New Website!

So I have a website.

You can check it out here.

I'll still keep this blog around, but I'll be putting up more content on the new site more often. *pets new site* *blows kisses*

Happy Friday!

Thank You, 2015. You Were F*cking Swell.

So. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. The last day of 2015.

Confession: 2015 was the best year of my life. Hands down. Yes, I've had some amazing things happen to me in previous years, but as a whole, this one takes the crown. 

I presented at my first academic conference.

Mad Max: Fury Road became my new favorite movie ever.

I traveled alone for the first time. Destination: Washington, D.C. 

I went to my first Supernatural fan convention.

Me. In a hotel bathroom. Wearing my con badge. 

I MET JENSEN ACKLES. AND I HUGGED HIM.

The rest of the cast was A+++, of course, BUT JENSEN ACKLES Y'ALL.

In case you've forgotten what he looks like.
Which, by the way, is punishable by exile to a world without pizza. 

I recorded episodes for two of my friends' podcasts. Friend 1: The Walking Dead episode. Friend 2: Archie comics episode. 

Mockingjay Pt. 2 closed the series in spectacular (and emotional) fashion.

I signed with my agent!!!!

The spark I was missing to fix my manuscript is back in full force. 

Lastly, I celebrated my 29th birthday by returning to Las Vegas. 

Where I met One Direction.

Okay, okay. I met Wax One Direction. 

That still counts.

With Wax Niall.
*cuddles*

So here's the deal. 2016 is right around the corner. I'm not totally ready to say goodbye to the best year of my life, but I'm ready to welcome better things. I'm ready to fight for my happiness again. Because that's what 2015 taught me. If I want something bad enough, I have to work for it, and if I work for it, sometimes, maybe, I can get it. 

2016, you don't stand a chance against me, kid.

Happy New Year!! :) 

How I Got My Agent, Part III: The Call

So. I've already discussed my querying timeline and writing a one-line pitch for my manuscript. 

Now let's talk about The Call. 

November 2015: Even though Linda emailed me on Thanksgiving Day, I didn't see her email until three days later. THREE DAYS. *face palm* I quickly wrote back saying that, indeed, I'd love to schedule a chat with her. We agreed on a date. I tried not to get too excited, seeing as my manuscript wasn't complete. Well, the old version was, but I'd started a brand new one. No chance I'd get offered representation with a manuscript in such a state.

December 2, 2015: Linda calls me to discuss revisions. We talked about my manuscript's new direction, our favorite books, diversity in YA fiction, my job as a college instructor, and life in Puerto Rico. I also pitched three other manuscript ideas I had. Linda sounded super enthusiastic about them (!!!). After an hour of awesome conversation, Linda told me she enjoyed speaking with me and hearing about my revision plan for the manuscript.

Then she said, "I would love to offer you representation."

COMMENCE THIRD AND FINAL FREAKOUT.

I can't remember how long my silence lasted, but Linda was gracious enough to carry on as I fainted on the inside. I proceeded to ask her some standard questions for when agents offer rep, as well as some questions of my own. To be honest, I don't even know why I interviewed her. My mind had already been made. So after Linda answered my questions, I accepted her offer of rep (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!).

And now we've reached the end of this tale, my friends. I'm super pumped about what's next, which is a loooooot of revisions. A lot. Did I mention a lot? Because a lot.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must go finish a celebratory donut. It would be unwise to tell you how many I've eaten in the last month.


Happy holidays!

How I Got My Agent, Part II: The Pitch

So. I've already shared a timeline and my query stats in Part I. Today I'm talking about The Pitch that saved my life. 

I ended my last post like this:

October 2015: Linda emails me out of the blue to ask how revisions are coming along.

I don't think there's an emoji that could accurately represent the sound that came from my lips. It was a happy noise of happiness. And panic. Panicked happiness. I was thrilled that she remembered my lil' old manuscript and that she wanted to see if I was still alive. I was also panicked because I hadn't done a thing to revise it. So I did some heavy brainstorming and light plotting.

The problem? The draft Linda read didn't speak to me anymore. I wanted to write a different story with the same characters and world. The new version hit me hard. It wouldn't let me go. So I sat down and worked on a one-line pitch.

Confession: I love writing one-line pitches. This one poured out of me, even though I was still unsure of sending it to Linda. She did contact me because of the previous version. I had no guarantee that pitching a different story was going to be a sound decision. I did it anyway. After polishing the one-line pitch, I wrote back to Linda.

She gave me the thumbs-up.

She told me to revise to my heart's content and keep her updated on how revisions were coming along. The plan was to send her the new manuscript once it was ready.

So I started revising. That one-line pitch served as my inspiration to go full force on this story. I wrote five chapters and had started a sixth.

November 2015: (Thanksgiving Day, to be precise) Linda emails me to schedule a chat.

COMMENCE SECOND FREAKOUT.

On my next and final post, I'll talk about The Call and signing with my agent. *flails*

Happy weekend!

Breaking News: I Have An Agent!!

So. I'm here today to make an announcement. 

What announcement, you ask? 

I HAVE AN AGENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*flails*

I'm now represented by the super awesome Linda Camacho of Prospect Agency! 

*flails even harder*

I'll totally share my querying (and signing with Linda!!) story at a later time, but for now, REJOICE. You get to eat cyber pizza, ice cream, and cake with me! Not as good as the real thing, but no worries. I'll eat all of it on your behalf. :)   

Now if you'll excuse me, I must get back to flailing. I don't think I've done enough of that. 

*flails forever*

So I Met Jensen Ackles...

And I'm officially dead.

#achievementunlocked

In Which I Say Goodbye To 2014

So. 2014. 

Intense year, I must admit. 

Terrible things happened. To me. To friends.

Great things also happened. 

I graduated from my Master's program. 

I got a new job one month later. 

I rescued and adopted another stray puppy (my very first boy!). 

I rescued yet another stray puppy and found it a forever home on Thanksgiving Day (yep, a boy, too) (I think stray puppies are just texting each other about how kind I am to them, so now they're all like, HOUSE PARTY LET'S GO).

After months of struggling, I have fallen back in love with my WIP. It is a mad, consuming love. I vow to work my butt off even harder on this project. I must. 

So yeah. 2014 was both terrible and great. I made a lot of mistakes, but I have no regrets.

2015 might be terrible. It might be great. It might be terrible and great, too.

I just hope it's weird enough to remember, and that it comes with candy. :) 

Happy New Year, folks!!

That Time My Father Loved The Divergent Movie

So. After a week of the film hitting theaters, I finally saw Divergent. As a fan of the book series, I was expecting to enjoy it. I did. A lot.

My family went with me to the theater. 

Including my dad.

And he loved it.

Dad: "The movie was awesome. I loved it."

Me: 

Dad: "No, really. I loved it."

Me:

Dad: "For real."

Me:

 

 

Dad: *asks me questions about the plot* *seems genuinely interested in my answers*

Me:

 

So now you know. 

In Which I Vow To Read More Books

So. Last year, I set a reading goal of 30 books.

I read 25.

Not only did I not meet my goal, I also didn't want to set that particular goal in the first place. I like to read more than 50 books a year. Unfortunately, I couldn't juggle my reading schedule with WIP revisions and thesis writing and work, so I settled for 30. I didn't even read that amount.

This year, things are going to be different.

Yes, I did set a specific amount of books to read: 35.

No, I won't limit myself to 35 if I find it possible to surpass it. Other authors fuel me to get better. Their stories dazzle me with their genius. I need that kind of magic in my life. I crave that kind of magic in my life.

So here's to 2014 and goals and books and magic. 

Oh, and Nutella. Can't forget about the Nutella. 

 

Things I've Been Doing Instead Of Blogging Like I Should

So. I've been a terrible blogger. TERRIBLE, I tell you. My last post was in August, so yeah. TERRIBLE.

Here are a few Things I've Been Doing Instead Of Blogging Like I Should:

1) Revising the fourth draft of Le WIP.

2) Writing my Master's thesis.

3) Taking care of them:

Luna (pinned down) & Freya (pinning her down). Ah, life...

4) Eating the same dish at my latest Mexican restaurant obsession:

Nachos with churrasco. The churrasco's hidden somewhere under all that guac. *drools*

 

5) Watching a lot of TV and finding new shows to fangirl over, such as:

Hellooooooo, Mr. Crane.

6) Reading very few books instead of a lot of books, which is shameful and I'm sorry.

7) Working. 

But I've had enough, folks. It's time to get back on the blogging horse. Starting with this post. I hope to be around a bit more often than these past two months. So yeah. Expect some fangirling in the near future.

Have a great week! :D

This Is What Happens When You Rescue An Abandoned Puppy Someone Left In The Fields Next To Your House

Freya, the six-week-old terror of doom

You keep her. You fall in love with her. You take pictures when she's napping.

Good times.

That Time I Adopted A New Puppy And Spent More Time With Her Than Revising

Luna, the Hybrid Puppy of Doom.
I'm pretty sure she was a gymnast in another life.

This is why I haven't revised/outlined as much as I would've liked.

That is all. Carry on.

Blog Chain: What Is Success?

So. Once again, I'm WAY behind on my blog chain duties. *hangs head in shame* And even though I have to write a post for the chain tomorrow, I have something super special scheduled in its place (!!!), so I'll be posting it on Friday.

Okay. Now for the post I'm behind on. The kickass Cole wants to know the following:

How do you define success? Is it getting published, making the New York Times list, or just finishing a novel?    

To me, all those things can be gratifying, but the one that feels like the biggest milestone is finishing a first draft. Granted, I haven't been published and I haven't made the NYT list. I don't know what those things feel like. But if I had to guess, I'd still say wrapping up a novel is the ultimate source of that HELL YEAH feeling. Especially since I'm such a slow writer. The fastest draft I've ever finished lasted 2 months, and I haven't been able to recapture that sense of OMG THIS NEEDS TO BE WRITTEN NOW feeling again. 

So yeah. Success is many stages in the publishing world. It morphs into other stages--other pressures--writers put on themselves. But at the end of the day, it starts with a story you want to share, and the roadblocks that will try to stop you from doing so.

*cracks knuckles*

A huge thank you to Cole for this topic! Make sure you go read what she had to say, and stay tuned for another blog chain post later this week.

Blog Chain: On Critiques And Thick Skin

It's blog chain time, folks. This round is brought to you by Alyson, who wants to know:

Have you developed thick skin as a writer? How do you handle having your work critiqued? Do you love revising? Hate it?

So. Thick skin. I totes have it. I didn't always have it, though. 2009. That's when I contacted my first (and still!) CP, Lindsay. If Lindsay pointed something out as sucktastic, I would immediately feel like a sucktastic failure of a writer. That was more my self-esteem than Lindsay's approach to crits (because she is awesomesauce). Luckily, I've spent the past four years embracing my work as a thing that's outside of me. Yes, it came from my brain, but whatever type of feedback I get on my work isn't feedback on me as a person. If my manuscript is sucktastic, then I must fix it. Period. I can bemoan cutting a chapter/scene I thought was cool, but I'm still cutting it if it doesn't add anything to the story. That's the kind of perspective a CP can help you with. It's also a lesson I struggled to learn, but I'm thrilled I finally did. :)

As for revising, my stance remains the same. I LOVE IT. Love, love, love. I prefer it to drafting any day of the week. I'm still hard at work on my WIP's second draft, though, so I'm slower than I want to be. Especially since I have at least two more drafts to go through. I cannot wait to send the final draft to Lindsay, as well as my other CPs, Kaye and Natasha.

I feel sorry for them already. *giggles*

Thanks to Alyson for the awesome topic! Check out what Cole had to say, and stay tuned for Margie's post tomorrow! :)

Blog Chain: The Non-Fiction Round

Blog chain time! For this round, Sandra asks the following:

We all know it's important to read fiction if you want to write fiction, but what about reading non-fiction? How much non-fiction do you read? What kinds of non-fiction books do you read, and why? Has reading non-fiction influenced your fiction writing style?

Confession: the only non-fiction books I read are either for thesis research or for WIP research. On the thesis front, there's a lot of Emily Bronte going on, since I'm focusing on her poetry. I've read biographies and critical analysis books. On the WIP front, I'm delving into the Dark Ages. Customs, clothing, food, combat techniques. You name it. I'm doing my best to absorb as much as I can. I'm also studying the Gothic language in order to put some Germanic words into the story. You know. Easy stuff like that :)

The non-fiction books on medieval times have influenced my fiction writing style. I'm paying attention to details that are helping me build a stronger, more believable world. This includes word choice as well. Sometimes I feel tempted to write things like "For reals" or "Shut your pie hole" and I stop myself. PEOPLE DIDN'T SAY THIS IN MEDIEVAL TIMES, YO. So yeah. It's a constant learning experience and struggle, but I'm confident it'll pay off in the end. 

*crosses fingers*

Thanks to Sandra for this topic! Check out Cole's take on the topic, and don't forget to see what Margie has to say!

In Which I Confess My Solo Dance Parties While Writing

So. Writing. Hard, isn't it? 

I find it impossible to write for more than an hour at a time. Sometimes, if I'm REALLY pumped up, I go on for longer stretches. But this is rare, folks. Like, is-that-a-Yeti-with-a-chimichanga? rare. My creative juices sound the alarm and slam those breaks like nobody's business. I feel exhausted and bored. 

Which is why I have solo dance parties.

I put on songs that drive me to brink of dancing madness, then run headfirst to said madness. 

Note: I am a terrible dancer. But I do it anyway. 

It's my excuse to have fun and laugh at my ineptitude for a few minutes. It's also a great way to recharge those creative juices. Dance parties make me happy. Therefore, after the dance party is over, I will still be happy. This helps me get back to writing with a smile on my face and, hopefully, a believable way to end that pesky scene or chapter. 

Just don't ask me to record myself dancing. You don't deserve that kind of torture. 

How do you recharge those creative juices after a writing session? Do you throw solo dance parties, too? Or do you prefer something less embarrassing? 

Sparklepires And Pretty Monsters: On Reinterpretation

Monsters. Myths. Urban legends. Fairy tales. These are some things that have been adapted in a bazillion ways. Storytellers take the original material, then infuse it with a shiny new twist. They could even change genres in order to explore that original material in a different setting with different rules.

Which leads me to this:

AWFUL grammatical errors aside, I am bothered by this, folks. Not because I am a rabid advocate of sparklepire rights (even though I believe they should have their rights both acknowledged and respected). Not because I prefer my monsters pretty and CGI'd all the time. This isn't why I cringe whenever I read or hear someone berating authors for their "lame" and "not scary" versions of once-feared creatures. Hell, I might find some of those new versions lame and not scary, too. 

But I have no problem with lame and not scary. I choose not to engage with these reinterpretations, and my life goes on.

I have a problem with clinging to one version of anything. 

Variety is the spice of life, but it's also what makes literature worth reading. Imagine if all vampires were sparklepires who watched their romantic leads while they slept. Now imagine if all witches were super smart with weird hair and poor social skills. Now imagine if all aliens were blue and had six-packs and flew on pterodactyl-looking creatures. Would you be excited to read books with this version offered to you over and over? Or would you be excited to discover new ways of looking at the same archetype/monster?

I know which boat I'm floating on. Long live reinterpretation, even if I don't like how that reinterpretation plays out in the end. 

What about you? Where do you stand on the reinterpretation spectrum? Are there any reinterpreted monsters/stories you prefer to the original?  

How To Get Nothing Done: The SHERLOCK Edition

So. I am sick. Very, very sick. 

*coughs*

Naturally, my sickness has led me to Netflix. Again. Oh, how my sickness messes with daily plans... 

Anyway. Netflix. I was browsing through a bunch of shows I haven't seen yet, trying to decide which one I'd dive into after the awesomeness that is Merlin. There's this one show that kept taunting me with its presence. The same show I SWORE to anyone and everyone I'd stay away from.

Anyone and everyone: "But it's a great show, Amparo! You should watch it!"

Me: "No. I am not interested."

Anyone and everyone: "But it's a great show with great acting! Watch it now!!!"

Me: "No."

Anyone and everyone: "BUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU YOU ARE MISSING OUT."

Me: "HAHA NO I'M NOT."

You know what I'm going to say. You know who ended up losing this futile war of wills.

BBC One's Sherlock

Sherlock owns my soul. It owns my soul the way puppies with wagging tails and clumsy feet own my soul. It is the kind of love that is healthy and unhealthy at the same time. The kind that glues me to the TV while coughing and burning up and crying from my congestion and makes me forget I'm coughing and burning up and crying from my congestion.

The writing? Clever. Hilarious. Touching.

The acting? SUPERB (I know Cumberbatch is a favorite of many peeps, but OMG, Martin Freeman is a subtle genius).

The villain? THE VILLAIN???? I. Am. Obsessed. With the Moriarty on this show. I CANNOT even tell you. No. I really can't. I often quote him and mimic his voice and it's just not something I should be confessing. But there you go.

Also, Mrs. Hudson. *gives her ALL the hugs*

For those of you who aren't huge Sherlock Holmes fans, I'm right there with you. I wasn't excited about starting this show at all. But as a writer, a lover of stories, and a lover of stories about allies who fight against crime, I am fascinated with the tight, unapologetic plotting of twists and LOL moments. It's an art, really. An art I do not master. The relationship between Sherlock and John is far more heartwarming than I was expecting, too. They work and live together but they're not friends but oh wait yes they are but nope they're arguing again but nope they've made up but OH SNAP Sherlock has just ruined it again. 

One of the most awesome roller coasters in the land of television.

I cannot wait for Season 3---> words I thought I'd never say. *sigh*

Do you watch Sherlock? If so, what's your favorite thing about the show?

Blog Chain: Balancing Stuff With Other Stuff

Happy Valentine's Day!!! *tosses sprinkles* 

Now. It's blog chain time! This round features a question from Lisa. She wants to know the following:

The balancing act. How do you balance your writing time with everything else in your life--including kids, job, book promotion.

This is a pretty simple post for me. I don't have kids. I don't have a job (although I'm going on the prowl for one soon). Right now, I don't have to worry about book promotion because I don't have a book coming out in the near future (but I am querying one later this year).

What I do have is a thesis to write. And a family. A friends. Lots of friends who, for some reason, like seeing me and hanging out with me. So I've come up with a bit of a system: during weekdays, I work on my thesis (proposal, at this stage) in the mornings, then spend the afternoon working on my WIP. I make it a point to revise one page, though. This usually tempts me to work on at least a second page because I'm just too amped and feel like one page isn't enough. On weekends, no thesis whatsoever. I work on my WIP and hang out with my family, or I work on my WIP and catch up with friends, or I don't work on my WIP and watch a lot of TV/read awesome books.

It's been a blast so far. Let's hope I can keep this balancing act for a little while longer. *crosses fingers*

Thanks to Lisa for the topic! Make sure to check out Cole's post, then stay tuned tomorrow for Margie's post!

  

Amparo Goes Old School. Or, I Should've Read These Classics A Long Time Ago

Yep. It's true. I am a Literature grad student and I haven't read some of the most beloved classics. 

*slaps wrist*

But hey, new year, new goals, right? Well, one of those goals will be to rectify my shameful behavior. I've chosen to read ten novels I should've read a long time ago. Like, CENTURIES ago. Not only because they're classics, but also because they sound like books I will enjoy. So. This classics-reading endeavor will be chronicled on my blog, of course. I'll be writing about what each book taught me (even if I don't end up loving them).

This new feature will be called:

And here's le list of ten classics:

• Pride & Prejudice
• Jane Eyre
• The Picture of Dorian Gray
• Anna Karenina
• David Copperfield
• Villette
• Northanger Abbey
• The Castle Of Otranto
• Madame Bovary
• The Mysteries Of Udolpho

So there you have them. The books I shall devour... or read verrrryyyyyyy slooooooowlyyyy... throughout this year. I hope to survive this mission, folks. I really do. *crosses fingers*

Now tell me: have you read any of these books? If so, what did you think??