What happened to the discipline?

Well, as much as I would like to blame the Netflix marathon I have been on and the constant baby care, the truth is that I haven’t been following the golden rule:  Write every day.  Even for just a little while.

If that is not happening then one day of not writing becomes ten days.  (Or in my case, way more.)  What is the solution?  A realistic schedule.  It used to be that I had some free time in the mornings, but now my mornings are filled with rigorous nursing phases and conversations with Drool Buckets, my son.  Mornings don’t work, but evenings are better (after the nightly baby bath and obligatory shower).  So, it’s time to try the evenings; that will also require me to stay away from Facebook, Netflix, and the enormous plasma in the living room.

On a happy self-discovery note, I have been reading The Guardians by Ana Castillo.  Sure, I have read books about the border and Chicano life, but this work really validated my work.  She writes about the desert and incorporates political analysis about race and class in a way that is not preachy.  The commentary is a reality of the characters’ lives.  Which brings me to (Tip 11), never preach your politics in the writing, especially if the preaching is forced.  I like this piece of work too because she weaves the tangents and multiple characters beautifully in the piece.  I tend to have a tapestry of stories within stories, but I think I overdo it.  

The other thing I like about the novel is that her characters are complex and have good and bad in them.  After all (Tip 12) the protagonist can’t be 100% good and the antagonist 100% bad.  Characters need both flaws and virtues or otherwise they are not credible or worth knowing, er reading. 

Now about the ultimate goal of this blog, motivation to send out my work.  By this August.  (No, I won’t be mailing it to myself or my friends.)  I have to do research on what journals might take it.  I know it’s harder to publish a short story than it was in the past.  And I am old school, so I prefer print.  I just don’t fancy reading a long work on the screen (except when I am out of paper).  I know that is environmentally cruel, but my eyes can’t take it.  So, sometime this week, possibly today since I am so energized, I am going to research journals.  (Tip 13)  Find journals (or your venue of choice) that might take your work.  I have done this in the past and come up with zero.  The perfect Chicana journal isn't out there, but there are good journals.  I just need to rediscover them.

What happens if there aren’t any?  Who knows?  Go out on a limb.  Or widen your scope.  At least that’s my plan.  There are journals in other countries.  Well, my Drool Buckets is wailing (in a funny baby scream I’m here way), so it’s time to give him unconditional love.