. It would pair well with cozy little hand-writing serif fonts. </b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>JD: What sort of projects really call out to you and you’re
interested in working on?</i><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;">I love drawing fantasy characters and
nature. Give me something with cozy magic, and I’m 100% there for it. On a more
technical end, I mostly do picture books and illustrated book covers, but I’m
also branching out into comics. </b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSuaZ7oztVpcIzpVWTMq9UvybzUUdA6MNQFvwtXrdmh_MDOy-Vr7FFSWx5Ts4b-Lcwuc7UZ63tGmPdnCQZkt2LFwWyzia8J8t7aP2qNI6IMvtCnz73E_cOwgzFnflWwLFXzJ_V2mHxrq4QRdJbUnwPQZYqzXHXFcFKdSg8f8UAB02HsZsHTZxv1Z7uMjv/s1710/Kidlit%20picture%20book%20illustration%20farm%20girl%20carying%20eggs%20running%20from%20fire%20breathing%20dragon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1710" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSuaZ7oztVpcIzpVWTMq9UvybzUUdA6MNQFvwtXrdmh_MDOy-Vr7FFSWx5Ts4b-Lcwuc7UZ63tGmPdnCQZkt2LFwWyzia8J8t7aP2qNI6IMvtCnz73E_cOwgzFnflWwLFXzJ_V2mHxrq4QRdJbUnwPQZYqzXHXFcFKdSg8f8UAB02HsZsHTZxv1Z7uMjv/w400-h169/Kidlit%20picture%20book%20illustration%20farm%20girl%20carying%20eggs%20running%20from%20fire%20breathing%20dragon.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>JD: Your fav restaurant called and they’ve noticed all the
times you’ve had a meal there. They want to do a Lettis Special as a small
thanks. What would that special include and how would it taste?</i><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;">It’s a brunch special. It has a fancy
bacon-egg-cheese biscuit with your choice of mushrooms or avocado, a side of
breakfast potatoes (crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside), and a mini
pastry that rotates daily (today’s pastry is a cinnamon roll, but the gooey
pecan rolls are popular, so come back on the weekend!). Served with a tea
latte. <br />
<br />
You’re asking the important questions here, I see.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">JD: ALWAYS ask the important questions lol. But swinging
back to work: How would an ideal project roll out for you?</span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;">The short answer is
good communication and no bugs in my art programs. And both parties walk away
happy with the product.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <br /></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">JD: Succinct and so well said. Now to wrap things up and
roll out the blogs red carpet, tell us: how can people get in touch with you if
they have cover, character, or other design needs?</span></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: georgia;">My website, </b><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="http://www.melissalettisart.com"><b><span style="color: #1155cc;">www.MelissaLettisArt.com</span></b></a><b> , has a contact page and links to my
social media platforms (I’m currently on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/melissalettisart/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MelissaLettisArt" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/melissalettisart.bsky.social" target="_blank">Bluesky</a>, and
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/melissalettisart/" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>). Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or are looking for
a freelance illustrator and designer! </b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <br /></span></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">* * * *</span></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And there you have it folks. Once again, my thanks to
Melissa for visiting the blog and taking from her busy schedule to chat it up
with us. Ever thankful to have crossed paths with her and a perfect example of
how the writer community sticks together. I had not one, not two, but three
artists that weren’t able to take this project on when fellow author Mike Jack
Stoumbos was kind enough to recommend Melissa and not only was she able to do
the project, she was a perfect fit. Here’s to connecting creatives so we can
all thrive and bring our dreams to Raelity</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Peace, love, and maki rolls</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p>
<p><style><font size="3"><span style="font-family: georgia;">@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</span></font></style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-2716935898933088142023-11-06T17:55:00.008-04:002023-11-06T17:55:57.585-04:00 Are you content?
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkxqD2-rxGaCYUO-SCQUcn1DMlbBSO-MpZNjzGI1XHp8lkjs04tViw1mDiq-M55ZqehKMHTYImhQJYrwCnYJmRsqZx2VMPx-_q_AQ96B1OtXTjtph_oHU0x9O8MqPV6kwYn_OXfeXjh3r3giZ1BpBr0aRRB-b5PaWxApPldmzHPHgr1A51cda39TmxBQX/s1080/Blog%20posts.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: georgia; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIkxqD2-rxGaCYUO-SCQUcn1DMlbBSO-MpZNjzGI1XHp8lkjs04tViw1mDiq-M55ZqehKMHTYImhQJYrwCnYJmRsqZx2VMPx-_q_AQ96B1OtXTjtph_oHU0x9O8MqPV6kwYn_OXfeXjh3r3giZ1BpBr0aRRB-b5PaWxApPldmzHPHgr1A51cda39TmxBQX/s320/Blog%20posts.png" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">There
is no shortage of quirks in regard to the English language. Among the many fascinating
details we have to manage while we do our best to communicate, there’s a term called <i>heteronyms</i>. That’s what happens
when you have two words written exactly the same way but not only does the
pronunciation vary, so does their meaning. </span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">When
you read the title of this post, do you read content as in “a state of peaceful
happiness or satisfaction” or do you read “the material discussed within a
book, speech, or stuff we share on social media”? It’s easy to confuse the
two, especially in these times since so often the production of one should lead
to the production of the other.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">So
often, people seem to post content instead of enjoying the experience. Some
insist they’re capturing memories, though too often it feels as if there's an ulterior
motive, as if it's performative to a large degree. It’s not to share, for sharing’s sake. It’s because you want your
experiences to resonate, to inspire, or even to compete <i>and win</i> against those of others. <br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Social
media is an odd beast in so many ways, but among its most dangerous aspects is
how deep it seeps into our reality and behavior. Even if you don’t post, the odds
are still heavily in favor that you consume <u>con</u>tent, scroll, like, share, and
comment until you’re kind of con<u>tent</u>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I’ve
shared thousands of posts on social media. Pictures, screenshots, memes,
videos, songs, text, poems, silly pictures, jokes, and the occasional scream
into the void. I try to be mindful, but FOMO (fear of missing out) can be very
real, even if what causes that sentiment is probably manufactured. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">So often, people share things and you can feel the underlying competitive aspect of what they share as if saying things like: <br /></span></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My
selfie has more likes than yours.</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My video from my trip has more views than
yours.</span></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But sometimes this behavior backfires, because the person doesn't get the response they want.
No likes or loves. No comments. No shares. Nothing. The
algorithm swallows the chance at a shot of dopamine that comes in the shape of
validation. Or maybe people honestly don’t care what you do, share, or have to say…which clearly shows the risk you run by putting your joy in
the hands of other people.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Content
by itself doesn’t make us content…maybe it can be the means to get there from time to time, because like it or not, many people
often hunger for that reaction and to feel relevant. But what you share by itself is actually pretty harmless. This changes when you tie social media to your passion or means
of income. In short, the risk further escalates. Creators question the worth of their output, whether music, writing, art, or anything. They sometimes stop listening to
the voice that is telling them what they should create. They forget how to
play in the sandbox of their soul. All of this in favor of switching things up to get
results. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And
results come from content…even if it doesn’t leave you feeling content. The
Internet is flooded by how-to’s, step-by-steps, guides to success, and
professionals who focus on the generation of material to get the results you need. By the way, a word to the
wise: careful with whom you trust your time, energy, and money, because some
people are just interested in their bank accounts and agendas.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">A
brief scan of social media and you’ll see people who have their style down to
a science…and too often it feels as if people lean on formulas to feed the algorithm instead of feeding
their souls and doing what brings them joy and fulfillment. They need to “win” either by increasing their sales, their
engagement, or their views, even if it costs them their enjoyment.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Then there are those who say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery…which isn’t the whole quote, but let's start there and go over a possible scenario which could be something like this: someone sees a page that has a lot of views,
they see what the other person is doing, then they either do their version of it, or
basically do a carbon copy of what other people do…just to get results. It
reminds me of bands that aren’t paying tribute to other bands, but basically
ripping them off if only to get a quick way to gain success. By the way, the full quote
from the line that starts this paragraph comes from Oscar Wilde and goes thusly: <b>Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to
greatness.</b> And alas, some people are too happy to engage in mediocrity if it gives them
the results and validation they crave. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">However,
it’s not just mediocrity, some people also adopt personas that are engaging to
others and that people respond to, even if they’re a far cry from how the
person is in real life or even if they wear a smile even if inside they feel horrible. This happens all the time on social media and with
famous people who could be sponsored by their preferred brand of artificial
sweetener. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">But
what happens when you’re not famous? What happens when you don’t get the likes
and engagement you want? There’s a real risk with your emotional state and
general mental health. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I
am old enough to remember doing stuff with friends or by myself just for the fun of it and to a great extent it felt as if we were
consistently doing our best to create memories or dare I say, just having fun. If there was an algorithm it was internal and although the fear of
missing out was still there, there was no fear of missing out on sharing every bit of what we experienced to demonstrate that our lives were awesome.<br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">SEO
has geared people to do all sorts of things thinking about their perceived
audience. Alas, too often we forget that we are more than content and we should
strive to feel more than just content. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Peace,
love, and maki rolls.</span></p>
<p><style><span style="font-family: georgia;">@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</span></style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-55663826254604105612023-08-13T22:26:00.000-04:002023-08-13T22:26:02.271-04:00The Tale of 42 <p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8cP2guxjMinslUQx5_7uwnBAc2ik8kxSbIIO0hPrXXpUGaKjUaUHFL8aArJXGP6R8JZmmu8rCrmWZ4A7kgV8heVuRRpxObfKy0fdDLoRcs-au6lx88wKedSvDwRZF3Zug5nlyjAPaOfTPaFXhqpgpaWx4StSybQB08f7k46NAFzjToBpGNrswVy5tE7W/s4032/IMG_0677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX8cP2guxjMinslUQx5_7uwnBAc2ik8kxSbIIO0hPrXXpUGaKjUaUHFL8aArJXGP6R8JZmmu8rCrmWZ4A7kgV8heVuRRpxObfKy0fdDLoRcs-au6lx88wKedSvDwRZF3Zug5nlyjAPaOfTPaFXhqpgpaWx4StSybQB08f7k46NAFzjToBpGNrswVy5tE7W/s320/IMG_0677.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">Beyond 365 days (occasionally 366), what’s in a year? There are ups, downs, segues, side roads, detours, dead ends, adjustments, long hauls, short bursts, bright moments, dark times, and everything in between. We so often try to capture what happened in that year, yet the reality is that for however good our memory is, even with a journal, we’ll miss things or misremember things. <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br />Year 42 was actually a very good year. It had some very important and necessary life and career changes, it had two new books and progress in others, it had good food, great company, and me finding my ground again, after a shaky ride in my 41st year. Yet somehow, last year I forgot to write a birthday post...and I just fully realized this by checking my backlog on the blog. </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br /><br />It’s curious because for me, posts like this are important and it’s also curious because I do tend to overthink and overstress when I miss something for whatever reason. And I didn't even remember. In the last year, I’ve made several events and I’ve had to cancel a few. I’ve pivoted, I’ve improvised, I’ve said “screw it, I’m doing this because I want to,” and I’ve also said, “screw it, I don’t want to do this because I don’t want to.” </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">I've also said no, because I couldn't, and that's OK too. <br /><br />Thinking about last year, I think it makes sense that I didn’t write about it because I was still in the middle of a journey of sorts. Of relearning, of unlearning, of forgiving, of speaking kindly to myself, of challenging false narratives, and highlighting truths that we tend to overlook because negative events and things tend to weigh a bit more and actually bring us down. </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br /><br />If it sounds like it’s been a bit intense, well it’s because it has been. There’s been a lot of lessons yet also a lot of enjoying and plenty of smile. I’m still in the process of clearing up a few things in my path, though I have a better idea of things I want to do, things I don’t care for, and things I will continue to work on, because life is a continuous stream. <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br />It doesn’t matter if we confuse the year of something funny or memorable that happened. It’s important to remember the event and how it made us feel. That’s because memory is the one type of story-telling we all share. Yes, even those who say they aren’t creative and can’t write a story. We can talk about how false that is later, but yes, even you tell stories through memories. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">And that’s more important than you can even begin to imagine. </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br /><br />Because it means <b>you’re</b> in control of your story. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">I’m not saying to fabricate things, even though we all have those friends with tall tales that are as plausible as pigs suddenly learning how to fly. I’m saying that life happens and it’s always up to us the light we use to remember things by. </span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"> <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">For years, I’ve focused on trying to use every experience as either inspiration or a learning experience and in the last year and a half, that has included reframing some pretty intense times I’ll write about later. Yet I was able to. I was able to mine silver linings where you would only think to find a septic tank. I’ve been able to learn new things in my 40s that I’m sure will be with me until the day that I die and it was a kind reminder that there’s so much to live, learn, enjoy, share and be thankful for. <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br />So here’s to finding any and all means to always be able to quote Monty Python and sing, Always look on the bright side of life. <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br />Thanks for joining me for a new year and here's to all the stories and lessons ahead. Bring on 43.<br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br />Peace, love, and birthday cake <br /><br /></span></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-12985564357934575662023-06-15T22:55:00.002-04:002023-06-15T22:55:47.357-04:00At peace with a goodbye<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5M1biTXm46TWdhC3u1NFJNXuAfmyvRzTySV2-Wyleof-OqgR-TlOI7WG6vC1Wl2qYqmiwnbUI6fWSy1LP-68Aw8aYHKp7tYqHkav-Jxei6DjQOLVnxRFdn1GbGm_dyFvwLY2Ie4FZ1ajsdZ4yhyIbLZjucSy7DnpS6rsUWa7ZbjzlpWJXqXza5nucWw/s1334/IMG_2523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5M1biTXm46TWdhC3u1NFJNXuAfmyvRzTySV2-Wyleof-OqgR-TlOI7WG6vC1Wl2qYqmiwnbUI6fWSy1LP-68Aw8aYHKp7tYqHkav-Jxei6DjQOLVnxRFdn1GbGm_dyFvwLY2Ie4FZ1ajsdZ4yhyIbLZjucSy7DnpS6rsUWa7ZbjzlpWJXqXza5nucWw/s320/IMG_2523.JPG" width="180" /></a></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Four years ago, Mom passed away.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">During her last days with us, my brothers and I took turns staying with her at
the hospital. We knew it was nearing time and we wanted to be with her and each
of us poured our love for her as we often did, because that is our way. I was
with her on the night she passed away and when I came to switch places with my
brother, we both kind of knew it would be that night</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Some people have asked me,
how do you get ready for something like that? And all I’m sure of is that the
answer will change from person to person, because what your heart dictates is
unique to you. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I’d been in touch with my
brothers and I had that feeling, so I did my best to get ready for that
evening. I would take some books to read. I would talk to her. And sometime
during the day, I got the notion in my head that I needed to write her something...So I got on the computer and wrote a short story. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">For a frame of reference, it was
like one of my Daydreams but in Spanish. In the story, I kind of guide her to
her happiest moments and bring in person after person to send her off not with
tears but with smiles. I bring in special people that had meant the world to
her and described her at peace, a bit surprised, but at peace. In the story, me and my brothers
took her along a little tour and led her to a place where there was a rainbow
bridge. I wrote that all the dogs were waiting for her along with her Mom and Dad
and that she could go in peace, because we would be OK. I also wrote that she did absolutely
brilliant and that if at any point we cry, it’s for the right reasons, but that
we’d continue to say cheers with love and keeping her present always with plenty of smiles in tow, as was her way. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I cried all the way as I wrote the
story and I’m fully aware I did it for her as much as I did it for myself. So
often in life, I can only make sense of life and what I’m feeling through what
I write, and this was no exception. I finished the story, printed it, and took
it with me to the hospital. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">When I got there, I saw my
brother and we exchanged that look of knowing. I gave him a hug and told him
she’d be fine and that I’d be in touch. To not worry and try to get some rest. I
love both of my brothers and I’m proud to be an Estrada boy because of Mom and
because of them. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">My brother leaves and I take a
breath, smile, and turn around to say hi to Mom. I let her know I brought a
bunch of things to read and share and that I was just there to hang out. I knew
she wasn’t feeling that great and that was OK. I just wanted to let her know
that if she so happened to want to shut all of us up and miraculously recover,
we wouldn’t mind one bit. I also told her that if she wanted to stay a bit longer,
that was OK too. Finally, I did mention that if she wanted to leave that night,
that was also fine. I was there and would do my best to keep her company.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I spoke to her with as
much gentle love I could. I wanted my voice to be as soothing as possible, again,
for her as well as for me. I talked to her so much that night...about everything
and nothing. I told her so many random things just to chat. I played her some of her
favorite music as well as some tracks I’d found that were helping me a lot and
I thought they could help her too. I read poetry to her and some of my essays.
Then I pulled out the new story and apologized for the typos and things that I
could improve, but that I did want to share that first draft with her. I kissed
her head often, and stroked her hand, and did my best to let my love flow to
her gently and freely. I wanted to stay awake though eventually, the long day
got to me, so I went to sleep holding her hand a bit after midnight. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Sometime around two in the
morning, I wake up and I feel her breathing’s changed. I’ve never been in a
situation like that, but out of instinct I knew it was her moment so I stood next to her, took
her hand in mine and told her it was alright. I did my best to soothe her, to
comfort her, to hopefully help guide her to the light, and even cracked a joke
that I hoped I wasn’t talking too much or being too annoying. I told her how
good of a mother she always was and how much of me had been molded by that
love. I thanked her for everything. I told her, “If you see a light and want to
go there, it’s OK. We’ll be OK.” </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I felt her breathing becoming
more short and intense and I still held onto her hand, being there but not
wanting to crowd her. Her breathing started coming in slower gasps and I held
onto her, saying I’d be with her there and always. Slower she breathed and I held
her throughout, never squeezing, just being there, and letting her go on her
terms and when she was ready. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I don’t know how long that moment
truly lasted. Could have been five minutes or an hour. Doesn’t matter. What
matters is that I was fortunate enough to have the honor to be there and do my
best to show her the love that will stay alive as long as I live.I said, "You were beautiful, you were beautiful," until I finally corrected myself and said, "You <i>are</i> beautiful."<br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It’s been four years though parts
of me feel like it was yesterday. I don’t think that feeling will ever go away either,
by the way. Part of me shall always be open to keep her alive and present
because spiritually and genetically, she is a part of me. I feel her from time
to time. I feel how she joins in a celebration
or to soothe and comfort me. It feels like yesterday, because in some way or
another, she’ll always be there because I make that choice every day to keep her present. <span><br /></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">So, to the question of how you
say goodbye to someone you love, your answer may be a little different, and
that’s how it should be, but here’s mine:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">With as much love as you can...and
always leaving the door open. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Mama, te amo and we’ll be toasting
to you in a bit and actually any chance we get.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">To you dear reader, who were kind enough to read this, my love to you and thank you for helping me keep Mom alive through these and many other words. If you're going through a hard time, I wish peace upon you and to call on those angels in your life, because they're always there for you. Trust me. <br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Peace, love, and Cheers Mama Estrada</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</font></style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-66960706240608020042023-05-14T23:52:00.001-04:002023-05-14T23:52:15.353-04:00Right turn: A #CheersMamaEstrada Post<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUe6b3uT-6vxSTOmY77cDirPppkD2HwDN68WLUc2Hoep1K46aT8Qp3hPW-z-7GnO-_I3oVOdH5on7uHbFGr4Yx4vxneV24ozVHKK2d9hgHTzltBhJ_9qyepgpbw1oSSnDY0vbq8WDcU3try_-CryUPnoBZqa0WOe9g2gsqF6PQ8hQd381lYBKYZwQ1SQ/s1080/Cheers%20Mama%20Esrada.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUe6b3uT-6vxSTOmY77cDirPppkD2HwDN68WLUc2Hoep1K46aT8Qp3hPW-z-7GnO-_I3oVOdH5on7uHbFGr4Yx4vxneV24ozVHKK2d9hgHTzltBhJ_9qyepgpbw1oSSnDY0vbq8WDcU3try_-CryUPnoBZqa0WOe9g2gsqF6PQ8hQd381lYBKYZwQ1SQ/w640-h640/Cheers%20Mama%20Esrada.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />I
think about Mom often. Sometimes I wonder what she’d think of the world as it
stands and the things that are happening. But if I’m honest, more often than
not, I wonder what random bits of conversation we’d stumble into during our
countless chats.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">We
talked so much and I continue to talk to her every single day. I’ve spoken
about how I still write letters to her, letting her know about all the
adventures I’ve been experiencing, and when it comes to my books, either the
final proof or the first copy of each continues to be kept for her. If you’ve
seen my socials, you see that I continue to say Cheers Mama Estrada at every
opportunity and you should know that I toast to her and to our family every
single time I raise a glass.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">During
this week, I’ve thought about Mom a lot and I remembered the time I spent with
her at the hospital among countless other memories. Like many patients, she had
her ups and downs. Throughout all of that, I did all I could to put a smile on
her face and spend time with her. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">I
also remember when she took a turn for the worse.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">I
think about these days because the hospital had a chapel and I remembered how I
always meant to go to pray for Mom. The funny thing is that as soon as I got to
the hospital and literally came to the crossroads where I could turn left to go
to the chapel or go right to go straight to Mom, I always turned right.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Always.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Consciously,
subconsciously, out of instinct, or what have you, something pulled me that way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Mom
left me a treasure trove of love and memories and from her I learned that every
second, every shared moment, and every bit of contact are all gifts. She left
me riches to last a lifetime and I remember her in big moments as well as small
ones. There’s magic in those small moments and I invite you to have as many of
them as you can with the people you love. Be generous with your small talk. Be
abundant with silly phone calls about trivial things. Find the magic in the every-day
things you’d normally overlook, because when it comes to someone you love,
nothing is trivial.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">There
are many angels that light our lives. If some have passed, it’s OK. Share a cup
of coffee or tea with them. They’ll appreciate it. If they’re still around, look
for any excuse to get in touch and talk about silly little things that will stay
with you for the rest of your life. It'll always be the right call. Because when you add love to any recipe or
experience, that’s when you begin to understand the beginnings of forever.<br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Peace,
love, and Cheers Mama Estrada</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-45375365897397311812023-04-03T12:27:00.004-04:002023-04-03T12:35:01.878-04:00Si tú te creías que yo no venía...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1XxNV1J-RWOQm-s9qCtZnmOCGJ-vwxn6bvj-ZLzuhVHP5uGFcVBbb3A6MpTr253KR0XHeBqv844SKWidWf0pss97WiQhCcqrjYjQiWTjqwq2YtQhtX-HO-60i3rRmhuQFiKi0KPVbVuaViBF9fg-7X7EK8bypPVqSXI1LA8a4U2VdNveb63m1Bggwg/s1080/Puerto%20Rico%20Comic%20Con.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1XxNV1J-RWOQm-s9qCtZnmOCGJ-vwxn6bvj-ZLzuhVHP5uGFcVBbb3A6MpTr253KR0XHeBqv844SKWidWf0pss97WiQhCcqrjYjQiWTjqwq2YtQhtX-HO-60i3rRmhuQFiKi0KPVbVuaViBF9fg-7X7EK8bypPVqSXI1LA8a4U2VdNveb63m1Bggwg/w400-h400/Puerto%20Rico%20Comic%20Con.png" width="400" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Saludos, mi gente
y comencemos una semana de ¡PURO Comic Con! Este viernes estaremos de vuelta en
el Centro de Convenciones para el Puerto Rico Comic Con del 7 al 9 de abril. Esta
será mi séptima vez en el Comic Con mientras también celebro mi décimo aniversario
como autor publicado.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Como saben, marzo
fue un mes bien fuego a la lata con dos libros nuevos: el segundo volumen de los
<b>Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore</b> y <b>Penumbra</b>, mi primera colección
de cuentos oscuros en español. Estoy muy orgulloso de ambos libros y está muy
curioso que publique el libro más oscuro e intenso y el libro más dulce de mi
carrera a la misma vez. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Las portadas, de show y estoy muy complacido con el
contenido. Espero que se los disfruten. Además, tuve la <b>Marcha de los
escritores </b>en donde desarrollé temas para hacer posteos para cada día en el
mes de marzo y tengo que quitarme el sombrero a todos los amantes de las letras
de PR que le metieron con todo. Se lucieron y espero que se lo hayan gozado. Aparte
de eso, pues muchas más aventuras de la vida. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Eso dicho, me
siento como todo un súper saiyajin que le dieron con TODO durante el mes de
marzo. Ya que lo superamos, vamos a llegar a un súper nivel porque lo que viene
este wikén es pura gozaera. Estaremos en el exhibidor 134 y abajo les comparto
el mapa para que me encuentren. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCXHHFAYyQXmxUzEEMlwFr6tU-EoaL926GTNwAtRGC7mKEAceipIiWtlgmTkLx-wEzYAq5jVTGYYN81HATLTUim9bVXKajjRSt7GBQFemZ8CPEdNGzh4XEwkXcAGU7hFzRsNAYqB1_K1EhjZytkD8_21UIWPDlPkk6tlNZXukfW5-lDQRuW5IAEQhrQ/s1280/Catching%20up%20with%20JD%20Goals,%20teasers,%20and%20more-7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCXHHFAYyQXmxUzEEMlwFr6tU-EoaL926GTNwAtRGC7mKEAceipIiWtlgmTkLx-wEzYAq5jVTGYYN81HATLTUim9bVXKajjRSt7GBQFemZ8CPEdNGzh4XEwkXcAGU7hFzRsNAYqB1_K1EhjZytkD8_21UIWPDlPkk6tlNZXukfW5-lDQRuW5IAEQhrQ/w640-h360/Catching%20up%20with%20JD%20Goals,%20teasers,%20and%20more-7.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Además, ¡LIBROS
NUEVOS!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Penumbra Cuentos
oscuros</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVlBhDPH3tn6L0CSPD0-tmostd2fnEZghWFTOydtmJxdwlCDjXgT3AgM_vbkHZ6G2sAC6U0jHLmqvkWtXLwisKtcPPQbRIJUQoOKA8SN6coYoLk884GBNB9NZnjWiiNSO9rUheKlWSA0nek08HhchxEMPdEv5Ar_A-wLkaG6Q1OOtBJYXjqLTUBi8Aw/s2251/PROMOS-04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2251" data-original-width="2251" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiVlBhDPH3tn6L0CSPD0-tmostd2fnEZghWFTOydtmJxdwlCDjXgT3AgM_vbkHZ6G2sAC6U0jHLmqvkWtXLwisKtcPPQbRIJUQoOKA8SN6coYoLk884GBNB9NZnjWiiNSO9rUheKlWSA0nek08HhchxEMPdEv5Ar_A-wLkaG6Q1OOtBJYXjqLTUBi8Aw/w400-h400/PROMOS-04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Daydreams on the
Sherbet Shore 2</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NJdCrBpY7DgM7OBHdRSCdM-OmJbx7RU_efwwnjINwkH_bzwDofXwiPTSCU1IQ2QWnKSXe05juC2MQzJIq_CLMc0sOB0Qw6JtIPRNdKO4eJzsDZ4iAlAeTc92WL_tnaULofbpt541ar0S5V5GXqJhMNY2-jz6fJz7OXFecgt1WcHJepFRk5ils2G7Kw/s1080/Pronto-4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6NJdCrBpY7DgM7OBHdRSCdM-OmJbx7RU_efwwnjINwkH_bzwDofXwiPTSCU1IQ2QWnKSXe05juC2MQzJIq_CLMc0sOB0Qw6JtIPRNdKO4eJzsDZ4iAlAeTc92WL_tnaULofbpt541ar0S5V5GXqJhMNY2-jz6fJz7OXFecgt1WcHJepFRk5ils2G7Kw/w400-h400/Pronto-4.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Como siempre,
tendré MUCHOS OTROS TÍTULOS DISPONIBLES, aunque ojo, CANTIDADES LIMITADAS así que
asegúrate darte la vuelta por el exhibidor tempranito. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Hay muchas ganas de
verlos y espero que de aquí hasta el fin de semana tengan una semana bonita
para cerrarla con broche de oro.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">Un abrazo,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;">JD</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-53612473012619845182023-03-22T06:43:00.001-04:002023-03-22T06:43:00.176-04:00Nice to dream you - Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore 2 is here<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pNQE1a7mpS5b2oWc2o3THVbfb8Oeb5gknQngjsArWQWR8rEtZ4f-DrqVma3jppgY2maN4CsUMWTnK8E0DSXlSrDOKVP8u3e-_N-DsZEEQE4Z8l7dtI8CZAFteghR5fcguuORRxcTWog1R7hivZVotJFp3VJiy2PevVLGP4Z4dPSWpeHkfeacJp802A/s1080/9.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pNQE1a7mpS5b2oWc2o3THVbfb8Oeb5gknQngjsArWQWR8rEtZ4f-DrqVma3jppgY2maN4CsUMWTnK8E0DSXlSrDOKVP8u3e-_N-DsZEEQE4Z8l7dtI8CZAFteghR5fcguuORRxcTWog1R7hivZVotJFp3VJiy2PevVLGP4Z4dPSWpeHkfeacJp802A/s320/9.png" width="320" /></a></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I’ve been promising the follow-up to 2015’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Daydreams-Sherbet-Shore-JD-Estrada/dp/1511698454/">Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore</a> for a while now...and I can finally share with you the cover for <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Daydreams-Sherbet-Shore-JD-Estrada/dp/1960732021/">Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore 2. </a></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Daydreams-Sherbet-Shore-JD-Estrada/dp/1960732021/"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><b>A draemy project </b></i><br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">When I wrote the first Daydream book I was pretty much discovering what the project was and what it would be for me and anyone who would give themselves the chance to have a daydream or three. I included people I knew and then when I wrote one particular short story, it became a fantastical way of sending a get-well card. And it continued to grow and evolve until what it has become. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The stories within <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Daydreams-Sherbet-Shore-JD-Estrada/dp/1960732021/">Daydreams on the Sherbet Shore 2</a></b> continue to explore the land of <i>Draem</i>, one of several countries within the Lucid. Stories this time around are much bigger and although these are independent stories, it’s best to read them in sequence, even if they aren’t necessarily chapters. Think of each short story much more along the lines of being an episode in your favorite show or cartoon. Each story is meant to fill up more and more of the map of <i>Draem</i> and the Lucid. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><b>Closer look at the cover </b></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><b> </b></i><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTtGpZEJjzQsqEz1hUe4VX9COwiz3g0W3b-XZBKmxZeHO4wYLd3tLtZaCfKsS2mHm7LtJUvnv6UjQkDkLz0o3fY56cWSgYTKb1BCodXRTfgUGjJ7J-M2JIrJpYzqeQmMed1z3VtVkKf8vM8XID4dKJyTG114BqQ0HlKc_Ulg_4wWti0qdXsWDYoAkRg/s2000/Draem%20Cover%205.pdf.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1461" data-original-width="2000" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTtGpZEJjzQsqEz1hUe4VX9COwiz3g0W3b-XZBKmxZeHO4wYLd3tLtZaCfKsS2mHm7LtJUvnv6UjQkDkLz0o3fY56cWSgYTKb1BCodXRTfgUGjJ7J-M2JIrJpYzqeQmMed1z3VtVkKf8vM8XID4dKJyTG114BqQ0HlKc_Ulg_4wWti0qdXsWDYoAkRg/w640-h468/Draem%20Cover%205.pdf.png" width="640" /></a><br /></span></div><div> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">If you’re wondering who’s riding that Dragon Teapot locomotive, then wonder no further: IT ME. In these stories, I go on adventures with people I know from all around the world who have agreed to go with me on a daydream. We then get up to all sorts of quirky and whimsical adventures in stories that are meant to soothe and let you escape from life for a little while. <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />The locomotive on the cover is actually the Falcori, a shapeshifting dragon ship that can take to the skies, the slopes, the rails, and all manner of terrain to help us get from one point to the next. He shifts shape and is such a kind friend in all our stories that he definitely deserved to be on the cover of this second installment. <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />As for the flying light bulbs, those are some of my ideas that got caught in the cover (they also appear in some of my stories). <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78MCeJXFNKk4h4-GnpUt-b_Sj73NyTR6vUWY9rR5TMYk8BvOclL8nR7WUfCtgwdqL9RLj8Wg0zyIq8yPzRT0SWuRSD3kqK-huEWCERj1USfZxVVL0Gbl7x3rwn7CyvBT5MHfkdm2i25bvRoDgftLqzDVP8NgNVxxZQqyrVjRdvolPIyz7ocqnSxkd6A/s2048/327174317_624898296113815_4137492920938262170_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1638" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78MCeJXFNKk4h4-GnpUt-b_Sj73NyTR6vUWY9rR5TMYk8BvOclL8nR7WUfCtgwdqL9RLj8Wg0zyIq8yPzRT0SWuRSD3kqK-huEWCERj1USfZxVVL0Gbl7x3rwn7CyvBT5MHfkdm2i25bvRoDgftLqzDVP8NgNVxxZQqyrVjRdvolPIyz7ocqnSxkd6A/s320/327174317_624898296113815_4137492920938262170_n.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>Speaking of which, if you like this cover, please check out <b><a href="https://www.melissalettisart.com/">Melissa Lettis</a>.</b> Although sometimes I am crystal clear on what I want for a cover, this was an instance where I was lost and needed help big time. Working with Melissa, she not only set my mind at ease, she helped me talk things out until we landed on something that would capture the spirit of this project. Seeing as the sketch transformed into a layout and then into a cover was wonderful and I credit this cover for rekindling my love for this project to give it the love it needed to make each daydream shine.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I also want to give a special shoutout to fellow author <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/stmikejack">Mike Jack Stoumbos</a></b>, from The Writing Tribe group from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1058299280937496">facebook</a>. At one moment I was lost with this project and he took it upon himself to help me find the right artist. Ever thankful for his generous nature and perfect proof that the writing community is there for each other. <br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">As for the Back Cover...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2pM_AOUX6YYOsLgC65wLGsTQWoBrEiU7gsBw8LN4q9H84Ky9NTKnQbcjOCeynV7iOMVhoBM6amQ21I9f2VtjRjDIljwMjrVDbk8BjVOhmGavFUsp4QCtWXGPcmL2_2ybX8SZn_LU4_eFt3gHZHUNlkoKO4aHtxYgDj5lBRTC5etxVxLK_-6aiFnUBg/s2000/Draem%20Cover%205.pdf-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1461" data-original-width="2000" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2pM_AOUX6YYOsLgC65wLGsTQWoBrEiU7gsBw8LN4q9H84Ky9NTKnQbcjOCeynV7iOMVhoBM6amQ21I9f2VtjRjDIljwMjrVDbk8BjVOhmGavFUsp4QCtWXGPcmL2_2ybX8SZn_LU4_eFt3gHZHUNlkoKO4aHtxYgDj5lBRTC5etxVxLK_-6aiFnUBg/w640-h468/Draem%20Cover%205.pdf-2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">At the top left, you’ll see a large building shaped like an orange...which is actually the Mandarin Museum, one of several new locations we explore in detail. So, if you’re looking for something to escape <i>Raelity</i> for a while and to warm up with the coming Spring, then by all means, take this as your invitation to dream a little <i>Draem</i>. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Peace, love, and daydreams <br /></span><br /><br /><br /></span></div>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-37789079812724793972023-03-20T13:37:00.003-04:002023-03-20T13:37:26.811-04:00Marcha de los escritores día 20: Curiosidades como escritor<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0h_fdsIDGEnlSKoK6mjBP2z0kLSyB_lqp-jzCkFmjEV9mu5e9FcwbFCf7OvoBGCAEWcOf17DEGpXFrgIf8ttSX3fVY-7U3eWQ_FURBswA7prRHg6-dP89NSTm6Uar9PXBXxFd761_YtVDTJlkkLadUoYDgtknuvWA2vk6QU1-uVK0g_3s_VvE4J1PFQ/s1080/12.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0h_fdsIDGEnlSKoK6mjBP2z0kLSyB_lqp-jzCkFmjEV9mu5e9FcwbFCf7OvoBGCAEWcOf17DEGpXFrgIf8ttSX3fVY-7U3eWQ_FURBswA7prRHg6-dP89NSTm6Uar9PXBXxFd761_YtVDTJlkkLadUoYDgtknuvWA2vk6QU1-uVK0g_3s_VvE4J1PFQ/s320/12.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">El tema de hoy es para compartir detallitos curiosos de ti como escritor. </span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">Aquí te comparto 5 de los míos y a ver cuán diferentes me salen a los de inglés. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><b><i>1. Escribo mayormente en inglés. </i></b>Aunque soy puertorriqueño y mi primer idioma es el español, sólo tengo dos de mis veinte libros que son en español. Aunque finalmente me siento más cómodo escribiendo en español, por mucho tiempo he tenido complejo y no he estado seguro de mis habilidades como escritor en español fuera de lo profesional ya que MUCHO de lo que he trabajado en mi carrera profesional ha sido en español. Por suerte, ya me he soltado y con <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Penumbra-Cuentos-Oscuros-JD-Estrada/dp/1960732005/">Penumbra</a>, el mensaje es claro: <u><b>prepara tu librero</b></u> :) <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><i><b>2. Nunca he tomado un curso de escribir. </b></i>Estudié psicología, publicidad y mercadeo y nunca he tomado ni un taller de escribir. Todo lo que he logrado como autor ha sido autodidacta y a pulmón. Por MUCHOS años escribí en un blog y eso me ayudó más de lo que te imaginas. El detalle es que AMO escribir. Claro que quiero fama, dinero y éxito, ahora ante todo AMO escribir y es una parte integral de quién soy. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><i><b>3. Incluyo muchos personajes basados en personas de mi vida. </b></i>Mrs. Fawn se basa en Mama. Captain Jane se basa en mi esposa. Fäet es mi representación literaria. Así hay un montón de personajes y siempre es divertido tener a la gente adivinando quién es de mi vida y quién es de mi imaginación. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><i><b>4. El nombre Odstein es recurrente en mis obras como el apellido de Fäet. </b></i>Por si no lo sabías: Fäet = Fate y Odstein = Destino ;) <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br /><i><b>5. Me encanta incluir detallitos y tributos a música y artistas. </b></i>En español muchos de los capítulos y personajes de Penumbra salieron o fueron influencia directa de la música de Robi Draco Rosa. <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br />Y ahí tienes 5 curiosidades. ¿Qué te parecen? Y ¿Cuáles son algunas de las tuyas? <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br />Espero que te estés gozando la Marcha de los escritores. Un fuerte abrazo. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">JD <br /></span><br /></span></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-11249664338866272932023-03-20T13:00:00.002-04:002023-03-20T13:00:15.838-04:00March of the Writers Day 20: Quirkety Quirk<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoeG7_W31SPbz5Xq9_BFixAdyfWBweiYnHdGMfzbIS_xu68eozEPSpWy2wtGEkvuoG4UlkpZPtv2U5aKyCTsOhPO-mpybsXjDcuKSd-M5k3fOyDu3-toj7z5X5TpsoO4bvXajUi-2g1554QaQ82ZsPfWJHTOqi63puT5HqS8-euYCFYYM6-Y-QdujJOg/s1080/11.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoeG7_W31SPbz5Xq9_BFixAdyfWBweiYnHdGMfzbIS_xu68eozEPSpWy2wtGEkvuoG4UlkpZPtv2U5aKyCTsOhPO-mpybsXjDcuKSd-M5k3fOyDu3-toj7z5X5TpsoO4bvXajUi-2g1554QaQ82ZsPfWJHTOqi63puT5HqS8-euYCFYYM6-Y-QdujJOg/w320-h315/11.png" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I actually haven’t used the blog to explore a prompt yet for this year's March of the Writers, which is so odd lol. Fortunately, I think this is a great one for that. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> As a writer I have <i><b>several</b></i> quirks, but instead of exploring them all, here are 5: <br /></span></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br /><b><i>1. I write most of my work by hand and later transcribe.</i></b> There’s something beautifully intimate about writing by hand, even with the challenges it brings. Namely, my handwriting. Plainly put, it isn’t great and definitely is a challenge in regards to legibility, although it is an interesting exercise because it forces me to start editing. Also, Fun fact: Only Human took 6 notebooks of varying sizes. <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br /><b><i>2. Different size papers. </i></b>Sometimes to get the right feel for what I'm writing I switch up the size of the paper I’m using to write on. Although I love composition notebooks and find them extremely comfortable, I’ve known to switch to legal notepads, sticky notes, and notebooks of all sorts of sizes. It’s curious how it impacts the writing. For instance, small paper FORCES you to be concise, while long-winding papers can do the opposite. I seriously recommend you give it a go because you don't know if something can work until you give it a go.<br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br /><b><i>3. Different writing materials. </i></b>I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again. I write poetry/lyrics in pencil, non-fiction and short prose in blue/black ink, and prose in red ink, although I’ve taken to use other colors and it’s been super refreshing. Again, it's all about mixing it up. <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br /><i><b>4. Love writing during flights.</b></i> I used to love writing during long appointments but post pandemic things have definitely changed. I do still enjoy writing during long flights because I have no interest in wi-fi at 35,000 ft :) <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br /><i><b>5. I sometimes write with my non-dominant hand. </b></i>I’ve journaled and written short verses or inspirational texts with my left hand. It actually improves your handwriting, and forces you to breathe and slow down, something I DEFINITELY need from time to time and you might need as well. </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">And there are PLENTY more where those came from, but those are my five for today :)<br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />How about you? What are some of your writing quirks? What did you think of mine? </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Peace, love, and maki rolls<br /></span><br /></span></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-17488057791908998442023-03-07T08:42:00.001-04:002023-03-07T08:42:00.157-04:00Lo prometido es deuda – llega Penumbra <span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTj02Y4Xwu8PoYqjna-kvKkjobKkPPmnvz89B1KZ4iVBq5gW-4jMarJolQ1SdTFxN4jKcwJhi8XPUfrWxjlIo-_9VH1j_RDaqiqeRnGILlWcDPg9A9MtCuAVz8qNci9VnntLKGLIpeWzEw_MP1KHS7TGj3B4UNpXKLa0l38ZmYqUBeYlIMmcw5nRaAAg/s2475/Penumbra%20y%20Otras%20Historias%20-%20Book%20Cover%20Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2475" data-original-width="1595" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTj02Y4Xwu8PoYqjna-kvKkjobKkPPmnvz89B1KZ4iVBq5gW-4jMarJolQ1SdTFxN4jKcwJhi8XPUfrWxjlIo-_9VH1j_RDaqiqeRnGILlWcDPg9A9MtCuAVz8qNci9VnntLKGLIpeWzEw_MP1KHS7TGj3B4UNpXKLa0l38ZmYqUBeYlIMmcw5nRaAAg/w412-h640/Penumbra%20y%20Otras%20Historias%20-%20Book%20Cover%20Front.jpg" width="412" /></a></div><br />Por años me llevan preguntando si voy a publicar algo en español. <br /><br />Por años he dicho que "ya mismo". <br /><br />Ya puedo cambiar la contestación. <br /><br />El "ya mismo" se ha convertido en <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1960732005">AHORA</a> y les presento: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1960732005">Penumbra – Cuentos Oscuros</a> <br /><br />6 cuentos cortos + 1 novela corta. <br /><br />Todo oscuro. <br /><br />Si se preguntan porque el tono oscuro, le pueden dar las gracias a mis amigos de Libros Eikon que cuando me invitaron a contribuir a <b>No Cierres los Ojos 2</b>. Algo soltó en mí que aunque me sospechaba que estaba ahí, no es lo mismo sospechar que verlo en acción. Doy las más sinceras gracias a mis colegas por la invitación y el apoyo. <br /><br />La portada fue diseñada por la gran Karelys Luna, una de mis vecinas en el comic con y una amiga artista con talento de sobra. Si quieren conocer más de ella, en confianza visiten su página <a href="http://www.karelysluna.com">aquí</a>. <br /><br />De la colección, hubo mucha inspiración del Viejo San Juan ya que me crié ahí pasando mucho tiempo en las tiendas de mi abuelo y mi madre, además de mis años formativos de janguear en un sinnúmero de locales. Además, hubo inspiración de algunos de mis autores favoritos incluyendo HP Lovecraft y Neil Gaiman. <br /><br />Por mucho tiempo he prometido algo en español y espero que disfruten Penumbra. Ahora, no es lo único que viene en español, así que pendientes. Pero por ahora, si son de los que disfrutan leer algo un poco oscuro para que el sueño no le llegue, pues adéntrense en la Penumbra. <br /><br />Ah, y para los que quieran una copia firmada...nos vemos en el Puerto Rico Comic Con. <br /><br />Pronto les cuento más, por ahora... <br /><br />Un abrazo, <br /><br />JD <br /></span><br /></span>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-19177507589972604062023-03-06T08:42:00.002-04:002023-03-06T20:21:00.941-04:00A year full of promise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDg8xz9MzsTBpmoZdRFrWrxrKbjXETd0oc-UjJva22Vx0guC-KEDAZ8OTfed1LnrXaek36E0u2H37eb_Mt1OoFGGhwOppkjp22-du2WLXwW7cWGroJXPkaGinGNdSqNYYu3CjkT_R_obuD-tGMpSUCKXM_aOfUf68pk3xCqfqKuPfkTuF6U6K5xn5Yvg/s1080/Pronto.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDg8xz9MzsTBpmoZdRFrWrxrKbjXETd0oc-UjJva22Vx0guC-KEDAZ8OTfed1LnrXaek36E0u2H37eb_Mt1OoFGGhwOppkjp22-du2WLXwW7cWGroJXPkaGinGNdSqNYYu3CjkT_R_obuD-tGMpSUCKXM_aOfUf68pk3xCqfqKuPfkTuF6U6K5xn5Yvg/w640-h640/Pronto.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">Last year I had big plans and a lot of them crashed and burned because I was not able to deliver on what I wanted to. Sure, we can have plans. Doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed to come through. That’s fine and dandy. That was also 2022...This is 2023. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">I have been promising several projects for years and March has me delivering on two of those promises. Do I have to be a bit cryptic because we’re building up to these releases? Of course. But it doesn’t I have to stay mum about both. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">What’s in store for March? <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">Two releases. <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br />One in Spanish. One in English. <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br />Both are short story collections. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">One is light. One is dark. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">They are polar opposites yet very much represent who I am as a writer. <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br />First up is Spanish, which is getting revealed this week. I’ve been promising Spanish for years and I’m finally delivering. Now don’t expect something lighthearted or sweet. We’re going dark and broody. <br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><br />6 short stories + 1 novella. All dark but in different ways. I am very happy with the end result. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">Afterwards, we have English. Another short story collection I’ve been promising for years and one that means a lot to me. While the Spanish book is very me because of style and that dark aspect of my psyche, this book is very me because it is rooted deeply in kindness. 5 short stories in a world that we’ve visited before. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">In terms of content and style, I’m proud that I’ve hit all I wanted to achieve with each project. I’m also super proud of the work I was able to do with two different artists. It’s been a busy year so far, though I’m happy, motivated, thankful, and healthy. Thank you to everyone who has shown me such unconditional support and thanks also to everyone who is participating in the March of the Writers. Here’s to all the good times and stay tuned, MUCH more news VERY soon. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">Peace, love, and maki rolls. <br /><br /></span> <span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">JD </span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-63155779043353695272023-02-20T16:55:00.002-04:002023-02-20T16:55:31.588-04:00 March Of the writers 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6gUZAvcoHUU4Az66XzzYKTh6oiJXxekSB5DpEv4BoejrfsMJ6iUBtoy_5Fbb-mfO-ymrwrKXJdEdn6Syn_2iigIFSt1HEspeMb3IqyUnaYW1cjRmpXVay08Bv1fZ-UkRrHwaC1orpIebM0lHQxHqXz-_MQDMxu4MCRgfQiwJqXY15BMvxu6ueWtLEg/s1080/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6gUZAvcoHUU4Az66XzzYKTh6oiJXxekSB5DpEv4BoejrfsMJ6iUBtoy_5Fbb-mfO-ymrwrKXJdEdn6Syn_2iigIFSt1HEspeMb3IqyUnaYW1cjRmpXVay08Bv1fZ-UkRrHwaC1orpIebM0lHQxHqXz-_MQDMxu4MCRgfQiwJqXY15BMvxu6ueWtLEg/w640-h640/1.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">It’s that time of
the year again, dear writer friends. Unlike previous years, we’re doing this a
bit earlier so you can get the explanations of the prompts and have a chance to
ask questions. Also, you don't need to participate every day. You can skip, miss, or just pass on the ones that don't call to you. <br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Expect videos on my BookTube / AuthorTube channel and without
further ado, let’s check the prompts!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">New
month: who dis? Present yourself</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Self-explanatory.
It’s March, it’s March of the Writers, tell us who you are in video, picture, blog
post, or however you prefer. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Feed
the Playlist: Writing music you recommend</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">For years, we’ve
been growing the March of the Writers playlist so feel free to check it out in
this link. If you have great writing tracks you’d like to recommend, go for it.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">WIP
it, WIP it good! Whachu working on?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">We all have plans
though sometimes it’s good to share what’s in the pipeline to get those readers
excited by what you’ll unleash later on. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Talking
‘bout my genre-nation. Genres you write in.</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">What genres speak
to you and do you feel most comfortable with? Any genre you want to tackle?
Tell us that too!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Shelf
consciousness: What have you published?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Are you published?
Have you been featured in a magazine or anthology? Have a blog or Wattpad?
Whatever you got, share it!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">I
am; therefore, I write: Why do you write?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Why are you
inspired to write or what was the first reason about why you started writing?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Trio:
3 fav movies, albums, books</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">The March of the
Writers is all about sharing. What are some movies, albums, and books that normally
don’t get much TLC or which are your faves?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Drive
you very much: What drives you?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Why you write and
what drives you are two different things. Drive is all about going for it after
you capture your words on paper. What is your driver?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Secret
Identity: what’s your day job?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">For many people,
writing pays for only part of the bills and we have day jobs. What’s your day
job while you keep chipping away at your next manuscript? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">It’s
Al-true: what causes do you regularly support?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Many of us have
causes that are near and dear to our hearts. What causes to you consistently
support and why?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">3
Failures </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Life isn’t easy
and life as a writer sure as hell isn’t easy either. Sometimes we fall though
we always get back up again. What are some of the most intense failures you’ve
had and what did you learn from them?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">3
Victories</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Now the flip side!
Share them wins!!!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Manifestation
Nation: Manifest your dreams</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Some people say if
you share a dream and visualize it, it can manifest. Some people think doing so
jinxes you. Which team are you and any dream you’d like to share?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.</span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Plotter, pantser, plantser, prefer not to
say?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Which are you and
is it because it’s what works the best for you or because you don’t know any
better?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 123.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Good
luck charms?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Any magical
inspirational talismans when you write or have an event?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.</span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Feeling Tipsy – 3 tips for any new writer</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Share the wealth.
What tips would you offer someone about writing?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">17.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Say
wha? - Weird goals you have</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Not everyone wants
to make it to the New York Best Seller’s list. What are some whacky goals you
STILL want to achieve. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">18.</span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Digging deep - How do you go about
research?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">We have a knack of
falling down some pretty interesting rabbit holes. What’s your process like?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.</span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Set the date: 3 living authors you’d love
to meet for lunch</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">There are some
people we really would love to meet. Who are yours and why?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Quirkety
Quirk: Writer quirks</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Some people are
methodical. Some are quirky. Some are certifiable. What are some of your most
notable writer quirks?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">21.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Writing
Desk Tour</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Show us where the
writing magic happens!!!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Time
suck: apps that take a lot of your time</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Procrastination
happens. What are some apps and things that are super powerful at sucking up
any loose time you have lying around?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">23.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Recurring
currents: Recurring themes in your work</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Are there any
themes that consistently pop up in your work?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">24.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Comonn
Me-steaks – Common errors in your writing</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Typos scuk. They skuc
real bad. But some just have a way of making their way into our manuscripts.
What are some of your most common typos that are SO common that you have to
keep an eye out for them. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">25.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Life
balance: what do you do for physical/mental health?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">SO often we see
fellow writers struggling and we also struggle, which is why it’s so important
to stay healthy of body and mind. What are some things you do to cope and stay
healthy?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">26.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Tough
“love”: Roughest critiques you’ve received</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Some people mean
well but have no tact and pull no punches. What are some rough critiques you’ve
received that stung but still helped you out in the long run?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">27.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Best
compliments you’ve gotten</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">How about some of
the best compliments you’ve ever received?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">28.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">What
are you thankful for on your writer journey?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">The prompt says it
all. What do you want to say thanks for?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">29.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Pals
of pens - Writer Friends</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">I absolutely LOVE
connecting with people. Give us a sample of people who we should check out
their work.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">30.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">How
social of you? Where can we follow you?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">SHARE THEM
LINKSSSSSS BAYBEEEEE :D</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">31.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">In
next week’s episode: What’s next for you?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">What’s up next for
you this year and beyond?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> ****</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">And there you go! As a reminder, let me include a pic of all the prompts. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxJHkND323mq5PsL67JuCWJoIY-SWlUj8E-mq23s_EV6ciSFNREMjEgtkXoOWQRcZMxu-rz8zN0jipxUWDSdP_d5tOmRQgAJKXQo0qW23fkLY3jUPlGlBawghPI-V7_Bfb1kNI6tUEefUx1-6xEXi-KLuOfD0UHo-anQY1plukZWmeqz56YqYlxKLyg/s1080/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOxJHkND323mq5PsL67JuCWJoIY-SWlUj8E-mq23s_EV6ciSFNREMjEgtkXoOWQRcZMxu-rz8zN0jipxUWDSdP_d5tOmRQgAJKXQo0qW23fkLY3jUPlGlBawghPI-V7_Bfb1kNI6tUEefUx1-6xEXi-KLuOfD0UHo-anQY1plukZWmeqz56YqYlxKLyg/w640-h640/3.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"><br /></span><p></p>
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{margin-bottom:0in;}</style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-18723339728212338442023-02-20T16:10:00.001-04:002023-02-20T16:10:19.879-04:00La marcha de los escritores 2023<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBj3xGl1tNR7vBnv5NcT2O1HK5oXfjVgzLKmpt81BmJ-mrZ9_FcA17-oxir5yMGTYiwdSaPIr6BIN3AiqN2oyXRYq8zul7O6UTXxgowDfYkZtWi5okNX1VNf6LZUeQFkfXY9GcdMJOdz2SQxILNQEvpXBS8iQs2XfuG4zwHDSD3aoFZW4FJCtfy1dNCg/s1080/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBj3xGl1tNR7vBnv5NcT2O1HK5oXfjVgzLKmpt81BmJ-mrZ9_FcA17-oxir5yMGTYiwdSaPIr6BIN3AiqN2oyXRYq8zul7O6UTXxgowDfYkZtWi5okNX1VNf6LZUeQFkfXY9GcdMJOdz2SQxILNQEvpXBS8iQs2XfuG4zwHDSD3aoFZW4FJCtfy1dNCg/w400-h400/2.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />A todas mis amistades de las palabras, llegó la hora en el año para
celebrar juntos, compartir aventuras, darnos a conocer y conectar con lectores y
otros escritores. Es momento de la marcha de escritores. <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Si nunca has escuchado de la marcha de los escritores, pues has llegado al
lugar correcto. Me llamo JD Estrada, llevo publicado desde el 2013 y este es un
esfuerzo que llevo varios años, dando temas diarios para cada día del mes de
marzo para explorar, expresar y conectar. Abajo están los temas por día con una
breve explicación y las reglas del juego son bien simples.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Participa cuando puedas.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Si no puedes un día, sigue cuando tengas una oportunidad. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Interpreta los temas como prefieras. ¿Quieres hacer un escrito, un dibujo,
una foto o un video? Se vale lo que mejor te funcione para expresar quién y
cómo eres. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Usa los hashtags de #MarchaDeLosEscritores #MOTW #MOTW #MOTW2023</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Conecta con otros autores.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Pásala bien.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">La marcha es para pasarla bien, no es para darte estrés adicional, ¡porque
suficiente nos regala la vida! Si tienes alguna pregunta, me escribes por aquí
o tu red social favorita. Bueno, ya suficiente introducción, vamos allá. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Aló, ¿quién
es?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Este es tu momento para presentarte. ¿Quién eres? ¿De dónde eres? A ver,
cuéntanos un poquito de ti. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Musiquita para
escribir</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Hay un <i>playlist</i> de la marcha de los escritores que puedes escuchar
<a href="https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/marchofthewriters/pl.u-mJy813EIz315bjo">aquí</a>. Diferentes autores usan diferentes musas para
escribir e incluso hay gente que escribe con ruido blanco o ambiental. Si
tienes recomendaciones, compártelas y si necesitas recomendaciones, ve al
enlace arriba o pregunta.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Proyectos en
marcha</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Qué estás escribiendo? ¿Qué estás por publicar? ¿Vas a someter alguna
pieza a un certamen o para una antología? Pues cuéntanos.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Género-sidad</span></b></p><p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Esta es facilita. ¿En qué géneros escribes y por qué?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Libros tuyos
en el mundo</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Ya has publicado algo? Dinos qué y en dónde se pueden conseguir. También bienvenido
compartir tu blog, Wattpad y donde compartas tus escritos. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> <br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Escribo, luego
existo</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Cuál es tu mayor motivación para escribir o qué te mueve para capturar
palabras en escritos?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Trio: 3 pelis,
álbumes y libros que recomiendas</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Algo MUY importante de la marcha es compartir. Cuéntanos películas, álbumes
y libros que crees que necesiten más atención o comparte tus favoritos. Como
prefieras.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Combustivación</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Qué o quién te motiva en tus aventuras con las palabras?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Identidad
secreta</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Te dedicas a tiempo completo a ser escritor? Si no es así, pues cuéntanos
lo que se pueda de lo que haces para ganarte la vida. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Causalidad</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Hay algunas causas benéficas que apoyas consistentemente? Cuéntanos, ¿qué
apoyas </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">y por qué?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">3 Fracasos</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Quien se crea que esto de ser escritor no tiene retos, pues bendígale su
inocencia. Comparte tres fracasos que aunque te dieron duro fueron buenas
lecciones. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">3 Victorias</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Ahora la otra cara de la moneda. ¡Cuéntanos de esas victorias!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Sueños
compartidos</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Hay quiénes creen que si compartes tus sueños le das una oportunidad de
manifestar. Hay gente que prefiere quedárselos. Si quieres compartir, dinos
sobre algunos de tus sueños. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Organizado, a
lo loco, híbrido o te amparas en la 5ta</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Cómo escribe cada persona es una maravilla y fascinante. ¿Cómo describes tu
proceso? ¿Haces bosquejos? ¿Diagramas? ¿O escribes lo que venga?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Talismanes de
escribir</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Hay algún amuleto de buena suerte que usas cuando tienes un evento
importante o cuando escribes?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Secretos de
guerra</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Como ya hemos hablado, mucho de la marcha es para compartir. ¿Qué consejos
tienes para escritores en diferentes etapas de su trayectoria de autor?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">17.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Que tú qué?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Algunas metas un poco raras y particulares que tienes. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">18.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Minando
inspiración</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Cómo es tu proceso de investigación para un proyecto? ¿Varía mucho de
proyecto en proyecto?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Té para tres</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Tres autores vivientes con los que quisieras darte un café o una taza de té.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Curiosidades
como escritor</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Detallitos curiosos sobre ti cómo escritor. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">21.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Dónde escribes?</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Tienes tu escritorio decorado? ¿Decoras tu compu? ¿Le pones pegatinas a tus
libretas?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Matatiempos</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Qué pasatiempos a veces se llevan demasiado de tu tiempo?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">23.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Temas
recurrentes</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Hay algunos temas que siempre terminan siendo parte de tus cuentos?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">24.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Erorres
Comnumes</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Hay algún error tipográfico que cometes a menudo?<u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">25.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Manteniendo el
balance</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Cómo velas por tu salud física y mental en general? ¿Qué cosas haces para
mantener tu motivación o enfoque para seguir creando?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">26.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Amor con odio</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Hay veces que nos dan consejos como que DEMASIADO directo o sin tacto, pero
de los que se pueden aprender. ¿Cuáles son algunas cosas que te han dicho que aunque
dolieron un poco, fueron para bien?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">27.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Mejores
elogios</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Cuáles son algunos de los mejores elogios que te han dado?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">28.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Lleno de
gracias</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Qué agradeces de tu trayectoria como amante de las letras?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">29.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Tu tribu</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Comparte alguna de la gente linda con las que has conectado durante tu
trayectoria. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">30.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Ensociado</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Dónde se puede conectar lectores y escritores contigo?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><b><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-fareast-font-family: Georgia;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">31.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-language-override: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">Pa' la próxima</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;">¿Qué planes tienes para el resto del año?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGmymXiHKoYfzDKbMWjIEw0nAAgoXnxQ3k3pj2GoPhxnezuFqM1hktHxFi6Kn8TnEzVY9ftF0M_TgsXc-vqfv2jaqwIzuHQZloJrMxqZyNMt9w1WC5NxzSmbU86ftJXxVl8xOEpxielrrHqpNB7EF_XTuAIU45nwXx-yUOsujxBvaIcq0aodmD-50Ww/s1080/4.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGmymXiHKoYfzDKbMWjIEw0nAAgoXnxQ3k3pj2GoPhxnezuFqM1hktHxFi6Kn8TnEzVY9ftF0M_TgsXc-vqfv2jaqwIzuHQZloJrMxqZyNMt9w1WC5NxzSmbU86ftJXxVl8xOEpxielrrHqpNB7EF_XTuAIU45nwXx-yUOsujxBvaIcq0aodmD-50Ww/w640-h640/4.png" width="640" /></a></div><span lang="ES" style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; mso-ansi-language: ES;"> <br /></span><p></p>
<p><style>@font-face
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{margin-bottom:0in;}</style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-462202715322861242023-02-06T19:29:00.001-04:002023-02-06T19:29:04.253-04:00Así soy: JD Estrada<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RzjZpj2cz_rcyAEgABfcJ9tVNZkZ-oaFgMxHUbk_k9R-_5AsjtIvrgKHQr1LRE_skmI_dgpkUtuLLznfy1qCdyU7mxDZ4rHem04liE35QuW_-QLhP1az-FOsFKH-ZTnlQfG5kLUnzwNSV0F8iKWEw20hTlO7LQg81iC4XVLyS856Gt7S4uEOcR5HVQ/s960/307093957_523946856206784_6573118034181321473_n.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6RzjZpj2cz_rcyAEgABfcJ9tVNZkZ-oaFgMxHUbk_k9R-_5AsjtIvrgKHQr1LRE_skmI_dgpkUtuLLznfy1qCdyU7mxDZ4rHem04liE35QuW_-QLhP1az-FOsFKH-ZTnlQfG5kLUnzwNSV0F8iKWEw20hTlO7LQg81iC4XVLyS856Gt7S4uEOcR5HVQ/s320/307093957_523946856206784_6573118034181321473_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span>Si en algún momento te has preguntado quién es ese JD Estrada, pues búscate un tecito, un cafecito o cualquier bebida en su versión diminutiva que este post va pa’ largo. </span></span></span><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nací en el 80 así que eso quiere decir
que no importa los inventos que veas de mi parte, andas leyendo un cuarentón
aunque tengo cero interés de actuar mi edad en ningún momento. En PR, primero
viví en Isla Verde, luego Hato Rey, luego Río Piedras/Guaynabo y por último en
Cupey antes de mudarme a Atlanta en 2016. O sea, soy del Área Metro full aunque
amo a toda la Isla. Aunque me faltan par de municipios por visitar, sí he visitado
varios en especial los costeros ya que las olas de nuestra Isla están a otro nivel.
Un ítem de mi bucket list es visitar todos los municipios y ojalá tener aunque
sea un lector en cada municipio, incluyendo las Islas hermanas. Ese es el detalle,
aunque escriba primordialmente en inglés y sea roquero, amo a nuestra Isla,
siempre escribo la palabra en mayúscula y nuestra gente es otra cosa. El calor
puertorro llega profundo y recarga el alma cada vez que visito (obvio que esto
no aplica a los tapones que nos sacan lo peor, pero pues, FUERA de los carros,
somos una chulería.) <br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">De mi educación, comencé en un kínder
Montessori que se llamaba Jardín de Infantes en donde desde temprana edad me
inculcaron el amor y las destrezas con el inglés, algo que por el resto de mi
vida daré gracias en especial a una maestra que si no me equivoco se llamaba
Moraima. Eso es parte de la explicación de por qué 17 de mis 19 libros
publicados son en inglés ya que a los 5 años era completamente bilingüe. Para
la elemental, estudié en la Academia Perpetuo Socorro y para la secundaria
estudié en el Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola, clase del ’98. Curiosamente en la
high, no estaba en clubes ni actividades extracurriculares ya que con correr
morey y jugar videojuegos estaba set. Dicho sea de paso, en el año senior es que me dio
por aprender a tocar guitarra y luego de dos clases, el terco interno salió en
todo su apogeo y decidí aprender por mi propia cuenta. Algo que sería bastante
característico en mi trayectoria profesional y como escritor. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrO4DcxHXFPfacumzIq3wNC9pd8X5I5OYNvZ-yMoGgx_Xlf2m8yFoAN9rcMGkyePVlKGTPzKgvEBswVPSqv6UlcmQeW8AozT8DMH8Xrq7YDA0e6wdwLLhS3JWdKbbHbMvHfIHOVhySW3DV8YdZZGE7cgV3MOb5o4oMVmr5_RL23HXMHAE2MThGGXDHA/s1440/88091282_1183687055134844_1808936574629445632_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1085" data-original-width="1440" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrO4DcxHXFPfacumzIq3wNC9pd8X5I5OYNvZ-yMoGgx_Xlf2m8yFoAN9rcMGkyePVlKGTPzKgvEBswVPSqv6UlcmQeW8AozT8DMH8Xrq7YDA0e6wdwLLhS3JWdKbbHbMvHfIHOVhySW3DV8YdZZGE7cgV3MOb5o4oMVmr5_RL23HXMHAE2MThGGXDHA/s320/88091282_1183687055134844_1808936574629445632_n.jpg" width="320" /></a> </span>De mis estudios universitarios hay dos
partes. La primera incluye tres años estudiando en la UPR de Río Piedras.
Curiosamente, me di cuenta que si seguía y <i>terminaba</i> psicología había
una muy buena probabilidad de necesitar un psicólogo. Eso sí, las clases de
concentración me fascinaron de sobremanera. Saqué A en la mayoría de los cursos
pero me di cuenta que soltar los problemas de otra persona me cuesta trabajo y
eso sería un tanto peligroso con tal oficio. Siempre está la opción de desensibilizarme...una
que nunca me interesará elegir. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Aquí viene la pausa porque luego del
tercer año de psicología, conocí a fondo el baile del cambio de facultad dentro
del sistema universitario de la UPR. Esto quiere decir que hablé con personas
de la facultad de Comunicaciones (con interés de cursar en publicidad) y con la
facultad de Administración de Empresas (con interés de estudiar mercadeo). Si
alguna vez has sido estudiante de la UPR ya de seguro sabes lo divertido que
fue y sin darle largas al asunto, lo resumo de esta manera: si quería ese
cambio, tendría que perder 2/3 de mis créditos y empezar casi de cero. Además,
mi familia estaba pasando por un tiempo un poco complicado y estaba en
necesidad de solicitar asistencia económica o aplicar para una beca.
Desafortunadamente, ni pude cambiar de facultad, ni me aprobaron la asistencia
económica, ni era elegible para beca.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Frustrado, se lo comenté a una amiga que
me dijo que me podía poner en contacto con la que en ese momento era la decana de
la Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. Fui en son de ver si podía lograr algo de
lo que me proponía. Le hablé claro y le dije sobre mi amor por la psicología,
pero mi deseo de cambiar por mercadeo o publicidad. Me comentó sobre un
bachillerato multidisciplinario, que podía estudiar de las tres ramas sin
ningún problema y evitar muchas de las clases que NO me interesaban. Le comenté
de mi necesidad de asistencia económica y al ver mis notas me dijo que se
sospechaba que no sería un problema pero que habría que ver. De paso sabía de
mi situación en casa y me preguntó si estaría interesado en estudio y trabajo.
Los ojos se me abrieron, las palabras me faltaban y sólo podía decirle gracias.
Me dijo que no era un favor y esperaba lo mejor de mí. Le dije que obtendría lo
mejor de mí. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Así fue cómo comencé en la Universidad
del Sagrado Corazón en el 2001 y mi actitud como estudiante cambió
drásticamente. Aunque me encantó la UPR, como estudiante no era aplicado. Era
simple, si me gustaba la clase, sacaba A y si no, pues una B. Pero hasta ahí
llegaba. Cuando cambié a Sagrado, fueron 3 años que sentarían la pauta de que
no me iba a conformar con no dar lo máximo. En varios semestres comenzaba a las
8:30 AM y terminaba después de las 9:00 PM. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Desde mi segundo año en Sagrado, tuve la
oportunidad de representar a la universidad en competencias de publicidad de la
American Advertising Federation (AAF), el primer año en West Palm Beach y el
segundo año en Orlando. Lo importante a destacar de esta experiencia es que mi
participación en ambas competencias no eran parte de mi currículo y lo hice por
el amor a la disciplina y por seguir dando lo mejor de mí. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Arriba mencioné estudio y trabajo y aquí es
donde entra el LAD, Language Across the Disciplines en donde fungí como mentor
en inglés, ayudando a las personas con sus proyectos y trabajando junto a ellos
para sacar lo mejor de ellos. De lo más curioso para obtener este trabajo es
que se supone que iba a tomar una prueba de aptitud. Ahora cuando hice toda la entrevista
en inglés dijeron, “creo que no hace falta” y me dieron el trabajo, del cual
aprendí cosas que me sirven hasta hoy día. Tengo la dicha de mantenerme en
contacto con las profesoras, la directora del programa y compañeros que en todo
momento me demostraron cariño y un calibre de humanidad que hasta hoy día
atesoro. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeklHIiwppUXXpTbvIpEMPY7rZS9omTVZgFT-G6NSM-X92Ai2odLhDUU3om-tnr94O3Si7zwrbY_OmPnczyUXZ93Fg5oe5j50Liv1kLwfJgWyG42ccL7N3wTYKG0q7mRf0fq_kZs2GKXPyjB0jE37ob8EI9cfGfL7XAkLAQGh1EFyclxLhPYFMMJ84g/s2279/IMG_6161.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1918" data-original-width="2279" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeklHIiwppUXXpTbvIpEMPY7rZS9omTVZgFT-G6NSM-X92Ai2odLhDUU3om-tnr94O3Si7zwrbY_OmPnczyUXZ93Fg5oe5j50Liv1kLwfJgWyG42ccL7N3wTYKG0q7mRf0fq_kZs2GKXPyjB0jE37ob8EI9cfGfL7XAkLAQGh1EFyclxLhPYFMMJ84g/s320/IMG_6161.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sobre las aventuras de escritor, en la
UPR participé en un certamen de literatura en inglés en donde obtuve 3er lugar
en la categoría de cuentos cortos pero me llevé el primer lugar en dar un <i>acceptance
speech</i> con una cantidad de joda que hasta hoy día me saca sonrisas porque
pues, para ser payaso, siempre he tenido buena aptitud. En Sagrado, participé
en un certamen, aunque esta vez en la categoría de poesía y obtuve el primer
lugar. Además de los viajes de competencia para la AAF, viajé en febrero de
2004 a Nueva York como uno de los <i>Most Promising Minority Students</i> en
donde conocí uno de mis futuros mejores amigos. Luego, solicité para participar
en el programa de internado del American Association of Advertising Agencies
(The 4 A’s). Esto requería una entrevista en una agencia local con dos jueces.
Aunque esa conversación es memorable por varias razones, la mayor fue que no me
eligieron. Pero un leve detalle, con el mensaje de rechazo vino un comentario
que me dijeron que estaban buscando una persona para un puesto particular para
Grey Worldwide: un <i>broadcast music intern</i>. Dije, “no tengo nada que
perder” y escribí un mensaje de como página y media de por qué deberían elegirme. Un email bien yo, bien franco hablando sobre mi pasión sobre la música y mi deseo de aprender y ayudar. Tardaron menos de dos días en contestarme ofreciéndome el puesto. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fui a la gran manzana, pasé el verano
allá, me gané amistades y experiencias para la vida y cuando regresé de NYC, me
llamaron para ver si me entrevistaría con el CEO de una de las compañías
sombrillas de publicidad a nivel mundial. Te lo confieso, la entrevista me fue
de show hasta que me hicieron una pregunta: ¿cómo te sientes de venir a vivir
en NYC y trabajar a tiempo completo? Contesté honestamente, que aunque quiero
decir que me siento 100% confiado de que me irá de maravilla, contestar eso era
especulación. Lo quiero hacer y daré lo máximo, ahora sobre cómo reaccionaré,
no sabría hasta que no lo viva en carne propia. Nadie me tiene que decir que
esa fue una de las razones por la cual no fui a Nueva York a trabajar. Otra de
las razones es que el salario que me ofrecían sería suficiente para sobrevivir
con sopitas y galletas y todavía sentía la necesidad de ayudar en casa. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Así que vuelvo a PR y comienzo mis
aventuras en agencias de publicidad como creativo. Tenía la dicha de trabajar
en sitios en donde me podía poner t-shirts de mensajes jocosos y mahones y para
mí eso aparentemente justificaba los horarios dementes que disfruté en todas
las agencias que trabajé. En algún momento en una de esas agencias, me
invitaron a contribuir en un blog y ahí volvió a asomarse mi amor por escribir no sólo para
ganarme un cheque sino para explorar quién y cómo soy. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">En total, trabajé en cinco agencias de
publicidad hasta que dije, necesito un break de esto full time y cambié a
trabajar en Relaciones Públicas para un plan de salud. El cambio fue drástico
de todas las maneras habidas y por haber. Vestimenta mucho más corporativa.
Camisa por dentro. ¿Y la mayor comedia? Mi hora de entrada. En publicidad,
comenzar pasadas las nueve no es sólo común, sino estándar...en este nuevo
trabajo se entraba a las 7:30 AM. Por usar un refrán boricua, chúpate esa
mientras te mondo la otra.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fue un trabajo sumamente exigente, pero
del cual también aprendí de sobremanera y del cual también mantengo contacto
con gente que tocaron mi vida. En publicidad aprendí tanto por trabajar con
tanta gente como por trabajar tantas cuentas en tan diversas categorías. Mal
tasado, creo que trabajé en sobre 40 cuentas en 5 agencias. También trabajé con
mínimo 50 artistas gráficos a tiempo completo y como 20 más que trabajaron
freelance. Cuando trabajé en el plan, nuestro departamento tenía que trabajar
con todos los departamentos, que en su total eran no sé, ¿treinta o más? Una
cosa absurda así que pude aprender de varias áreas del negocio al resolver sus
necesidades de comunicación y colaborar con un montón de gente.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">A lo mejor te preguntarás, ¿dónde empezó
lo de escribir novelas? Pues te cuento: desde mi tercer trabajo ya había comenzado a escribir
mi primera novela, <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Only-Human-Cycle-Book-ebook/dp/B00COMVDY4/"><b><i>Only Human</i></b></a>. Seis años tardé en escribirla a mano, porque
OBVIO que lo iba a hacer así bien facilito. 8 libretas de Borders (QEPD) se
convirtieron en 170,000+ palabras que luego de editar lo pude bajar a 154,000
(más o menos). Tardé un año en el proceso de transcribir, editar, editar,
editar, formatear, formatear, formatear, formatear y finalmente publicar en
abril del 2013 la versión digital con su versión física para el 2014 (de seguro
par de las canas que tengo son por ese formateo y aprendiendo a cantazos).</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Paréntesis: A menudo me preguntan qué es
lo más importante para lograr un objetivo como profesional, escritor o ser
humano. Siempre diré que hay que ser terco para lo que importa. En el 2014
participé en el Puerto Rico Comic Con y con excepción del 2018, he participado
cada año como exhibidor. Además, siempre he tenido el compromiso de publicar
algo en el Día de las Madres y esa tradición la mantendré hasta que no pueda
escribir. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7poIxn9VZZigVa0Qabwgp5Dy3yn6SA9UBDkC4AmsCqNXGRJdsjVhe5LC2c1VwlOQrTsl7TlGhjLC7jKaijVWvO_wcC_UPXYP6OdCWyPB6C2z9MfHy8TWHmhETJOtG3GSJ7go-toMz0AKt9ld7ZA4HaNKG9NjP0Az0AtnfR_MxbCzgVBAutjBzZVpyQ/s480/Random%20slices%20of%20life%20-%202" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc7poIxn9VZZigVa0Qabwgp5Dy3yn6SA9UBDkC4AmsCqNXGRJdsjVhe5LC2c1VwlOQrTsl7TlGhjLC7jKaijVWvO_wcC_UPXYP6OdCWyPB6C2z9MfHy8TWHmhETJOtG3GSJ7go-toMz0AKt9ld7ZA4HaNKG9NjP0Az0AtnfR_MxbCzgVBAutjBzZVpyQ/s320/Random%20slices%20of%20life%20-%202" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /> </span><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">En 2016 publiqué mi primera colección de
poesía en español (<a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Pensando-en-Met%C3%A1foras-Spanish-Estrada-ebook/dp/B01FBGZ2DC?ref_=ast_author_dp">Pensando en metáforas</a>) y mi primera colección bilingüe
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Veinte-JD-Estrada/dp/1533098484"><b><i>Twenty Veinte</i></b></a>. Llevo prometiendo más español y parece que mi décimo aniversario
como autor traerá muchas sorpresas.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ahora, ¿por qué compartir esta
trayectoria? Porque mis 19 libros incluyen los géneros de la fantasía urbana,
fantasía juvenil, la poesía, la no-ficción y el horror y si ves de dónde vengo
te hará sentido. Además, te puedo decir genuinamente que de cada sitio que
estudié, cada sitio que he trabajado y cada sitio que viajado y vivido me he
llevado amistades, cuentos y el deseo de vivir, conocer y compartir todo lo que pueda.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOcNkvbUtTcaLfrhUZLPTYiyOyUz3iDWfXo2XRTsFc9A5s8vc0rMlX4naYT_2CBZZo0UH7eTZFYL7vHyK_pNIdltHbe0vkoT42bABJ8h5zWHXWMjEJ4QCU4t2dejPDuNhlf4PBcmeX3e8PLLd7O3LYX-cNweW-q1yvA9QCcsVcaDtdymu6_j_7qp6OA/s3088/IMG_0820.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOcNkvbUtTcaLfrhUZLPTYiyOyUz3iDWfXo2XRTsFc9A5s8vc0rMlX4naYT_2CBZZo0UH7eTZFYL7vHyK_pNIdltHbe0vkoT42bABJ8h5zWHXWMjEJ4QCU4t2dejPDuNhlf4PBcmeX3e8PLLd7O3LYX-cNweW-q1yvA9QCcsVcaDtdymu6_j_7qp6OA/s320/IMG_0820.jpeg" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;">Trabajo como creativo porque me apasiona
la creatividad, sea en un poema, un cuento del mundo de los sueños o una campaña
publicitaria. Me encanta explorar qué tengo por dentro para compartir con otros
y eso aplica en lo profesional como en mis exploraciones en los manantiales que
tengo dentro de mi alma. </span><p></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Estoy orgulloso de dónde vengo, donde he
estudiado y de cada trabajo que he tenido porque de cada experiencia me llevé
algo para sumarle a la definición de JD mientras siempre insisto en ser quien soy al
estilo Popeye (<i>I am what I am</i>). Nunca tomé cursos de escribir ni me especialicé
en literatura. Escribo porque amo escribir, sea un mensaje de texto, un email,
una reseña, un ensayo, un proyecto, un poema, un cuento, una novela o una serie...a
lo que pongo mi mente, lo escribo con todo lo que soy. Nunca he tenido mentor
ni padrino y posiblemente por eso he tardado tanto en tener algún grado de
éxito como escritor y como profesional, pero miro lo que he logrado y sonrío
porque lo que lees, es 100% yo. Fue lo que miné de mi alma y pulí con destrezas
que he podido desarrollar solo. En las últimas publicaciones, he tenido la bendición de contar
con lectores beta y editores que me han dado la mano y se lo agradezco
encarecidamente por ayudarme a lograr un mejor escrito final y por retarme a
dar más y seguir impulsando mi arte.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Siempre he dicho orgullosamente que soy
de PR y que también tengo raíces cubanas que amo. Comparto esto para que
conozcas un poco más de mí y para que no te tome tan de sorpresa cuando salga con un invento nuevo, porque pues, así soy. Gracias por diez maravillosos años
de cariño. Gracias por leerme. Gracias por reseñarme. Gracias por el apoyo y
pues, gracias por quererme como soy. Espero conocerte pronto y que nos encontremos en nuestras palabras, porque tan pronto comienzas a leerme, ya dejan de ser mías. <br /></span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Un fuerte abrazo y cualquier pregunta que
tengas, en confianza escríbeme aquí o en las redes. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bendición, </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">JD </span></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><p><style><span style="font-family: georgia;"><font size="3">@font-face
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{page:WordSection1;}</font></span></style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-66406950693181113632023-01-17T09:23:00.017-04:002023-01-17T12:20:36.008-04:00 The Line is Always Open<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aIWBDcWu16I7CtqMODdEUFDGegJ0qnEEqeSXog3YLNZQ-jMtARbqaNE8I6e54o04XyfCPDbTKP8FxzmEuKfCjHYIzLonYb_zD80XPnMuuBttosucuxmnkeei21tst7Ux9YaUVGffmbIYEe8yjPxXUO20P2txHxzDZa5o07OMpw-WqxtOm9d2w85fZw/s2048/f7683ab3-f8ff-4d70-b900-3a94eb0d75e2.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aIWBDcWu16I7CtqMODdEUFDGegJ0qnEEqeSXog3YLNZQ-jMtARbqaNE8I6e54o04XyfCPDbTKP8FxzmEuKfCjHYIzLonYb_zD80XPnMuuBttosucuxmnkeei21tst7Ux9YaUVGffmbIYEe8yjPxXUO20P2txHxzDZa5o07OMpw-WqxtOm9d2w85fZw/s320/f7683ab3-f8ff-4d70-b900-3a94eb0d75e2.JPG" width="215" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Pic courtesy of my brother, Juanky</span></i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: small;">When there is an emergency, people are sometimes forced to resort to a landline to get in touch with other people because cell phone towers are down. That this still applies in 2023 is a bit poetic if you ask me. Ever since Mom passed away in 2019, I say that at least we don’t have to worry about any technological or atmospheric disturbance interfering with us keeping in touch. <br /><br /> True contact doesn’t depend on WiFi, it doesn’t care what network you’re on, and 5G is absolutely irrelevant in this scenario. That’s because my line to her is always open and I speak to her in some way or another pretty much every day. The same as I always did. <br /><br />Occasionally, I’ve been asked about how I cope with grief and having lost her and anyone that I’ve loved in my life. The reality is that the answer changes and evolves along with who and how we are. What I can say today might be different from a year ago and both might be different from what I need in two weeks’ time. Apart from this, the other thing I consistently share is that you need to feel what you have to feel. Earlier in my life I repressed several feelings and it did me no favors. I learned the hard way and it took a lot of effort but I also learned to allow myself to feel, engage with, and understand those feelings.<br /><br /> So write it out. Play it out. Surf it out. Draw it out. Sing it out. Whatever you feel, don’t ignore or bury what you’re feeling. Express it, embrace it, understand it, and cherish it. <br /><br /> Part of me says that today would have been Mom’s 74th birthday while another part of me corrects that it <i>is</i> her 74th birthday. Just because Mom is no longer with us in a physical aspect doesn’t take away from the fact that part of her is still alive within me, my brothers, her grandchildren, and countless people she meant the world to and she had an impact on. <br /><br /> I’ve written her countless letters telling her about how things are. Sometimes I ask for her advice. Sometimes I ask for strength, patience, or both. I always do it in the present tense though. Always. I don’t say I wish you could see or hear or partake in anything, I include her in the activity and I truly believe that part of her enjoys and continues to live through the adventures of her loved ones. <br /><br />I’ve known to take a moment to breathe and talk to her because I’m having a rough time. Often, I feel my breathing settle and a bit of calm returns to me. Sometimes I need to do other things, but the exercise is a start and puts me on the track to handling whatever life throws my way. Having that contact is huge for me and it’s something I shall always maintain. <br /><br /> I began journaling consistently from last year (more on this later) and I’ve found myself writing Mom less letters because I switched to writing her daily in the journal. I also write to God and to myself and am always thankful to all three. That’s one of the things I have been doing every single night for the last several months. Some people might think it’s a coping mechanism and in part that’s true, but the contact is also there and no one can take that away from me. <br /><br /> I have a river nearby and that’s a place I often visit to talk to Mama Estrada. Water is a global connector but part of me feels that it goes beyond the physical and connects us in ways we barely comprehend. It also kind of just feels right to talk to her there, even though I never took her when she stayed with us after Hurricane Maria. <br /><br /> But to this day, there are still some people who ask me about Mom and how she’s doing. People who either haven’t been in touch for years and never found out she passed away or some people who honestly forgot. It never upsets me because I toast to her often and talk about her often as well. From being the subject of several poems to being the inspiration of one of the favorite characters in the Human Cycle, I commune with Mom in countless ways because she’s always going to be with me, so if you tell me to say hi to Mom, I probably will. <br /><br /> When it came to us, I would often say, “I love you,” and she would often respond with an “I love you more.” I would always say that she had the advantage because I took a while to develop consciousness and start registering what a lucky kid I was to have her for a Mom, plus she had me in her womb 9 months where she was able to talk while I was glad to listen. It’s been three and a half years since she passed away and even though I could make a case that I love her more now that some time has passed, I know better, because the lines are always open, the contact is always there, and the love shall stay with me until we can finally share another glass of Sauvignon Blanc. <br /><br /> So happy birthday, Mama Estrada. <br /><br /> Peace, love, and lemon cake <br /></span></span><p></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-27404302009530680252023-01-16T00:22:00.001-04:002023-01-16T00:22:08.708-04:00 What’s in a number?<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhyAc-gOM-jdoZv2q6y_ZzIrIQ70-2cDrzG2WACTcnszWmQbBVpc2vMu6rSEjO7rAOPF4Si6auIBuior-qC_nlsqYvfGxGsbust50a2H239zrbk3yKR7aTKwUtRr2y0jkyLSlq3NiDCaarbbmyKSfGt6MVxkCL7LJAIqjESnRo8JjBcDEAneffMvejA/s1080/Blog%20posts.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhyAc-gOM-jdoZv2q6y_ZzIrIQ70-2cDrzG2WACTcnszWmQbBVpc2vMu6rSEjO7rAOPF4Si6auIBuior-qC_nlsqYvfGxGsbust50a2H239zrbk3yKR7aTKwUtRr2y0jkyLSlq3NiDCaarbbmyKSfGt6MVxkCL7LJAIqjESnRo8JjBcDEAneffMvejA/s320/Blog%20posts.png" width="320" /></a></div>As
humans we’re often fascinated by numbers. <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">The weight of a boulder. The height
of a mountain. The depth of an ocean. The speed of sound. The speed of light.
The amount of chocolate chips in the largest chocolate chip cookie in the
world. The amount of money some movie earned.<br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">When
you write, there are several numbers that can come to mind. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">How many words have
you written? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">How many books have you published? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">How many awards have you won? </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Other
numbers can haunt us.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">How
many typos were in that first draft? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">How many books have I sold? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">How many books
do I need to sell to break even? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">How long will it take to finish my next book? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">How
long will it take to make it? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">How many reviews have your books gotten?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">This
year marks ten years since I published my first book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Only-Human-J-D-Estrada/dp/1489573356/" target="_blank">Only Human</a>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Ten
years.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">A
decade.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">It
sounds big because it is big. It’s a significant amount of time from any angle
you look at it, as long as it’s a human perspective. Ten years is nothing to
the world, the solar system, the galaxy, or the universe. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">But
to a human? It’s pretty big. It’s not huge. But you can’t deny its weight and
not just because it’s trendy to be able to put 10<sup>th</sup> anniversary on
anything you do. It’s
not many things we willingly stick to for a decade unless we love it...which is
why it still feels like I’m getting started. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Some
people have asked me, “how does it feel to have made it?” I can’t answer that
question because in my eyes, I have not made it. Not by a long shot. I have
over twenty projects at different stages of development. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">I don't have a TED Talk. I haven't given a commencement speech.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">I haven’t had a movie,
show, or video game adaptation to become part of the zeitgeist, which means
that only do I want an adaptation, I want it to be good enough to have people
know my characters by name and for the work to live with them...and for fans to
still say, meh, the book’s better. <br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Last
year was not a busy one on this blog. This isn’t a complaint or an apology, it’s
just a statement based on fact. I had nine blog posts including one for Mom,
two for Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona, two for March of the Writers, and
one guest blog post. This post alone means I’m 9 blog posts away from being
more active than last </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">year</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Is
it a resolution?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">No.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Is
it a promise?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">No.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">It’s
me saying I’m in a better place now than I was a year ago and we’ll talk about
that and a lot more things as we go along the year.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">In
2022, I was able to publish a grand total of one book to continue my yearly
tradition of publishing something on Mother’s Day. For this year, there will be
a book published on that date...and the plan is to publish a couple more.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">I’ve
known to start a year off with a long list of resolutions or goals or things I <i>will</i>
do in a year. I’m not in the mood for any of that. I just want to write and
keep having fun. I also want to share that fun with people if only to encourage others
to also have fun.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">The
first post on this blog was in May 11, 2013. That’s almost a month after I published
Only Human which is as telling a sign as I think I can offer in regards to my
writer journey. There’s a lot of winging, a lot of improvising, a lot of
guessing, and a lot of doing something for the sake of doing it along with a
lot of discovery in my writer journey of who I am as writer, a creative, and a human. My
books, my blog, and what I do on social media are all reflections of who I am.
Is there book promotion? Sure. But it’s not the majority, because although I
love selling my books and making sure I’m not in the red, what drives me is
discovery and connection with you and with myself.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Right
now we’re connecting on some words you’re reading on your phone or computer and
to some degree, we’re connecting. Last year I won my first award with my
writing and it felt nice to have some sort of validation. On that note, I promise I will
continue submitting my work because I know that if I write well enough, it can
open doors to what matters: connecting with people. Please note I said people
and not just readers. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Yes,
I want to connect with readers.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Yes,
I want to win awards. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Yes,
I want sales. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Yes,
I want to get more reviews.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Yes, I want writing to eventually pay the bills. <br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">But
it all goes back to connecting. I want the means to do more of what I love and
reach more people so we can talk about books, writing, and the words that
connect us. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Ten
years.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">It’s
huge. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">It’s
a blip. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">It’s
whatever we make of it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">This may be the first of many blog posts for 2023 or it just may be a captured moment. Regardless, it is also a genuine <i>Thank You</i> for joining me on my first decade as a published author. Now let’s see if I can keep you guessing and keep you reading.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;">Peace,
love, and maki rolls</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif;"> </span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1759838711140920672.post-41264843781456622962022-09-22T16:09:00.004-04:002022-09-23T10:33:50.607-04:00How to help Puerto Rico after Hurricane Fiona<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0o-6niquhri-XCI27jCbHJrycKHnHRXB7R6atAn0XHonwHlgDZ6dLmgNPB164lkv-knKU-eZ_rxBlDpLYf_g47T2b0cDrLhKfpJBUrf-8AgwJODYeS8rqA9S4iu4zflN3zImIL2Oh0o2kqC8AH9tVZrehBWYUdnrnu1ZEDdKv04AOM4RXpcKIZ8Ksg/s1080/8FFB5B71-716D-4DBD-A202-5049F854EBDB.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0o-6niquhri-XCI27jCbHJrycKHnHRXB7R6atAn0XHonwHlgDZ6dLmgNPB164lkv-knKU-eZ_rxBlDpLYf_g47T2b0cDrLhKfpJBUrf-8AgwJODYeS8rqA9S4iu4zflN3zImIL2Oh0o2kqC8AH9tVZrehBWYUdnrnu1ZEDdKv04AOM4RXpcKIZ8Ksg/s320/8FFB5B71-716D-4DBD-A202-5049F854EBDB.PNG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Many people have asked me how #PuertoRico is doing after #HurricaneFiona and how to help. For a recap of how the Island is doing, check my previous blog post: <a href="https://jdestradawriter.blogspot.com/2022/09/apples-and-hurricanes-puerto-rico-and.html">Apples and Hurricanes.</a> <br /><br />This post I'll keep brief and focus on relief efforts. I’ve been looking at several orgs the last couple of days and although there are more people doing good work, I’m focusing on 3 right now to not offer a huge menu of options. <br /><br />First off, <b><u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/brigadasolidariadeloeste/">Brigada Solidaria del Oeste</a> </u></b>is doing good work and focusing efforts on a consistently underserved part of the Island. <br /><br />LINKS: <br /><br /></span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/brigadasolidariaoeste"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.facebook.com/brigadasolidariaoeste</span></a><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><a href="http://bsopr.com/">http://bsopr.com/</a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tallersalud/"><u><b>Taller Salud</b></u> </a>- Grassroots feminist movement in PR working hard to reach isolated communities right now. Has been another name that's been mentioned often and have seen the work they're doing. It's hard work and they're happy <br /></span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><u>https://tallersaludpr.networkforgood.com/ </u><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mochileando100x35"><u><b>Thirdly is Fundación Mochileando 100x35</b></u></a>. I saw pictures of what they’re doing on FB and their live stories here although their Instagram page is for the blog not the foundation. <br /><br />LINKS:<br /><br />https://www.facebook.com/mochileando100x35</span></p><p>Paypal: donaciones@mochileando.com<br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />My recommendations right now are based on people having feet on the ground and focusing on communities that often get overlooked. I’ll later share info of other efforts that seem to be doing good work. Focusing on these smaller efforts because they share where the money is going and you can see the work. <br /><br />Circumstances and needs will continue evolving and changing so I’ll keep an eye out for future efforts and if any other cause steps it up, I’ll happily be sharing in my stories and feed. For now, much love to my people back home, from friends and family to every single person affected by this storm. Un abrazo.</span></p>JD Estrada Writerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04060978323205855596noreply@blogger.com0