The 777 Challenge and a New Web Page
I introduce Surviving Santiago via the 777 Challenge, in which I post from a work-in-progress seven full lines from the seventh page, starting seven lines down.
Reclaiming Our History: The Colorado Student Walkouts
A response to the Jefferson County, Colorado school board's effort to teach obedience rather than history, and the student walkout that ensued.
Work-in-Progress Character Blog Hop, or Made Up People Can Jump Too
As part of a character blog hop, I introduce Tina Aguilar, the protagonist of my forthcoming YA novel, Surviving Santiago.
For a Person Who Made Us Laugh: Robin Williams, 1951-2014
Like many people, I am still in a state of shock from learning of the death of actor and comedian Robin Williams yesterday. When my son posted an image from…
The Value of Workshops
Writing workshops can be especially useful in identifying flaws in a manuscript or getting unstuck, as I found with Surviving Santiago.
The Perils of First-Hand Research
An illness likely contracted in the course of researching my next book prompts me to reflect on how realistic writers take risks in the service of authenticity.
Patricio Has Writer’s Block, But I Don’t: My Writing Process Blog Tour
My contribution to the My Writing Process Blog Tour, where I talk about the fun of revision and why I write about social and political struggles.